A Life Like This (Life #1) Read Online Free Page A

apartment so he can get ready. He lives in a beautiful loft in Midtown. It’s very new age and clean, just like him. It takes him almost as long as I did to get ready, so I pour myself wine and watch. Turning on his stereo system, I hit shuffle on his iPod and Santana’s “Maria Maria” starts. God, I love this song. I dance all the way to his bed. “So, what’s going on with you and Kenneth?” I ask him. He walks out of his bathroom with a towel around his waist. We’ve known each other so long we have no issue being nearly nude, or completely nude, on occasion, around one another.
    “It’s not. The man is a needy bitch, and you know I don’t have time for that shit. The sex is amazing though; might ride that out for a while.” He winks and walks past me to his huge walk-in closet. It almost rivals mine.
    “My God, JoJo, you have no fucking shame! Literally!” I say as we both break out into hysterics.
    “Oh, please, AP, like you haven’t stayed with a man merely for the sex. Need I say Nick?” I scowl at him from the bed. He knows I don’t like to talk about Nick, but he makes a valid point.
    I sigh, “Fine, fine, you’re right. I was with Nick for his big dick, but I told him that from the start. It’s not my fault he wanted more. I’m not ready for all that nonsense yet. I’m too selfish to be with anyone right now.” He walks out of his closet fully dressed, in designer jeans and a button-up with the top three buttons open.
    “Damn, you’re looking fine tonight.”
    “We both are, doll,” he replies.
    I look at myself and he is right. In a miniscule little black dress and sky high Louboutins, I look good tonight. Standing together, we take our Polaroid – yes, those still exist, and yes we take one every time we go out. I shake the picture before adding it to our collage we have going on his wall. The first picture we took was that very day we met in college and we went to a party. It became a tradition. The wall now holds thousands of pictures. It’s fun to look back and see how far we’ve come. Joey throws his arm over my shoulders and admires the wall with me. He starts to serenade me along with Sam Smith on the stereo.
    “I’ll always hold your hand, JoJo.” I smile up at him. He grabs my hand and we head off to the club.
    I have no idea which club we are going to; I rarely do. The only times I go to clubs are with Joey, so he is the one who keeps up with what’s hot and what’s not. We arrive at Club Next and the line is around the corner, but of course, we walk right in. Joey seldom has to wait for anything. The bouncer and a girl in thigh-high black boots, a mini skirt, and a purple crop top greet us. She says her name is Becky. She gives Joey the double-cheek kiss then just nods and smiles at me, the bitch. Joey laughs and squeezes my hand as we follow Becky through the loud club and into a VIP booth. Once we arrive, Joey lets me sit before him, ever the gentleman. Becky introduces us to Ashley, our waitress, and then saunters away. Ashley, whom is in the same outfit as Becky, tells Joey she is a big fan of his work before taking our order. I laugh aloud once she walks away.
    “What is with these girls? Your work? They might as well just be honest and say your body is delicious and they want to fuck you.”
    He laughs at my remark.
    “Oh, AP, don’t be getting all defensive on me. It truly is a public service what I do for girls like Becky and Ashley. They should be thanking me.” He winks at me then throws his arm over my shoulder as we wait for our drinks. Ashley hurries black with a bottle of vodka and all the mixers we could need. Joey is texting some friends to meet up with us as I pour us our drinks. When I lift up the bottle, I almost drop it. “What the fuck?” I shout.
    Joey’s eyes snap to mine. “What’s the matter?”
    “This! I.P. Vodka, this is his vodka! Blake’s – well, the one he is invested with. What is it doing here? It isn’t even supposed to