Chapter Five
“Do you want to talk about it?” Emily asked.
Mae looked up from her coffee and cinnamon bun to her best friend.
Emily always came by the shop after she had dropped the kids off at school.
Today, she had come with coffee and sweet treats, which was rare.
The bakery didn’t open for another hour.
The diner served breakfast. The buns were good, but the bakery was better.
She looked to her friend and sighed. “I don’t know. What do you know?”
“Well, I know that Caleb stayed at your place, and this morning you look deep in thought.”
“You read about him leaving my place or is that the town gossip again?”
“No, I saw it with my own two eyes. I also saw that before he left you, he escorted you to the front of your shop, pulled you into his arms, and kissed you passionately.”
“You read way too many romance books,” Mae said.
“Fine, he kissed you goodbye and I can consider the way he did it was sweet.” Emily winked at her, and Mae laughed. “And, I guess if you want to talk about it, I am here to lend an ear, if that is what you need today.”
Mae sighed. “I don’t know.”
“But you do know something?”
“Am I crazy for even having anything to do with Caleb?”
Emily grabbed a seat and settled down. “First, we need to establish what exactly you and Caleb have?”
“I think it is just sex.”
“Just sex? Mae, I have known you all your life and you do not do ‘just sex.’”
Mae sighed. “I know, but Caleb doesn’t do anything else, does he?” She nibbled her lip. “And, he’s not going to see anyone else while he is with me.”
“He’s not?” Emily asked.
She groaned. “Please don’t act so surprised by that.”
“What? Can’t a friend get all surprised when she hears some shocking news? I’m not going to pretend this isn’t shocking, when we both know it is. Caleb is the town bad boy. He has more notches on his bedpost than, well ... I’m not exactly sure where I am going with this.”
Mae looked at her friend. “I don’t want to get my hopes up, you know. We’re having some fun, and that is exactly what it is going to be, and exactly how it is going to stay.” She pressed her lips together and nodded her head. “Yeah, that is exactly what it will be.”
“And why do you not look convinced of that?” Emily asked.
She sighed and then dropped her head into her hands. Her glasses were pushed up onto her head.
“I don’t know what I’m doing.”
“Do you have feelings for Caleb?”
“I don’t know,” Mae said. “A part of my brain is saying I must have some kind of feeling for him because I went home with him from the bar, and I was not looking for anything, and yet, we ... you know, had sex, and we had sex again last night. Could it just be sex?” She frowned and looked at her friend.
“What if Caleb does have feelings for you? How does that make you feel?” Emily asked.
She felt the fluttering in her stomach and groaned. “I’m not an idiot. This stuff doesn’t happen to me.”
“But you don’t hate the idea?”
“No, I don’t hate the idea, but a guy that jumps from woman to woman is not going to want to settle down, like ever, is he?” she asked.
Mae sighed, as she saw customers coming toward the shop.
“Don’t worry about it. It’s fine. Caleb and I are just having fun and that is all. Just some fun.” That was what she was going to keep in her mind.
Emily sighed. “I am going to head to work, but you know, I am always here if you need to talk. You just say the word.”
She smiled at her friend, but the truth was, she was more confused than ever.
Emily gave her a wave, and Mae smiled at her.
Caleb had still been there this morning when she woke up. He’d made coffee and breakfast, which they had shared together. It had been so long since she had any company for breakfast. The truth was, it was just about the company.
No one, not even Emily, knew that all of her life, she had a crush on Caleb.
He’d been the bad boy through school, and it had been a crush—one she expected to dissipate.
She doubted he even remembered the time a couple of bullies had pushed some books out of her hands and knocked her glasses to the floor.
Caleb had punched each of them, slamming them into lockers and giving them each a warning.
After he had done that, he had helped her collect her books, picked up her glasses, and slid them onto her face.
He’d been so sweet. No one had ever bullied her again.
It was such a distant memory, and other than saying thank you to him, she had never truly spoken. She’d been so socially awkward by herself. It was so strange, because running this shop and talking about books, she knew exactly what she was doing. Everything else seemed so much harder.
Having sex with Caleb was unlike anything she had ever experienced. Waking up with him was a dream come true, as was going to sleep with his arms wrapped around her.
She just needed to keep her feet firmly on the ground. Caleb was a man who had never been won, never been tamed, and she didn’t believe she would be the one to do it.
****
“What’s your verdict?” Pete asked.
Emily stepped into the kitchen. She had already put their two daughters to bed.
Full-time school was wearing them out, and it helped that they hadn’t slept the night before.
All Emily wanted to do was go upstairs and fall into bed.
She didn’t care about taking a shower, or even getting out of her clothes.
Over the years, she and Pete had each fallen asleep dressed as they had been during the day.
Having kids, you learned to take sleep when it came.
Bathing and getting changed was a luxury few new parents could afford.
At least, that had been her experience, but she wouldn’t trade it for the world.
“Mae is completely in love with Caleb. What did you get?” Emily asked.
“You’re sure? Did she actually tell you that?”
“No, but I know my best friend and I know who she is in love with. She has always had a crush on Caleb, and that has never stopped. What about you?”
“Caleb is in love but he doesn’t even realize it,” Pete said.
Emily sighed as she watched her husband rub his hands together. She had fallen in love with this man when they were snot-nosed kids in high school. Even when she was going through her rebellious heavy metal phase, he had loved her.
She went to him. “Do you think this is the right thing to do?”
“Come on, Emily. You know they will be perfect for each other.”
“But playing matchmaker seems a little ... troublesome,” Emily said. “What if we push them too hard and they don’t want it?”
“They’re our friends and we know exactly how stubborn they can be. We’re going to bring them together, not push them away.” Pete cupped her shoulders. “Do you trust me?” he asked.
“Yes, you know I do.”
“Then trust that we’re doing the right thing. I’ve never seen Caleb this way about a woman. Mae means a lot to him. Enough for him to call me in the morning.”
Emily smiled at her husband. She would love for her friend to find some happiness.
****
Caleb had a late appointment, and as he took his client around to the counter to finish the final payment, he saw Mae was exactly where he had left her. She had surprised him by coming to him. He had warned her at lunch that he had a late customer, and she offered to come and wait for him.
Caleb didn’t dawdle. He got through the final payment, briefed the customer on the aftercare for a second time, and booked a follow-up appointment.
He also liked to bring his customers back two weeks after a completed tattoo so he could check it over.
If he had any concerns, he’d organize for one week after.
So far, nothing had gone wrong, and two weeks later always seemed to work.
Closing the door, he made his way back into his reception.
“You know, I always figured this place would be dark. Like you see on the movies, with black furniture, black or red walls.”
Caleb laughed. “I have to work here all day, and besides, like you, I do like to see everything clean.”
Mae smiled. “I have never been inside your tattoo parlor before.”
“And, do you like it?” he asked.
“Yeah, I love it.” She looked around. “All these designs ... are they standard, or are they your own?”
“Some of them are standard. A lot of people want to get a dolphin or a love heart. Some Chinese lettering as well. Other pieces are more specific and what I have garnered over the years.”
“When did you realize you wanted to be a tattooist?” Mae asked.
He looked at her and saw that she wasn’t just making conversation, she was genuinely interested.
He rubbed at the back of his head. “It started with just drawing, to be honest. I have notebooks of ideas and I’d spend hours in class doodling.
Then, one day, I grabbed a marker and just started to draw something on my arm.
My dad said it was so good, he nearly gave me the belt. ”
Mae’s mouth dropped open.
Caleb laughed. “Trust me, some days the belt was showing leniency.”
“Wow,” Mae said.
“I wasn’t a great kid, but my dad was a good dad. He did the best he could.”
“I’m so sorry,” Mae said.
“We both know what it is like to experience loss,” Caleb said.
“Yeah.” She nodded her head.
He saw her look around the room. “Anyway, Dad saw what I did, and then he got me to show him how I did it. I ended up drawing some designs on his arms, and he said I would make one hell of a tattoo artist. From that point on, it just seemed to stick. I know there are some bad ones out there, but I wanted to be one of the good ones. He helped me with a deposit on this place. He got to see me open, and he was my first client. He got me to write Fuck Cancer on his chest. He wanted it all fancy.” Caleb felt his throat start to burn.
He and his father had their differences, but he had tried, especially after his mother had passed. She had fallen at work, hitting her head, only she hadn’t told anyone. She had gone peacefully in her sleep. It had broken his father’s heart. His dad never found anyone else, nor remarried.
Caleb just tried to figure things out after losing his mother. Steered clear of anything resembling a family, and now, as he looked at Mae, he realized he wanted it all with her, and the truth was, it fucking terrified him.
“I’m so sorry,” she said.
“You don’t have to be sorry,” he said. “It fucking hurt, but Dad was a fighter, and he fought as long as there was breath in his body.”
Mae went to him and placed her hands on his face.
“We’ve both lost people, and it doesn’t matter what we keep telling people, that pain doesn’t truly go away.
” She sighed. “We learn to keep moving, because the world doesn’t stop.
You’ve still got bills to pay, and no one truly cares what we’ve lost.”
He cupped her cheek, then leaned forward, kissing her.
After he saw the client out, he’d closed and locked the door. No one else was coming into his shop tonight. The blinds were drawn. They had all the privacy they would need.
And so, he kissed her, pulling her in close as his cock thickened. She let out a whimper and he lifted her into his arms and carried her through to his office, a separate room he and Pete shared. He placed her on the desk, after pushing everything out of his way.
“We can’t do this,” she said, putting a hand to his chest, but he did see her hesitate.
“Why not?”
“What about ... health and safety?”
Her lips looked so sexy with how swollen they were. “I clean everything, baby. Trust me.”
He lifted her dress, and now she had put on a pair of tights, and he quickly pulled them off her. Unfortunately, he heard them tear and knew he would have to replace them. Not that he minded. Her panties were his next victim, and tonight he was not into being gentle, but taking control.
Pulling her to the edge of his desk, he unzipped his pants, grabbed his cock, and then stared deep into her eyes, as inch by inch, he started to sink inside her. He watched as she sunk her teeth into her bottom lip and that was so fucking sexy, he felt his balls tighten.
She tried to contain the moan, but with each inch he filled her, that battle was being lost until he obliterated it all together, and she came, crying his name. The sound echoed around the office, and he knew he was going to relish these memories.
Every time he came to deal with all the administrations of work, he was going to listen to her moan and whimper. This moment is what he would have to distract himself from thinking about.
His balls ached to empty inside her. Gritting his teeth, he tried to control himself, but the feel of her cunt wrapped around his dick was too strong, and there was no control now. Her pussy was sheer heaven.
Staring into her eyes was bliss. It was like he had finally found home, and he didn’t want to go anywhere else.
She was utter perfection to him.