Page 18 of Delivered to My Fury

Chapter Fifteen

Opal

Somehow, all the confidence and elation of getting ready to go evaporated as soon as Ceci disappeared from my rearview mirror. She stayed with me all that time, even helping me load the car and giving me a huge hug before I climbed behind the wheel. Then she stood in the street, waving and smiling until I came to the stop sign two blocks down. My friend had indeed more than made up for the night she left me alone in the bar all those years ago. Honestly, I never held it against her anyway. She was entitled to speak to people besides me, and I hadn’t asked her to stay close. We had other friends there, too, and she had every reason to believe I was safe. The bar was almost entirely patronized by students and others from the neighborhood, most of whom I knew from stores and restaurants and other businesses. It was just a fluke that a traveler happened in and hit on the innocent in the room.

By the time I got on the highway, I was questioning not only my decision to make this trip but most of the others I’d made in life. Why was I so stubborn about not going to work at the cosmetics lab. Big pharma I’d never work for, but smaller research labs were an option. If they had funding—ours certainly did not.

When I neared the first exit ramp, I almost got off to call Ceci and see if that position was still open. I liked mascara and lipstick just fine, even if I didn’t use them often. No need to be a snob. There was a lot to be said for things that made life a little better for people. Maybe I could find a company where my research would contribute to pleasure.

And then I remembered how sweet the three guys were. They were expecting me, and the trip had been entirely my idea. How would it be if I canceled after they’d taken time off from their work to spend with me? Why that would be…churlish. A good word I saw in the historical romances I enjoyed but almost never had the opportunity to use.

No. I steered on past the exit, ideas for “pleasurable” uses of my skills. For an almost virgin, my mind certainly went to naughty places. I’d fallen asleep watching TV one night on the couch and woke to an infomercial selling lubes and creams and various other sex-related substances. This of course led to several hours of research into what those things did, why they were good, who might need them…

Surely the companies who sold those things had research going on. If makeup had funding, it stood to reason sex would. Something to consider after I finished up with my visit to the reverse harem. The fury. I liked that term better. Despite understanding that a woman with several lovers or mates was a pivot who had a “reverse harem,” the term “fury” suited these three better. They certainly had that effect on me.

Whenever they sent a message, my insides churned in reaction. Before bringing it to the screen, I was wondering what they would say, thinking of how I might reply, wanting to know every detail of their lives. Were they early birds? Did they stay up late and watch movies? Did one or all of them have a sweet tooth?

But I didn’t want to ask all those things in typed words. Not even in a video call, which was why I hadn’t suggested one. I wanted to be in the same place with them when I asked. Let them ask me in return about my likes and dislikes, preferences and what made me shudder in distaste. Shifters and maybe even monsters like an orc counted on being fated mates to make everything good, but humans like me were geared to spending months and even years together before deciding to get married.

I drove for a couple of hours before stopping for a potty break and cold drink at a root beer stand. It looked a hundred years old, and the drink was delicious. Made right there in the back room, according to the sign above the counter, and my short conversation with the owner was as refreshing as the beverage. We chatted for a while about the weather and such before I asked about the stand.

“My granddaddy built this place with his own hands,” she said. “All he had was a little money and his granddaddy’s recipes.”

“It’s so good.” I sat at the counter on a high stool, legs swinging below me like when I was a little girl at the drugstore. “I’d never have thought you could make a living just selling root beer, though.”

We were the only two people here that I knew of, but a pickup truck turned off the highway and pulled around back. I heard voices and something heavy clunking into the back of the truck. My new friend looked worried for a second then smiled. “Great-Great-Granddaddy had more than one recipe.

“And you also sell wholesale,” I said. “By the barrel?”

“Umm…well, the jar.”

“Can I buy some?” It would be a good present for my guys. Homemade root beer. Who wouldn’t like that?

“Well, sure.” She winked. “I wondered what made a lady like you stop here. Give me a minute.”

She went in back and returned with a cardboard box. “How many would you like?”

“Oh, I guess the case. You have a great product here.”

“We’re very proud of it.” She took my debit card and swiped it then carried the box out to my car and put it in the trunk. “You drive safe and thank whoever referred you to us.”

She was back inside before I could tell her I just saw their stand and needed to pee. Shrugging, I climbed into the car and drove on down the highway, pleased to have a gift. It was always good manners to bring something to your hosts.

I went back to thinking about what direction my career could take. I loved the idea of something pleasurable being the outcome of my work. For all my not wanting to do pharma or cosmetics, most of the research we did at my current employment was related to product improvement in other industrial applications. We tried to make products less toxic, for the most part.

But why not go into the pleasure fields? Opal’s Extra-Slippery Lube had a nice ring to it. Would you want your lube extra slippery? It would help if I had the slightest clue.

I made one more stop for an iced tea about a half hour from my destination because all my root beer stash would be warm from sitting in the back seat and I was parched. Back in the car, I got a message asking me to come to the brewery instead of the house. They had all needed to go in to work and hoped I wouldn’t mind. Mind? No way! I was tickled to have the chance to see their business and told them I’d be there soon. They gave me the address to plug into my GPS.

Pulling up in back as instructed, I turned off the engine just as the rear door opened and out came three faces I’d recognize anywhere. My heart rate kicked up, palms got moist, and I thought I might faint.

Oh, this was a very bad idea…or the best one ever.

Chapter Sixteen

Shay

Opal was here. Sure, she wasn’t in our home yet, but she was here at the brewery, our second home.

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