Read PreHeat (Fire & Ice) for Free Online

he was going to keep a sharper eye on how I ran the kitchen. It was just another reason that I had been feeling anxious about trying something different, ala Just Add Heat. It was nice to be able to focus on something that was actually mine.
    But things were different with Carter. I didn't think about Heavenly Vegetables or even my past dating failures. I spent my time with him thinking about good things, my favorite things, and learning more about Carter. I had discovered that he was a huge fan of Star Wars, not really my cup of tea, but it was interesting to see him talk about it. His art was another part of him I hadn't known much about. He had wanted to major in fine arts, but his parents had (wisely, I thought) steered him in a direction that he had a hope of actually earning a living with. These days most of his creativity was funneled through a computer, but since I was on the receiving end of some of that talent, I thought he had made a pretty good choice.
    It was nice to be able to talk with someone that had creative leanings since I did too, although mine were predominantly food related. In so many ways he reminded me of Cheryl, which was probably why I felt such an affinity towards him from the beginning, and that brought me right back to my original problem. Unfortunately, I was having some trouble getting over it.
     
    ***
     
    “Oops, sorry. Aiigh!”
    Cheryl had opened the living room door while my eyes were closed and her scream had jolted me from my concentration on achieving my orgasm. When I opened my eyes and turned my head to the noise, I let out a piercing scream of my own. “Aaiiigh!”
    “Oh my god! What is going on?”
    “Fuck Cheryl, can't you knock?” Carter yelled while gallantly getting off of me and sitting in front of my body on the couch.
    “Carter, what the fuck?”
    “Cheryl turn around,” I pleaded while trying to sit upright. She just stood there staring until Carter spoke.
    “Damn Cheryl, take a picture.”
    “How long has this been going on?” She was looking directly at me and I couldn't do anything but cover my face with my hand.
    “Oh my god.”
    “Cheryl, would you please give us a minute here?” She finally walked towards the kitchen.
    I grabbed for my bra. Cheryl had just come upon me having sex with Carter and her reaction was more extreme than I had imagined. Of course, I had never dreamed that she would walk in on me having sex with anyone , so the scream was understandable.
     “I knew this was a bad idea.” I pulled the straps over my arms as I shook my head. “I'm sorry, Carter, but we can't be together this way. I told you this wouldn't work.” It didn't make me feel any better to know that I had been spot on in my assessment of how Cheryl would react. It sucked.
    “Don't say that. This was just a surprise for us all.”
    “No Carter. Cheryl wasn't merely surprised, she was horrified.”
    “Please Justine; give me a minute with Cheryl, okay?” He was already dressed, and I nodded as I pulled my tee shirt over my head and picked up my panties off of the coffee table.
    What the hell had I been thinking? I had to end things with Carter now and hope that Cheryl wouldn't hold it against me. Wasn't the saying “Bro's before Ho's” or something? It didn't apply directly to this situation, but it was possible she would take the saying literally, choosing her brother over me. Not that there was any choice to be made, not by her, anyway. She might be angry that I was keeping secrets from her, which I was, but there was no either/or situation at this point.  I could still play it off as a one-off lapse of judgment. Heck, she'd been telling me that I needed a man for months now.
    My ears were beginning to buzz and my heart was pounding. I hated confrontation, and even if Cheryl wasn't mad I was going to have to explain myself somehow. Then I had to make Carter see that I had been right all along. This evening had turned to crap, and it had started off so well.
    I