HOW TO RUIN YOUR LIFE (LGBTQ+)

6

Izzy stood outside under the awning of the back porch, stuck on the phone. She was one of the leaders of the organization, after all. As soon as Asa had gotten off the phone with Sterling, Izzy had received three business calls back to back.

She'd been outside for a whole hour.

Ridiculous. All she wanted to do was spend time with Asa, who she hardly ever got to see. She could see her from where she was standing, looking through the big window into the sun room. Asa was staring at a big canvas she'd splashed paint on. The walls were covered in her art. It was all horrifying, dark art. Demons standing in the shadows. Distorted human figures. Surrealism, it was called.

Izzy loved to watch Asa work.

'It's very one sided, you know,' Max had insisted. 'Asa doesn't care about romance, love, any of it really. You might as well drop it.'

But Izzy was too enchanted with her. She watched Asa, only half listening to the person on the other side of the phone. Asa's muscles rippled as she stirred a can of paint, her hair hanging over her eyes and curling at the nape of her neck.

How could she drop it?

She wouldn't. Even if she was never fulfilled. Asa was the only person she'd ever been interested in. If it was one sided forever, so be it.

-

When I went down to the basement that night, the girl was in a sitting position, her back resting against the wall, her blindfold off her face, hanging around her neck, and the ear muffs discarded in front of her. I was wearing a mask to hide my face, and decided that I would explain the rules after Izzy was gone.

She watched me quietly as I approached her, carrying a plastic cup of water and a plate of food. "Who are you?" she asked, her voice steady but small.

I put the plate and cup down in front of her, then straightened and walked away.

"My name is Cleo," she called after me. "I like your dungeon."

I continued up the stairs. This girl was definitely odd. Sleeping in a suitcase, and telling me she liked my dungeon.

When I closed the door behind me, Izzy was in the kitchen, looking through the cupboards and fridge. "Calls are finally done. I turned my phone off to keep anymore from coming in." She turned to me as she took her blazer off, tossing it over one of the kitchen bar stools. "You don't eat meat, right? I want to cook dinner for us."

"No meat," I replied. "Do you even know how to cook?"

Izzy scoffed. "Of course I do."

"That's not what Max told me. He said you've nearly burned down his kitchen many times, and your employees don't allow you to-"

"Alright, alright," Izzy said, holding her hands up with a grin that stretched from ear to ear. "I'm not the best cook."

"I already have leftovers in the fridge," I said.

Twenty minutes later, we were sitting together at the counter on the bar stools, eating pesto pasta and roasted broccoli.

"Why don't you eat meat?" Izzy asked me around a mouthful of food.

I gulped down some water. "Because I don't want to."

Izzy looked at me for a few seconds, then continued eating. "Have you ever had steak before?"

"No."

It's gonna be a long night.

-

"You can sleep in this room," I said, standing in front of a guest bedroom.

It was supposed to be Joe's. But both of the guest rooms had been empty ever since the house became mine.

Izzy leaned against the doorframe, eying me. "What about in your room?"

"No. I'm going to sleep." I turned away, but her hand caught on my wrist, pulling me back.

"Asa, I haven't seen you for over six months now. Haven't you missed me?"

I turned my head to look at her over my shoulder. She was towering over me, even though she was only an inch or two taller. Her eyes were sparkling with humor, as they always were. I raised an eyebrow. "Not really."

"Jeez, you're too blunt," Izzy grinned, her hand still locked around my wrist. "I'll be gone in the morning, and you probably won't see me for another...I don't know. A long time, most likely. I won't be the one picking up the package when the money comes in, anyway."

I turned my body toward hers, waiting for her to finish.

"So...will you humor me, for tonight? Like you did, six months ago?"

"I'm not interested."

Izzy groaned in clear frustration. "I'm hot, aren't I? Of course, I'm only interested in you of all people when there are so many others who've come onto me. You're torturing me, here."

I smirked. "Good."

Izzy's eyes grew wide. "What?"

"I was drunk, those six months ago, so I let you do what you wanted, didn't I?" I asked, stepping forward. "This time, if you let me do what I want, I'll sleep with you."

Izzy released my wrist, swallowing. "What do you want?"

I was never interested in normal sex. It wasn't that I never liked sex, it was just that I had no interest in what others liked and wanted. I liked to have sex where I felt powerful, and the other person felt afraid. My first sexual partner, my ONLY sexual partner besides Izzy, gave me what I wanted. Rough, painful, humiliating sex that she hated and loved at the same time. But her older brother didn't approve of the bruises he saw on her every time she visited me, and he made her end the year long relationship we had.

I wouldn't ever forget him. He had been much stronger than me in a fight, and hated me - which added excitement to the relationship. Percy, his name was. And her name was Star.

Since the day of the break up, several years ago, I hadn't seen her since. But I knew that she had loved me, despite all of my secrets and the pain I gave her.

Since then, I had put my physical desires aside, using my disinterest in vanilla sex as a shield from all sexual advances. My level of interest in sex was low to begin with, which made it easy. But now, I had the chance in front of me. Izzy was totally obsessed with me. And maybe, if I gave her what she wanted in the way that I wanted to give it, she would leave me alone.

"I want you to do everything I tell you to do," I said quietly, watching her face. "Without asking any questions at all."

She was unwavering, but her aggression was gone. She seemed to melt into the doorframe, her fingers wrapped around the edging as I leaned forward, waiting for a reply.

"I will," she said eagerly.

I leaned forward, my lips brushing against her ear and my fingers ghosting around her hips, then pressing into them as I whispered, "Take all of your clothes off, and lie down on the bed."