Chapter Ten
Fritz
I awoke alone, but that didn’t surprise me. I remembered, somewhere near dawn, Dickens pressing a kiss to my forehead, saying he needed to get home, mumbling something, then slipping away. I’d have sworn he said he loved me, but that was just my sleep-addled brain speaking.
Rolling out of bed, I took stock. I glanced over to my garbage can. Three used condoms, nicely tied off. The man was obsessively neat. How many times had he risen to wet a washcloth and then returned to wipe me down? Enough so I wasn’t sticky despite the multiple orgasms.
I stripped the bed, even though what I really wanted to do was sink back into the dirty sheets and revel in his scent. I was attracted to everything about him. His looks, his quirky sense of humor, his caring nature…and, most especially, his scent. Something about it kicked my libido into high gear, and I sported a semi as I tossed the sheets into the laundry and headed to the shower.
The analog clock read eight forty-five, so I had enough time for a quick wash and a hearty breakfast before I headed down to open the shop.
Forty-seven minutes later, all of two minutes behind schedule, I rounded to the front of the store and found a woman standing at the door. “I apologize. Let me open up, and then please, come inside.”
Before I could even unlock the door, she thrust a paper into my hand.
“This is my resumé. I have a bookkeeping background, and before I had kids, I worked at the bookstore. The Lawrences were great people—are great people—and I didn’t want to quit working, but my husband said it wasn’t proper for his wife to work, and then, you know, two kids, and…well, now they’re in school and my husband is, uh, between jobs and—”
I held up my hand. “Why don’t we take this inside?”
I met her gaze as she finally looked at me. Pretty green eyes, with a delicate white face surrounded by a riot of auburn curls. She was barely an inch or two over five feet, so I literally towered over her.
She bobbed her head and her curls bobbed as well.
I unlocked the door, cringing that I hadn’t set the alarm yesterday. Yet everything looked in order. I didn’t have cash in the place, and the computer wasn’t new either.
The motorcycles were secured and everything was fine.
Downtown Mission City was a pretty safe place, so I was good. I guided Darlene to the back room. I had set up two desks with chairs and another chair across from my desk. Trying to look like the boss I wanted to be.
I encouraged the woman to sit in the chair across from me. I sat and glanced over her resumé. Her name leapt off the top line, and as I skimmed, I found other words I recognized. Truth was, it didn’t matter that I couldn’t read the thing properly in a brief span of time. If Dickens trusted her, I was going to as well.
I placed the paper down on the desk. “When can you work, and when can you start?”
She straightened and pushed a lock of flyaway hair out of her face. “I can start tomorrow. I can work Mondays and Thursdays.”
Perfect. I could have my Mondays off and play Thursday by ear. “That’s great.”
I named a salary I knew I could afford.
Her eyes widened.
I was verging on panic, but then she spoke.
“That’s very generous. I promise I’ll work hard to earn it.”
In my heart, I had no doubt. I pointed to the other desk with the computer. “I’ll get you passwords. If you don’t like the software, let me know, and I’ll buy you whatever you want, within reason. You’ll need to keep an eye on the front of the shop when you’re alone.”
More head bobbing. “I won’t let you down.”
“I never had a worry. I believe there’s some paperwork you need to fill out—”
Another nod. “I know which forms. I’ll print them out tonight and bring them in.”
“Great. I’m trying to go entirely digital. Paper just messes with my mind.”
“I understand you have some records needing to be organized. Was that correct?”
Damn interfering Dickens. “Yes, that would be correct.”
She clapped her hands. “Great, just hand me the pile tomorrow, and I promise I’ll get it all organized.”
She rose and stuck out her hand.
I grasped it. Her smile was genuine, but I didn’t miss the shadows in her eyes. I shook her hand.
“Thank you so much. For all of it.”
She bobbed her head one last time and headed out of the office. Unsure whether to see her out or let her figure things out for herself, I let her go. I leaned back in my chair and said a silent thanks to the interfering shit next door.
The man I was coming to love. I should’ve panicked at that thought. I barely knew him. Yet he was so much more than Bookstore Dude now. He was Dickens. My lover. My friend.
After a moment of reflection and letting the thought settle, I headed back to the work area.
The clouds overhead blocked the sun, and the wind blew from the west.
I checked the weather forecast. Ah, rain and thunderstorms were predicted. Perfect. I was protected from the harsher elements, and could get my work done without getting heat exhaustion.
I worked diligently until my stomach rumbled.
Noon.
I stretched as I rose. Kendra’s motorcycle was ready to go, and I had several buyers lined up to take her for a spin. I also had called a guy selling a classic Harley.
A few questions had him opening up on his reasons for selling. A Parkinson’s diagnosis meant driving his baby just wasn’t possible. But he wanted her to go to someone who’d love her.
I gave him a general overview of my enthusiastic young buyer and he said he was sure we could make a deal.
A pretty productive morning.
Now, though, I was ravenous. I locked up the work area and headed to the bathroom so I could relieve myself and scrub the grease off my hands. I didn’t do a bad job, but I didn’t want dirty nails. Except Dickens knew who I was. I was a mechanic and damn proud of it.
I flipped the closed sign in the window and headed out, locking the front door as I went. I eyed up and down First Avenue and landed on the exact store I sought. Within a few minutes I had what I wanted, and now I debated what to get for lunch. Had Dickens eaten? Would he want me to show up with food? Was I being too presumptuous?
Fuck it.
I grabbed a bagel with cream cheese and a BLT from Tim Horton’s and headed back down to our shops. I didn’t make it ten steps before I felt the first drops of rain. I hurried, but not fast enough, and within moments, the skies opened up, and the rain pounded down.
Crap. Crap. Crap.
The food was in a paper bag that would break if I didn’t get it out of the rain soon. I sprinted the rest of the way, staying under awnings whenever possible. By the time I got to The Owl’s Nest, I was soaked. I threw myself inside and shut the door against the blowing wind.
A giggle drew my attention.
I stood, sopping wet, just inside the door of the shop. I didn’t dare take another step, lest I spread the wet to the beautiful books.
Sunshine met my gaze and held up a finger. She disappeared into the back room, and before I registered her departure, she was back with a towel. She removed the bag of food from my hands, and I grasped the towel gratefully. I rubbed at my hair, my beard, and my face. The rest of my clothes were soaked, but nothing to be done about that now. It’d all dry. Fortunately the air conditioner had been turned off, so the store was a pleasant temperature without being stuffy.
Sunshine stuck her nose into the bag. “Oh, BLT. Lovely. Dickens’s favorite.”
“I, uh, wasn’t sure if he’d eaten.”
She shook her head. “He’s been in the back room diligently working on something all morning. I’ve been tending the store.”
Her blue eyes lit. “Darlene told me you’ve hired her.”
She pressed a hand to her chest. “Thank you for that. I was worried, but couldn’t say anything.”
“Well, she’s qualified, and Dickens recommended her.”
As if this were the most natural thing in the world.
A wistful expression crossed the young woman’s face. “Not everyone is so understanding about limitations.”
To my puzzled expression, she elaborated. “Limited hours. Having kids. You know, stuff.”
I chuckled. “Oh, you mean life? I’m good with working around life.”
I sniffed. “And thank you for closing up yesterday.”
An easy shrug. “I knew you’d overdone it, but that you’d be okay. I just didn’t realize how truly fine you would turn out to be.”
Her tone carried no licentiousness, but it left me with no doubt what she referred to. “He told you?”
She grinned. “He didn’t have to. Written all over the dear man’s face. Plus—”
She pointed to my left hand. “—I’d say you enjoyed yourself as well.”
I’d forgotten I had brought the gift for Dickens. “Over the top?”
“Never.”
She winked. “Let me go get him.”
Without leaving me time to comment, she headed back through the door.
I passed the towel over my head again, although I wasn’t sure it made any difference. Before I could opine about my state of dampness, Dickens appeared.
He held something small and black in his hand. He spotted me and stopped.
“Sunshine,”
he muttered.
“Uh, no, Spike.”
His grin was slow and steady. “No, Fritz.”
My cheeks flamed. “It’s Spike.”
“Sure, when you’re in the shop and with your biker persona, okay. But when it’s just the two of us? You’re going to honor your mother and let me call you Fritz.”
A warm glow started in my chest and soon climbed through my torso and out to my limbs. That feeling alone could dry all my damp bits.
He indicated my hand. “Are those for Sunshine, for me, or for someone else?”
My flush intensified, and I tried to shove my hand behind my back.
He moved swiftly, grabbing my elbow.
After a moment, I relented. “For you.”
I shoved the bouquet of yellow carnations at him. “I know yellow means something, and I could’ve asked the nice guy, but I didn’t want to guess and then, well, I knew red roses meant love, and it’s too soon for that, right? But not for flowers. At least I don’t think so. Because I need you to know how amazing last night was. How amazing you are. And, like—”
This time he moved just as swiftly. He grabbed the back of my neck, twisted my hair in his hands, and yanked me down for a kiss.
Although momentarily stunned, I recovered quickly. I pulled him against me and gave myself over to his skillful mouth.
Our tongues parried, he sought the recesses of my mouth, and then he thrust his hard cock against my belly.
Holy Lord.
I wanted to keep going. I wanted time to spin out, and for the universe to stop so we could just stay wrapped in each other’s arms. The crinkling of plastic brought me out of the trance. “Your flowers.”
I eyed the bouquet, worried our exertions had damaged it. By all appearances, though, it’d weathered the storm.
Dickens eased back and his blue eyes sparkled. “And Sun said something about food…?”
I guffawed. “Glad to know where your priorities are.”
He snagged the bouquet from my willing hands. He sniffed. “Yellow means friendship and joy.”
He tweaked my nose. “I think they’re perfect.”
I kissed his nose. “I think you’re perfect. Look, I’m going to run upstairs and get into dry clothes.”
“I could come with you.”
He waggled his brows suggestively. So different from the man I’d met mere days ago.
“If you do that, we’ll never eat, I’ll never get my shop open after lunch, and Sunshine will know everything.”
His laugh was a joyous sound. “Sunshine already knows everything. But you’re right about propriety. Get changed while I heat our food. We can eat in the back room while Sun watches the store.”
I moved toward the front, but he snagged my arm. “Use the back alley.”
He was right, of course. Both our entrances were covered. Less chance of getting soaked again.
“Oh, and…”
He pressed the small black device into my hand.
Examining it, I squinted.
“It’s one of the original iPods. Like, sixth generation or something. So much storage. I spent the morning downloading audiobooks for you. As many Harvard Classics as I could get hold of, plus tons of other stuff. Like Harry Potter, James Patterson, Stephen King, Nora Roberts…”
“Nora who?”
I’d heard of the others, but not her.
Dickens grinned. “She writes romances. Our library has a bunch of gay romances, and I’ve added those as well. You’ve got several hundred hours of listening. Like literally days worth.”
This was, without question, the nicest gift anyone’d ever given me. My eyes watered.
“No.”
He moaned. “I didn’t want to make you cry.”
“Happy tears, I promise.”
I angled my head down, he tipped his chin up, and we met for a tender kiss. “This is the best present ever.”
“That’s a pretty high bar for me to set, my first time out.”
He grazed my beard with his index finger. “But I’m creative. I’ll find ways to top it.”
“But you don’t need to,”
I protested.
“Oh, yes, I do.”
He propelled me toward the back door and smacked my ass. “Get changed and let’s eat. I’m starving.”
As I passed through the door, Sunshine appeared and stopped directly before me. “I knew.”
Where I expected smugness, there was only deep contentment.
The woman was happy for her boss. Was happy for me.
In that moment, I wished she might one day find the same happiness.
Without another word, I bolted outside and sprinted up the stairs. The quicker I changed, the quicker I could head back downstairs and spend time with my new man.