Craved by a Stranger (Craved Series #1) Read online

  Craved by a Stranger

  Hazel Kelly

  © 2015 Hazel Kelly

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, transmitted, copied, or stored in any form or by any means without permission of the author. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

  All characters in this story are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons is purely coincidental.

  “I’m picking up good vibrations

  She’s giving me excitations”

  -The Beach Boys

  Chapter 1: Jack

  “If you suck on his balls, he’ll love you forever,” I said, noticing that everyone was taking notes except Sammy. “You don’t want to write that down?” I asked, stopping in front of her chair.

  “I know that already,” she said, wobbling her head like a diva wags her finger.

  And then I remembered that Sammy used to be a man. However, she was one of the more convincing Thai lady boys I’d met over the years so sometimes I forgot. Still, sucking balls was probably one of her favorite extracurriculars. Not that I knew from experience.

  To be honest, I almost didn’t let her take the course when I discovered that she was cross gender. Mostly because it was confusing for me to have a busty woman in the front row with a dick, regardless of how temporary or non-existent it was.

  After all, she’d been taking hormone replacement therapy since she was twelve and had assured me that her transformation would be final before the end of the year.

  But in the end, I figured if the rest of Thailand didn’t discriminate against lady boys, who the fuck was I to judge?

  And even though the other women knew, it actually worked in my favor since Sammy’s presence often gave my lessons an extra air of credibility.

  A thin, porcelain arm rose tentatively on the other side of the room.

  “Yes, Mai?” I asked, sitting on the pool table at the front of the room.

  “Is there any special technique to use?”

  “Not really. The most important thing is that you try your best, but every man is different.”

  Mai nodded and a dozen eyes settled on me.

  “But I will give you three important tips to remember.”

  The women’s eyes dropped to their papers.

  “Number one: No teeth. Keep them tucked away.”

  “Tucked?” one of the women at the back of the room asked.

  “Wrapped,” I said.

  “Like this.” Sammy turned towards the back of the class, showing everyone her lip wrapped teeth.

  “Number two,” I said. “Suck like you mean it. Guys appreciate enthusiasm. You want them to think you’re really hungry for it, that giving them pleasure turns you on.”

  There was nothing but nodding from around the empty bar as the girls scribbled in their cheap notebooks.

  “Finally, don’t be afraid to use your tongue,” I said. “Your tongue is your secret weapon. Not only can you use it to surprise him, but it allows you to maintain the control even when you’re the one that’s on your knees.” I checked my watch and waited for everyone to look up. Then I rubbed my palms together. “Okay, I think that’s enough for today. Does anyone have any questions?”

  “Do we have any homework?” someone asked from the back.

  “No, there’s no homework,” I said, trying to recall if I’d seen any proof that she was old enough to be here. “It’s up to you whether you apply what you learn or not.”

  “But it wouldn’t kill you ladies to suck some balls,” Sammy said, throwing her long black hair over her shoulder. “Especially you Mai.”

  Mai’s face turned red and she looked down.

  I shot a look at Sammy. “Worry about your own ball sucking.”

  Sammy looked from me to Mai. “Sorry, Mai. I didn’t mean-”

  “It’s okay,” Mai said, forcing a smile.

  The other girls began shifting in their seats.

  “Class is over,” I said. “Have a great day.”

  Everyone rose quietly, unlike any class I’d ever been in, and I watched as they began to filter out of the club. Then I slid off the pool table and scanned the wall to see if there was a decent cue around since I had a few minutes before I was supposed to meet Jin for lunch.

  “Mr. Jack?”

  I turned around. Mai was standing in front of me. All five feet of her. Her hair was pulled back and she wore a baby blue outfit I’d expect to see on a twelve year old. If I had to guess I’d say she was in her early twenties, but she could’ve been forty for all I knew. It was impossible to tell with Thai women.

  “Just Jack is fine, Mai. What’s up?”

  “Two things.”

  “Shoot,” I said, leaning a hip against the pool table.

  “I don’t need you to stick up for me.”

  “I know, Mai. I didn’t do it for you,” I lied. “I did it so the other girls would know I don’t like people being singled out.”

  She nodded. “Sammy is mad at me about last weekend.”

  I didn’t pry. I just waited.

  “We met these two German guys and she wanted to go back to their hotel.”

  “Yeah.”

  “But I didn’t.”

  I nodded.

  “So that’s why she’s mad at me. She thinks I’m a prude and that I ruined her fun.”

  “So what happened?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. I went home.”

  “Good for you,” I said.

  “You’re not disappointed?”

  I shook my head. “No, Mai. Of course not. You should never do anything you don’t want to do or anything that puts you in danger. I only teach you this stuff in case you meet someone special.”

  Her eyes flickered downwards, but I couldn’t tell if she was blushing in the dim club.

  “What is it?”

  “I think maybe I did meet someone.”

  I crossed my arms in front of me. “That’s wonderful. Who’s the lucky guy?”

  “He is an American. I don’t know his name. He comes to my coffee stand every day two times for my Thai coffees.”

  “And does he flirt with you?”

  “That’s what I don’t know.”

  “I see.”

  “I want to maybe see him somewhere other than from behind my stand, but I don’t want to make him uncomfortable.”

  “Of course.”

  “Because I want him to keep buying my coffee.”

  “I understand.” I ran my fingers through my hair and folded my arms. “Does he talk to you while you make his coffee? Or does he just stand and wait?”

  “He talks. Sometimes he makes a joke that my coffees are the best ever.”

  “Is he married?”

  “He does not wear a ring.”

  I pursed my lips. “I think maybe he likes you Mai, especially if he comes twice a day.”

  “Sometimes he comes three times.”

  “For Thai coffee?”

  She nodded.

  “That’s too much condensed milk for anyone.”

  She laughed. “I know. He said his sweet tooth is very bad.”

  I knew better than to tell her to ask him out. She was far too shy to do that. Still, she was one of my favorite students so I was eager to help.

  “Here’s what you do,” I said. “Next time he comes by at the end of the day, ask him if he’d like to take a coffee home for his wife.”

  “Okay,” she said, her face full of concentration.

  “If he says he doesn’t have a wife, then say, maybe your girlfriend would like one then?”

  “And if he says he doesn’t have a girlfriend?”

  “Then smile your pretti
est smile and say you’re surprised because he is so handsome.”

  “Oh no I couldn’t.”

  “Why not? It will make him feel good. Don’t you like when a man says you’re pretty?”

  She shrugged.

  “You have to let him know you think he’s handsome or he won’t realize that you want him to ask you out.”

  She pursed her lips.

  “Trust me, Mai. Men are stupid. You have to let him know you’re interested.”

  “That is what I was afraid of.”

  “What do you think an American girl would do if she thought he was handsome?”

  She raised her eyebrows. “Flirt with him?”

  I nodded. “That’s absolutely right.”

  “I know you are right. I have seen The Baywatch.”

  I laughed. “First of all, Mai, there are only a few women in America that look like that.”

  “I know but-”

  “And every single one of them was in that show.”

  She nodded.

  “Plus, they’re all washed up now, and I guarantee this guy you like doesn’t know them. Okay?”

  “Okay.”

  “The point is, if you want to compete with all the American women he does know, you have to make a move.”

  Mai sighed.

  “Otherwise you’ll be like the fisherman that never casts his line.”

  “I know,” she said. “Thank you for your advice.”

  “You’re welcome, Mai. I can’t wait to hear how it goes.”

  “And if he does have a wife?” she asked.

  I shrugged. “Maybe he’ll start buying more coffee.”

  Chapter 2: Audrey

  I looked down at the glossy brochure spread on the small Starbucks table. Its cover featured the silhouette of a happy couple looking out at crystal blue waters on a bright, sunny day. Because they were facing the ocean, I couldn’t see their faces, but I assumed they were happy because there were tiny umbrellas in their drinks.

  “Well?” Megan said. “What do you think?”

  I looked at Megan’s wide eyes and shrugged. “I’m just not sure it’s a good idea right now.”

  Megan leaned forward and put her elbows on the table. “You’re just being difficult. It’s a brilliant idea.”

  “Don’t you think I should be looking for a job?” I asked, stirring my drink with a thin, wooden stick.

  “Sorry, my bad,” she said, cocking her head. “Is that what you were doing when I stopped by earlier and you were in your pajamas eating ice cream for breakfast at eleven o’clock? Yes, by all means, definitely get back to that.”

  “You know what I mean.”

  “The only thing I know is that you need to get away,” she said, crossing her arms and leaning back in her chair.

  I knew she was right. I was so stressed out lately that I hardly recognized myself.

  “How is your Dad anyway?” Megan asked.

  “Honestly,” I said. “He’d be better off if he was still drinking.”

  “You don’t really mean that. The drinking could’ve killed him if you hadn’t found out.”

  “I know, but at least he would’ve died happy. I mean, before he was a functioning alcoholic. Now he’s just keeping everyone else from functioning.”

  “Well, it’s only been six months since the accident. Things can only get better.”

  “Maybe,” I said. “But he’s in his fifties and he just found out he’s never going to walk again. No wonder he wants to have a drink.”

  “Shouldn’t he be through his withdrawal at least?”

  I shrugged. “I thought he was, but he went right back to trying to bribe nurses to bring him a drink last time he was in the hospital. They finally put him on surveillance when they caught him with a bottle of rubbing alcohol.”

  “Jesus.”

  “But they still refused to hold him for more than two weeks.”

  “And your Mom?” Megan asked. “How’s she doing?”

  “It’s hard to tell. My Uncle moved in to help her get my Dad under control, but that’s proving easier said than done.”

  “Is she still calling you every day?”

  “They both are,” I said, taking a sip of my latte and trying to ignore Megan’s sad eyes. “It’s like they’re in competition to see who can make me lose the will to live first. It’s the first time since I was a kid that I wished I had some siblings to share the load, ya know?”

  “Yeah,” Megan said, letting her head fall to the side. “Well, at least it can’t get any worse, right?”

  I laughed. “Not unless I tell my Mom the truth about Emmett. Then she’d really lose all hope.”

  “Why? What did you tell her in the first place?”

  “I told her I was seeing a guy at work and that things were going really well.”

  Megan shook her head.

  “And in a moment of weakness, I may even have added that I thought he might be The One.”

  “Why would you say that?” Megan asked. “None of that is even remotely true.”

  “I don’t know. She needed some good news, and I’m an idiot. Plus, it wasn’t a complete lie when I said it at the time.”

  “You mean it was before you got laid off?”

  “Yeah,” I said. “And before I overheard that girl in the bathroom.”

  Megan sighed.

  “I’m more pissed about losing the job though for whatever it’s worth. I liked being able to tell people I did graphic design for Seattle’s premier indie magazine.”

  “That did have a nice ring to it.”

  “Right?”

  Megan shook her brown curls with her fingertips. “Something better will come along.”

  “Maybe.”

  “And someone.”

  “I hope so.” Not that I didn’t like Emmett. On the contrary, I really liked him. I even thought he liked me, too, until I heard the short skirted editorial intern bragging on the phone in the bathroom about all this stuff he said to her, stuff that sounded way too familiar. “Even though I feel like I don’t have the right to be upset because it’s not like we were officially seeing each other or anything.”

  “I think you have the right to be upset.”

  “Thanks, but I’m not sure inappropriate business hours flirtation and a few alcohol fueled romps after company parties count as a relationship.”

  “God, what I wouldn’t give for a few alcohol fueled romps,” she said, tipping her cardboard cup against her lips.

  “Are you and Max going through a dry spell or something?”

  “Sort of.”

  “Sorry to hear that,” I said. “I’m sure he’ll come around.”

  “We’ll see.”

  I forced a smile.

  Megan fixed her eyes on me. “Audrey?”

  “What?”

  “Please don’t make me beg.”

  I groaned. “Why Thailand again?”

  “Because it’s perfect,” she said, breaking up a maple cinnamon scone. “We can eat fresh seafood until we burst, we’ll have guaranteed sunshine, and there’ll be loads of other carefree backpackers who can help you forget all about Emmett’s tiny prick.”

  I looked around to make sure no one at the surrounding tables was listening and then leaned towards her. “It was like a thumb.”

  Chapter 3: Jack

  I didn’t see Jin yet so I ordered a Singh with ice and grabbed a seat at our usual table. I would’ve gotten him a beer, too, but it was too hot to order in advance. Plus, sometimes he surprised me and went for a banana milkshake.

  The beach across the street from where I was sitting was littered with umbrellas. Only a few people lay in the sun, and they were all Westerners. Unfortunately, most of them were middle-aged men who didn’t exactly enhance the beautiful scenery.

  Other than that, I couldn’t fault the place. Gorgeous beach aside, the people were smiley and polite and genuine. And why wouldn’t they be happy? The breeze smelled of dried squid and fresh shrimp and the sun
shone brightly every day. Best of all, most of the locals were up early with it, going about their day in their typical Buddhist fashion.

  In other words, they did their best to be grateful for what they had and tried not to crave more. It was a refreshing change from where I used to live in California. There, everyone wanted what they didn’t have whether it was beauty, fame, flashy cars, or gaudy homes. And for a price, all of those things were attainable. Worst of all, most people were willing to do just about anything to get them.

  But I knew that wasn’t the life I wanted- even before I got lucky and suddenly had the kind of wealth everyone around me grew up envying. And while I only came to Thailand to get some perspective, I wasn’t surprised that I’d stayed.

  It was a peaceful place to live. My biggest problems during the day were choosing whether to have breakfast or brunch and trying to decide if I needed more sunscreen.

  It was far more relaxed than the lifestyle most of my friends in Cali were living, albeit decidedly less glamorous. But as much as I wanted to be Buddhist about it, to be grateful for my lot and quell my desirous urges, I couldn’t. I still craved.

  Not money, like most people, but companionship. My life was so easy, so leisurely, but what was the point of leisure if you didn’t have someone to share it with?

  Peace and quiet was lovely, of course, but eventually, it got old. And eventually had arrived about two years ago.