Page 7 of Easy Come

"Yes. When I was ten, my mom got a job working nights, so she put my older sister, Jean, in charge of making our school lunches. Well, Jean was sixteen, so a big chunk of her morning was taken up with the flat iron and mascara bottle. The only thing she had time for was to slap peanut butter on a piece of bread. For that entire school year, I trudged to the cafeteria with my crappy peanut butter sandwich. That's what it felt like with Mark, a peanut butter sandwich for lunch every damn day."

"Perfect."

"Glad you think so, but I still can't look at a jar of peanut butter."

Trey's laugh was the kind that could warm you on a cold night or cheer you up after a bad day. "No, I mean perfect for the story. Let me ask you something—Georgie. If you could have a superpower what would it be?"

I had no idea where the heck the conversation was heading. "Flying, that would be nice. Then I could just fly over the traffic on the freeway."

"So, if you had that superpower, you would use it?"

"Of course."

"Then why don't you use the superpower you already have?"

I stopped halfway on sipping my tea. "I can't fly."

"That's not the superpower I'm talking about."

Kyle halted the strange conversation with our food. He put the food in front of us and walked away before I could ask for some pepper. I tried to get his attention, but he had sped off too fast back in the direction of the crowded, giggling girl table. I waved at him several times as he crossed the dining area, but he never looked my direction.

"Take off those glasses," Trey said plainly.

"Excuse me? I don't have x-ray vision. I need them to see."

"Just trust me."

"Sure but I just need some pepper." I waved my arm to get Kyle's attention. It seemed the kid walked around with invisible blinders on.

"Georgie," Trey said more forcefully. "Take off those big glasses. And unbutton the top button on that blouse."

I stared at him in disbelief.

"Just do it." His ordering me around should have riled me, but he managed to do it with enough charisma that I found myself following his directions.

I took off my glasses and then, with much more hesitation, I discretely reached up and undid the top button. My blouse was already stretched tight across my breasts, breasts that I'd spent my entire teen years trying to diminish in size. But to no avail. It seemed I was still guilty of trying to restrain them. The blouse parted, exposing my cleavage. I was sure I heard a low groan come from Trey's side of the table, but I eventually dismissed the notion as just the clamor in the restaurant.

Before I could rest my back against the seat, Kyle swept across the room and nearly fell over our table as he asked if I needed something. I knew his eyes were riveted to my cleavage, but I ignored it as a typical school boy reaction. "Pepper please."

He raced off enthusiastically.

Trey poured ketchup on his plate and didn't look up as he spoke. Damn, he had long lashes. "You're welcome."

"For what?"

"For showing you how to use your superpower to get pepper for your quiche."

Kyle returned with an actual pepper grinder. Like a waiter in a fine restaurant, he stood over me with his pepper. "Just tell me when."

Trey was completely entertained as he watched.

I put up my hand. "That's good. Thank you, Kyle." I smiled sweetly at him. He stumbled backwards a few steps, the pepper grinder gripped tightly in his fingers.

I shot an annoyed eyebrow twist at my lunch mate. "If you think having big breasts is a superpower, then you should try being a painfully shy thirteen-year-old running the mile in P.E. and having the entire boys' soccer team stop their game to watch."

"I'm not talking about your breasts." He stopped to admire my cleavage for a second. "Although, they are spectacular. I'm talking about you, all of you. You are beautiful and smart, but it seems you're trying hard to just be smart. The glasses, the top button, the hair up like my mom's Aunt Terry."

"You, sir, are an asshole." I put down my fork, my appetite for quiche suddenly diminished. I pulled out my phone to call for an Uber ride back to the Plaything parking lot.

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