Claiming Her Curves

by Lana Love

  But I know, deep down, that working in the wood mill really would be that bad. Maybe I could get a job waiting tables or serving drinks on the weekends, at one of the restaurants on the interstate, so I could save up some money and leave this town. The real estate agent has said it might be months before the house will sell, because this is such a small town and people are exactly moving here in droves. He’s from the next town over, because even the idea of Mr. Whipple selling my parent’s house makes my skin crawl. There’s no way I want him earning a penny from the house.

  If the house doesn’t sell soon, I don’t know what I can do. The house is still mortgaged and I can’t afford to keep paying it.

  “Is there something you need help with?” I mentally cross my fingers and hope that he says no. Sometimes, it’s easier if he just leers at me instead of giving me more work or asking me to help him with something. The times when I have to work with him one-on-one, those are the absolute worst.

  “I really like this new attitude that you have. You’re so upbeat and happy.” His eyes rake over my body, though a small frown appears on his face when he sees that my breasts are covered by the reports. “I would like to discuss these reports with you and to get your feedback on them. I’ve been thinking that we could possibly increase your responsibilities, and we could work more closely together.” The way that he says more closely scares me.

  “That sounds great, Mr. Whipple. Can we talk about that tomorrow? I want to make sure these reports are complete and ordered properly.”

  He takes a step closer to me and I stifle my gag reflex as his cheap cologne invades my nose.

  “Today would be better, Leah. Do you really need that much more time to finish up the reports?”

  “Well… I’m not exactly sure, yet. I know these are important to you and I want to make sure that everything is perfect.” Sometimes appealing to his vanity is an effective way to deflect his attentions, but the way he’s looking at me now, I know that today is not one of those days.

  “Well if there’s any way…”

  I nearly cry from joy the front door to the office chimes. Thank God. Literally saved by the bell and a customer.

  Mr. Whipple leaves the copy room before me and I stay behind for a few extra seconds, calming myself down. I wrinkle my nose at the lingering scent of his cologne and wonder how somebody who deals with the public so much is so blind to how bad he smells.

  “Hello, sir. How can I help you?”

  “Actually, I’m here to see Leah Burke. Is she available?”

  My heart skips a beat when I hear Ben’s voice. Even though he couldn’t know it, he’s my savior for coming in right now and interrupting Mr. Whipple.

  “Hi, Ben. How are you?” I smile and then and smooth my dress with one hand, while holding onto the reports in my other. The smile on Ben’s face pierces deep into my soul and makes me want a future with him.

  “I’m good. How are you? Are you almost ready to leave for the day?”

  “Almost.” I smile at him and my heart thumps in my chest.

  “Leah. Can I speak with you for a minute?” The tone of Mr. Whipple’s voice makes it crystal clear that this is not actually a question. I brace myself for the mini lecture that I know is coming.

  “Of course, Mr. Whipple.” I turn to Ben and give him a big smile. “I’ll be back in just a minute. Just have a seat.”

  Mr. Whipple ushers me back to his office, then closes the door. The only thing keeping me from crawling out of my skin right now is the knowledge that Ben is on the other side of the door.

  “Leah. What have I said about personal matters on business time?”

  “I know, Mr. Whipple. I apologize. Ben’s just early to pick me up from work, that’s all. I’m not trying to slack off or anything.” I look down at the floor because I have no interest in seeing the anger in Mr. Whipple’s eyes.

  “Is he a new boyfriend of yours?”

  I bristle at the question, because it is so inappropriate. He’s talking like it’s an offense if I have a personal life.

  “We’re friends. Good friends.” I’m not going to lie about my friendship with Ben, but I also want to be vague, because it’s none of Mr. Whipple’s business. “Is there anything else? I’d like to finish these before the end of the day.”

  I can feel Mr. Whipple’s eyes boring into me, even though I’m not looking at his face. I shift my weight from foot to foot, fighting the urge to just open the door and run out of this office and never come back.

  “Yes, that’s fine. But don’t even think about leaving one minute early.”

  “Of course not, Mr. Whipple.”

  The moment the clock strikes five, I quickly shut down my computer and lock the reports in my desk and grab my purse so that I can head out the door.

  As Ben and I walk out the door, the weight of today’s run-ins with Mr. Whipple lift off of me and my stress from the day fades. I look in his green eyes and feel instant happiness and comfort. Being with Ben feels righter than anything.

  “I’m so glad you’re here.”

  “Is there anything more that we need to pick up and bring?” Ben wipes sweat off his face as we get back into his truck. Were both panting after unloading his truck at the thrift store, but the lightness that comes with the weight of getting rid of things buoys up my mood. I’m so much closer to finishing going through everything of my parents, that that alone is a huge relief.

  Nobody tells you how bad it will be to go through your parents' things once they’ve died. It’s like you’re not just grieving the death, but you’re being constantly reminded about their life, and there are times when everything gets so heavy that you can’t even breathe.

  “No, I think that’s it for today. I’d like to do more, but I just don’t think I can handle it.” I slump into the seats and the heaviness settles over my body. Some days, I can power through for hours and do so much. Other days, the heaviness of missing and mourning my parents overwhelms me. Some boxes hold emotional time bombs that just unleash such strong feelings that I can’t do anything else for days afterward. I’m discovering things about my parents and it breaks my heart all over again, because I can’t ask them about these things because they’re gone.

  “Hey, Leah. Are you okay? Your mood did that thing again, where it changes in an instant. It’s not like you.” Ben touches my arm and the kindness of the gesture unwinds something with in me and before I even realize it, tears are streaming down my face. “Leah, honey. What’s wrong?”

  “It’s… It’s hard to explain. I’m relieved that my parents aren’t suffering anymore, but this is all so intense. It’s like I don’t have any time to breathe, especially with Mr. Whipple.” I cringe as I say his name. I hate that he invades my mind so much that I can’t escape him even when I’m away from the office.

  “What’s wrong with your boss? Is he harassing you?” The tone of Ben’s voice is fierce.

  “It’s…fine. It’s fine.”

  “Leah, it’s not fine. I saw how he looked at you and how he talked to you. That man clearly wants you – and not as an employee. It’s obvious something is wrong. Talk to me.”

  Chapter 4

  Ben

  Well, it’s not my favorite job, no. But I don’t have any other good options here in town. You know it’s either work at the real estate office or work in the wood mill. I really don’t like having Mr. Whipple as a boss…but what can I do?”

  “Yeah, I know. It’s tough. That’s why I left town.”

  She looks at me and she asks the question I’ve been expecting her to ask. “But I thought you left town because you got married when you graduated?”

  “It’s true. Marlene didn’t want to live here because she said the town was too small. I was blindly in love with her. It wasn’t the only warning sign I ignored. I hadn’t wanted to leave my family and friends, but I did and I’ve always regretted that.”

  “Then how come you haven’t moved back?”

  “I’ve built up a l
ife over in Fairview. I’m settled and happy with everything else, so I just stayed. I still miss this town, but I do have to admit that it is small and there isn’t a lot of opportunity here.”

  “Can I ask why didn’t work out with you and Marlene?” Leah bites her lip and she twists her hands in her lap. As much as I hate talking about Marlene, if Leah asking means when it’s I hope it does, she has to hear this and I have to know for certain that she’s different than Marlene.

  “There were lots of little things, but just one big thing.” I pause, a sense of dread rushing through me. What if Leah isn’t different than Marlene? The thought of that scares me more than I’d like to admit and it makes me realize just how invested I am in Leah. “The big thing was that she didn’t want to have children. I was always clear about my desire to have a big family and she always claimed to feel the same way.”

  “What happened? You said ‘claimed’?” Leah settles in the corner of the couch, her big eyes watching me intently.

  “Well, if you asked her, Marlene would’ve said she wanted a lot of children. The reality was I found her birth control pills.”

  “I… That’s just horrible. Why would somebody even lie about something like that?”

  “We just weren’t the right match. She wanted things that I was never going to give her, but somehow, she was hoping that I would still give them to her. I was hoping she would give me a family. We were both wrong. Divorce was the only sane option.”

  I watch Leah as she takes this all in, but I can’t really read her reaction.

  “But what about you?” I finally ask, uncomfortable with the silence and feeling so exposed to Leah. “How come you’re not married and with kids? Or do you not want kids?”

  “Oh, I definitely want kids! I just… I guess I haven’t found the right guy. And honestly?” She looks down at her body, and then back up at me. “The guys around here just don’t like my body type. They want the skinny girls who look good in bikinis in summer. It seems the only time guys talk to me is if they’re drunk or feeling desperate. And I’m not that desperate.”

  “That’s absolutely ludicrous, Leah. You’re fucking gorgeous and anyone who tries to tell you differently is blind or insane.” I look at her curvy body and despite the serious conversation we’re having, a fire of lust flares in me. She has a kind of body that I dream about going to bed with night and waking up next to every morning, and touching every chance that I have. She’s goddamn perfect.

  “I… Thanks. But you don’t have to be nice to me.”

  “Leah. I’m serious. I was always attracted to you, and now that you’re growing up? You’re sexy as fuck. Do you really not see that?” It’s hard even wrap my mind around the idea that she doesn’t see herself as attractive. I get that some guys like the thin girls, but I’ve always liked girls I had a little extra meat on their bones. Their curves are sexy and making love with a curvy girl is just the best thing in the world.

  “I guess so? I mean, sure I think I’m attractive, but it’s hard to feel that way when you’re the last girl that somebody asks out on a date or when guys just ignore you. I always end up feeling invisible, like I’m not worth seeing.” She wraps her arms tightly around her chest and looks directly at the ground, her body rigid.

  Anger rises up in me that Leah has had to endure this. At the same time, I’m overjoyed that she’s single. I need her in my life more than anything. I move next to her on the couch and put my hand on her arm gently.

  “You’re not invisible, Leah. I see you.” I wait for her to look at me, and then I lean in and do what I’ve been wanting to do since I first saw her again. I kiss her luscious lips and revel in the feeling of finally getting a taste of what I’ve always wanted. Her body relaxes and she turns toward me, and our kiss deepens. I wrap my arms around her and shudder at how good this feels, how beyond perfect Leah is.

  “Oh…”

  I push her curly hair back from her face so that I can see her more clearly.

  “I’ve wanted to kiss you like that for a very long time.”

  “Was that what you expected?” A smile plays on her lips and my cock tightens even more as I look at her. She’s playful and intelligent, and I love it.

  “I’m not sure,” I tease, running my fingers down her neck and shoulder and slipping them under the edge of her blouse and caressing her silky skin. “I think I need to investigate further. Do you have any objections to this?”

  Leah giggles and shakes her head. She leans toward me and I groan. Our kiss is deeper and it goes straight to my cock. The way she moans into my mouth, I know that she wants me just as badly as I need her.

  I’m not leaving this town without her.

  Chapter 5

  Leah

  Oh my God, Annie! It was so unexpected!” I’m sitting in the break room in the office, trying to talk as quietly as possible into my cell phone so that I’m not overheard. It’s my lunch break and I can talk to whomever I want on my own time and on my own phone, but I certainly don’t want Mr. Whipple to overhear any of this. It’s not his business.

  “But are you happy?”

  “I am. I like him so much in high school, but he was older and then he got involved with that Marlene girl.”

  “Yeah, I heard about that. What happened with them? I thought they got married.”

  “It just didn’t work out. They got divorced.” As much as I love my best friend, I’m not going to air Ben’s laundry with her.

  “But he’s single and available now, right?”

  “One hundred percent. I’m certain.” I close my eyes and smile as I recall how we made out the other night. He had to go home for a couple of days, but promised to come back today and I’ve been counting every minute until today. “There’s something here. He’s the one.”

  Annie laughs, but I know it’s a happy laugh. “Girl, I hope so. You deserve happiness more than anybody I know.”

  “Thanks. This just feels different, you know? It feels right.”

  “Sure do. Look, I gotta run. We’ll talk soon, alright? I want to hear more about this.”

  I take a break and walk around the house. It takes my breath away to see how much progress we’ve all made. Especially with Ben being able to help out, things have moved so much faster than I expected. Before even Jake came to help, I put aside the important things like the photo albums and their marriage certificate, and little things like my mom’s favorite salt and pepper shakers, my dad’s toolbox, and other things I’m particularly attached to. Dad was always fixing things and teaching me how to fix things, and now I’ll remember him every time I need a wrench or a hammer. I’m sentimental, but it’s so weird that I don’t want to keep everything of theirs. Though I know a lot of that is because I’ll be lucky to afford a small apartment and I simply won’t have the space. Maybe if I had the money to buy this house and keep living here, but I don’t and so I can’t.

  The progress that we’ve made here feels good, but seeing the rooms empty is also bittersweet. It’s so strange to sort through and dispose of somebody else’s life, especially for your parents. Emotions engulf me and I make my way back to the living room and sit down heavily on the couch. I run my hands against the knees of my jeans, willing myself to keep it together and not start crying. My emotions rise up at the most unexpected times. Sometimes what I’m going through things that I feel like I should be emotional about, the motion stone calm. But then I might go to the kitchen and pick up a fork, and then I see it was my mom’s favorite fork, and then I absolutely lose it.

  “Hey, Leah. Where are you?”

  I smile at the sound of Ben’s voice and then smile wider as he walks into the living room.

  “Oh! I’m glad I found you. Have you seen this box of letters?” He walks over to me, a large and worn shoebox under his arm.

  “I don’t think so. It sure looks dusty.”

  “It definitely is, but I wiped it down as much and as carefully as I could. Here.”

  Ben gives me the box and
put it on my lap. I look at the faded blue paper of the box and run my hands over it. I take a deep breath and carefully lift the lid off of the box.

  “Oh, wow.” My mouth falls open as I look at a box filled with letters. I pull a few out and I recognize both my mom’s and my dad’s handwriting. When I look at the postmarks, I realize that Ben is just found the letters and my parents into each other before they got married.

  I open one of the letters and skim the contents, and my eyes filled with tears. There is something about you that is so special, I can’t keep away. My father’s letters to my mother have a romantic eloquence that I didn’t know that he had. When I open one of hers, her letters are no less affectionate, but there’s a restraint to them. I carefully put the letter back in its envelope and then press it to my chest.

  “These are so special. I don’t know how I missed this box. I’m so thankful that you found it, Ben. Thank you so much.”

  “It was hidden in the back of the kitchen, behind a bunch of old pots and pans. I’m not surprised you never saw it before.” Ben’s voice is gentle and it makes me care for him even more, that he can see me be emotional and not close off or make fun of me. I can trust him.

  I join Ben in clearing up the rest of the kitchen and we work together in a companionable silence. I’ve delayed working on the kitchen, because we made so many family meals and good memories here. When the last of the old pots and pans and dishes are boxed up and ready to go to the thrift store, we grab a couple of beers from the refrigerator and go relax on the couch as we wait for Jake to finish upstairs.

  “I’m so thankful that you’re here, Ben. You’ve helped so much.”

  “If you need help with anything, Leah, even aside from this house, all you have to do is ask. I will always be here for you and I will do anything I can to help you.”

  “Know of any good jobs?” I ask wistfully, trying to laugh and shake off the feelings that I have about my job. “Sorry. That was a bad attempt at a joke.”