“Until when?” His eyes traveled up and down my body.
“Until late.” Was I turned on? Of course I was. I scowled at myself for being as shallow as Brodie was. To be fair, on a scale from one to ten, Brodie was a perfect ten. Despite having principles, I was still a woman and he was all man. And there was such a thing as hate sex, although I’d never had any. Somehow I imagined hate sex was the only kind Brodie ever had.
“What’re you doing after work?”
“Sleeping.” I couldn’t believe Brodie was practically begging for me to hang out with him. I tried not to gloat because my answer would always be no.
“You sleeping alone?”
I rolled my eyes at him. “Yes. And you?”
“How about I keep your bed warm till you get home, and when you do, we skip the sleeping?”
I rolled my entire head theatrically. “You did not just say that.”
“I think I did.”
“I think you need to get laid, Brodie. And not by me.” I wanted to say something about his plastic blonde girlfriend, but I really just wanted to be done with him. “Now let go of my door so I can close it.”
He took a step back. “Suit yourself. But you don’t know what you’re missing.” He still had a hand in his front pocket and he shifted it around suggestively, repositioning himself.
Against my will I glanced down. Only for a second.
Geez, was he hard?
He was hard.
That bulging bulge of his had turned into a full-fledged denim-clad erection. I was not at all surprised that a stud like Brodie had no shame. He was too proud and cocky for shame.
My face turned red. Not because I was blushing. Because I was furious. “Is this your play, Brodie? Show your dick off to whichever woman tickles your fancy and hope she didn’t hear you banging some other bimbo through the walls the other night?”
“You heard that?” His face squirmed into a confused smile that was absolutely adorable. Had I turned the tables and thrown Brodie completely off his game? It was sweet. Somewhere inside that cocky bad boy was a decent human being. Or so I told myself. Wishful thinking? Too soon to tell.
“Yeah, I heard. I also heard her shouting at you this morning outside my living room window. Was she mad because you refused to pay her for services rendered?” I immediately regretted saying it. I didn’t know the first thing about her.
“Easy, Chelz. She’s not a hooker.”
“Don’t call me Chelz.”
“Why not?”
“Because my name is Chel-see. Not Chelz.” What was I doing? Besides getting angry at Brodie, who wasn’t worth my time. Whatever it was, him calling me Chelz was just too weird. It also made me think that if he ever met my sister, he’d shamelessly hit on her too. The last thing I wanted was this ass head dating my sister. Not that she would date him, but still.
“Okay. I’ll call you C.C.”
“C.C.?”
“Chel-see. C.C.?”
I shook my head. “Don’t like it.” I also didn’t like Brodie nicknaming me.
“Fine. Chelsea. Anyway, sorry if we kept you up all night.”
Notice how he implied he was having sex for hours? This man had an ego big enough to blot out the sun. “Please. I was so bored I fell asleep inside of five seconds.”
“She didn’t,” he chuckled.
“Was she screaming your name all night long? Brodie, Brodie, Brodie?”
He smirked, “Yeah. If you were in my bed, you would too.”
I laughed. “Do you hear yourself? You are easily the most arrogant man I’ve ever met.”
“You love it.”
“Really,” I said sourly. I glared at him. He was such an ass. I pointed at my face and grimaced. “Does this look like love? How about disgust.”
“If I’m so disgusting, why haven’t you slammed your door in my face?”
“Maybe because I’m polite. And maybe…” I needed a moment to think. I couldn’t let him have the last word. A door slam was an easy exit. I wanted to hand him his balls before politely closing the door in his face. “Maybe I like watching you squirm. Something tells me most women dance for you on command. Not me.”
“Not yet.”
“Ha! Have you ever seen a cat catch a mouse and play with it before it eats it?”
“You gonna eat me, Chelsea?”
“Oh, wow. Are you sixteen?”
“Cause if you’re not, I’ll eat you right here. Just give me the word and I’ll tear your pants off.” He stared at my crotch.
“Eyes up, Brodie.”
He stared at mine. “I bet you taste like cherry pie.”
“Do you understand how that is the wrong thing to tell a woman on her period?” I wasn’t on my period, but he didn’t know that.
“I can vampire.”
I chuckled, “I’m not sure I want to know what that means.”
“It means I will eat every inch of you like you’re dessert seven days a week, all year long. Nothing tastes better than a woman coming on my tongue.”
“Please,” I scowled, trying not to picture him burying his face between my legs and licking me to orgasm.
“Who’s begging now, C.C.?”
“Not me, B.B.”
“Wait, do you know my last name?”
“Does it start with a B?”
“Yeah.”
“Is it Brains?”
“No. So what is B.B.?”
I shrugged, “Butt Brains.”
He snickered.
I shook my head. I couldn’t believe he found this funny.
Why was I talking to this fool? No man I’d ever known talked this way to women. It was… it was stupid. I felt stupid just for listening. Even stupider that I was responding to his routine. I should’ve closed the door in his face five minutes ago.
His eyes flashed.
Damn it, they were captivating. Blazing blue. Like his broad shoulders and tattooed arms and the rest of him. I hated that he had any effect on me. So why was I enjoying the attention so much?
I folded my arms defensively across my new boobs. Doing so pushed them up provocatively, so I repositioned my arms until they were covered, making my nipples tingle. Good thing I had my sports bra on under my new tank top, otherwise Brodie probably would’ve noticed my nipples poking through and jumped to conclusions.
“Nervous?” He reached out and brushed a knuckle across my naked forearm.
My skin fired where he touched it. I needed to put a stop to this. “No. Nauseous.”
He chuckled, “You wish.” He stepped toward me.
“Stop.” I thrust my palm into his rock hard chest. Not necessarily a good idea. I wanted to run my hands all over that chest. Secret moan.
He backed up a step. “Anything you say, C.C.”
Despite my new height, he was still taller than I was. I looked up into his eyes and swallowed hard. “What do you want from me, Brodie?”
“Everything.”
Wow oh wow. I was on the verge of telling him he could have me, take me, do me, use me, anything he could dream up, as long as it involved his cock inside my—gulp! Sadly, this was an animal attraction my body couldn’t deny. Men didn’t get any more desirable than him. I desperately needed to mate with this man. Now.
Good thing my brain steered my ship. “Out.” I shot my finger over his shoulder. “Go, Brodie. I’m busy.”
“For now,” he muttered.
I barked, “What?!”
He backed out of my apartment, smiling proudly, like he knew he’d made progress. Had worn me down. Had found a chink in my armor.
Not even close. I growled, “I don’t want to see your face again until my door is fixed!” Crap! Why had I added that part about my door? I should’ve said, I don’t want to see your face ever again AND fix my fricking door! Damn me! I’d just given him an excuse to see me again. Stupid!
“See you later, C.C.” His smile spread and his dimples were back and he looked ridiculously cute in the manliest way po
ssible.
“Go, Brodie!” I restrained a nervous giggle and closed my door in his face. Politely, because I wasn’t a bitch, not because I was reluctant to close it.
I groaned as I leaned against the inside of my door.
I may have gotten the last word, but that hadn’t gone the way I’d planned at all.
Chapter 12
Doug Wallace, my boss and general manager at the 95 Cent Store in West LA, was walking to his car when I pulled into the parking lot. He wasn’t usually here this late on a Friday because he had a wife and kids at home. Maybe he’d stayed late to show my new replacement the ropes, whoever that was.
I parked near Doug’s car and jumped out of mine. I was fully prepared to get down on my knees and beg for my job back. Doug and I got along great and he knew I was a good manager. He would understand.
I hoped.
I trotted up behind him just as he was sitting down behind the wheel of his Chrysler. “Hey, Doug! Wait a second.”
He turned to look at me. His eyes widened. Then they narrowed. He stared right at me, confused. “Do I know you?” He didn’t recognize me.
Of course he didn’t.
I wasn’t me.
“Doug, it’s…” What was I going to say? It’s me, Jane. This may sound strange, but I turned into a supermodel. That’s why I was out sick for five days and didn’t call. Can I have my job back now? Pretty please?
“Where do I know you from?”
“I…”
“You look familiar.” The wheels were turning. He pointed at me casually as recognition set in. “Were you in that new X-Men movie Matthew made me go see?” Matthew was Doug’s ten year old son. Loved the kid.
“Uh, no?”
“Oh, I know. You’re Matthew’s swim coach, right? You’re Lauren, right?”
This was not going to work. He would never believe I was me. “You know what? I have you confused with someone else.”
He frowned. “You’re not Lauren?”
“No, I’m—” I stopped myself. Doug and I weren’t BFFs, but I liked him and considered him a friend. I’d even been to his house and met his wife Pam and son Matthew several times. But could I trust him with the truth? No, I didn’t know him that well. If I was going to tell somebody, he wasn’t first or even tenth on my list. “I’m sorry to bother you, sir.” I turned to go.
“Wait, how did you know my name? Did Pam put you up to this?”
“I—I should go.” I walked away as fast as I could.
Out of habit, I walked right toward the doors of the 95 Cent Store. I couldn’t help glancing back at Doug. His head poked over the roof of his car and he watched me. After a moment, he shook his head, climbed in, and drove off.
I had a sinking feeling that my life was about to get a lot more complicated.
<<<<<<<>>>>>>>
Inside the store, I wandered through the aisles, pretending to shop. I needed to collect my thoughts before I approached anyone else. Something about being in a familiar place helped me focus.
At the moment, Maria was at register 4 and Natalie was at register 6. Unlike Doug, who was my boss, Maria and Natalie were my subordinates. I may have been their manager, but I believed in a very casual management style. I never bossed anyone around, and I was probably more friendly with them than I was with Doug. In my experience, you could accomplish far more by caring than ordering people around. It had worked for me so far.
With Maria, we often talked about our personal lives. She’d been at the 95 Cent Store for two years. I knew about Antonio, her boyfriend. I also knew she was dying for him to finally propose after three years of dating. She was already 20 and didn’t want to still be single at 25. She planned on having two kids by then. So sweet.
I didn’t feel as close to Natalie because she was a bit shy and mousy and she’d only been working here for six months. But we got along well enough and she’d told me all about her plans to finish classes at LA City and eventually get a business degree at Cal State LA. I was the one who convinced corporate to pay her tuition at LA City, for which she was hugely grateful. It wasn’t much but it was something. If she stayed on the job long enough, my plan was to ask corporate to pay for her tuition at Cal State LA.
Standing in the drinks aisle, I grabbed a bottle of Tazo Tea and made my way to the registers. I reached register 6 as Natalie was setting the Closed sign on her conveyor belt. She looked right at me and smiled before turning away.
She didn’t recognize me.
That’s okay. Maybe she had something else on her mind. Like her new manager, who was standing behind her and holding her cash drawer. I didn’t recognize him. He was tall, looked about fiftyish with mostly gray hair, and he reminded me of my high school Math teacher, who was a total perv. I’m sure the resemblance was completely coincidental. Besides, this guy wasn’t a math teacher. He wore a blue 95 Cent Store vest over his button down shirt. I’m sure he was nice. Doug wouldn’t hire a perv to work the night shift. Neither would corporate.
“Excuse me,” Natalie said as she tried to back out of the register area.
If I wasn’t mistaken, the new manager was blocking her way. I definitely felt some weirdness.
Manager guy was busy pretending to do something with Natalie’s cash drawer. He should’ve just taken it to the manager’s booth to count it. Instead, he held it up above her head, as if suggesting she should squeeze past him.
Was he serious?
More like serious perv.
Natalie glanced at me briefly. She wasn’t recognizing me. But it seemed like she was pleading for help. As I was about to speak, she said to the perv, “Can I go please?”
“You’ve got room,” he said. “Squeeze on by.”
Was this really happening?
It was.
Natalie winced, afraid to say anything. She wasn’t one to stand up for herself.
When manager guy caught me watching, he stepped aside for Natalie, but only slightly. She had to wiggle past him. He had his dick facing her. Probably had a hard on. Natalie pressed her stomach against the bagging counter and bent over it so she didn’t have to touch him as she went by. Manager guy stared down at her like he was doing her doggie style. I’m sure he was imagining her naked.
Disgusting.
I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I shook my head in disbelief. When Natalie was gone, I was ready to tear his balls off and remind him that sexual harassment was against the law.
Before I could say anything, he walked back to the manager’s booth at the front of the store.
What a depraved dickhead.
I couldn’t really do anything about it now. I didn’t work here. I’d been fired for disappearing. And I wasn’t even me. I was nothing but a random customer.
I walked to register 4 where Maria was busy ringing up an old man who was buying several six packs of Ensure, all of them vanilla because that was the only flavor we ever stocked. Like everything we carried, I’m sure they were six months past their shelf date, hence the 95 cent sticker price. I watched Maria as she rang up everything.
What would she think when she saw me?
What would I say?
I had no idea.
I’d just have to go with the moment.
I set my Tazo Tea bottle on the conveyor belt as Maria bagged up the last of the old man’s Ensures and handed him everything. He thanked her and walked away.
Maria turned to me and smiled. She always had a smile for the customers. “Hi.” She swiped my tea over the barcode scanner and it beeped. “Anything else?”
I stared into her eyes, willing for her to somehow recognize me.
Still smiling, she frowned. She had no idea who I was.
It hurt. Physically hurt. I wanted to grab her wrist and plead, Maria! It’s me, Jane! Don’t you recognize me?!
She giggled nervously and looked away. “That’ll be ninety-five cents.”
Please! Maria! It’s me! This was very distressing. My hands shook as I pulled a dollar bill out
of my purse.
Maria took it and made change. She held out a nickel and my receipt.
I stared at her, verging on shock. I didn’t know what to do. This was worse than getting friend dumped. I knew because it had happened many times to me from kindergarten until college. People deciding they didn’t like me because I was too nerdy or dorky or weird, and the turned up noses that soon followed. In some cases, people told me straight to my face they didn’t like me for one stupid reason or another. That had always hurt the most. I’d never believed people could be so cruel, but they could.
But all that was different from this.
Maria wasn’t a jerky high school kid. She liked me.
I knew she did.
I thought she did.
I was suddenly doubting myself.
I had to remind myself she didn’t recognize me.
To her, I was a complete stranger.
But on some deep emotional level, it felt exactly the same as if she were shunning me. It hurt so much I wanted to vomit. But I tried to remind myself Maria and I were solid. The last time I’d seen her at work, we’d laughed through half our shift, like always. The only thing that had changed since then was…
Me.
“Your change,” Maria said, gesturing with the nickel and my receipt.
“Oh, right.” I took them and stuffed them in my purse.
“Lady, are you okay?” Her concern was genuine.
I smiled absently. “Yeah. I’m fine. Thanks.” Verging on tears, I hurried past her. On my way toward the exit, I also passed the new manager standing in the elevated manager’s booth.
“Find everything okay?” he asked with a smile, eyes roaming all over me.
“Yeah,” I said softly, still dealing with my feelings about Maria.
“You get some Tazo?” He leaned over the edge of the manager’s booth.
“Huh? Yeah. I guess so.” I slowed to a stop, my mental gears shifting to this rapist in training.
“That’s great tea.” He was staring at me like I was a target for his dick. The only reason he was staring at my tea was because I held the bottle in front of my boobs. He looked like he was ready to dive right in.
Get a good look, dicknose. This guy was too much. I glanced at his name tag. Phil Berger. I leaned an elbow on the manager’s booth counter top, something I’d never been tall enough to do before today. I smiled at him, giving him a front row seat to my tits. There wasn’t much cleavage because my sports bra covered most of it, but that didn’t stop him from drooling.
If I Were Beautiful (If I Were... #1) Page 9
