Page 15 of Always Be My Baby

Only Lena would be able to fit in a shopping trip to help take care of my little problem, and all before we headed off to work.

She’d spent her day off yesterday trading in her sensible coup for an SUV with all-wheel drive. I was anxious to see it. Going from hourly to salary proved enough of an income boost to afford a better car.

She rolled up into the driveway in a deep red Buick Encore. Compact for an SUV. The perfect size for Lena. Tan interior.

“This is gorgeous, girl,” I gushed.

“I know. It’s my baby. She’s so fun to drive.”

When I slid in the front seat next to her, she began showcasing all the features like a saleswoman. Her favorite new feature was that her phone connected with the car for hands-free calling. Her last car didn’t have that option.

It wasn’t lost on me that Lena appeared extra dressed up today. Like spike-heeled, tall, black leather boots that looked super good with the cute trousers she’d bought for work. But working all day in spiked heels? Her hair was all curly and swept up in a fantastic bun.

We drove a couple of towns over to a place called Garnet, where Lena turned into the parking lot to a store calledCoochie, Coochie.

“Are you kidding me?” I bit out embarrassingly through teeth so clenched they started to hurt. “You brought me to a sex shop?”

“Where did you think we were going?”

“I don’t know. Maybe that aromatherapy shop?”

“Babe, you said you wanted wild, not watered down. If you can’t find it in here, it’s not to be found.”

I kept the hood of my coat pulled around to cover the side of my face facing the road. What if some driver or passerby turned to look at the two wonton women walking up to a sex shop and recognized me?

“Oh my god,” I breathed—the first breath I took after looking both ways to make sure no one saw me stepping inside here.

“Jeez, Lee, you’re acting like you’ve never visited a sex shop before.”

I gave herthe eyes. The ones I used to imply my, “Duh.”

“Am I popping your sex store cherry?” she shouted.

Humiliated, I ducked my head, refusing to answer her. But I couldn’t keep my head down for long because the room was as bright and vibrant as Willy Wonka’s candy room. Vibrators, dolls, swings, some kind of machine that looked straight-up painful. “Where did you bring me?” I asked. “A torture chamber?”

“The best kind of torture, my friend.” Lena patted my arm, chuckling as she took off in the direction of a large wall display of rainbow-colored vibrators. I stopped when my attention was torn away by these large, silver wedding rings—or that was what they looked like.

“Wedding rings for giants?” I asked, holding the package up for my friend to see.

“Well, those’d make for an interesting wedding night, but they don’t go on a finger.”

“Finger of the gods,” the salesman called out. I whipped my head between him, Lena, and the package in my hand when it dawned on me and I dropped the toy, my cheeks heating.

Lena threw her head back and laughed like I’d never heard her laugh before. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she wheezed, hand pressed against a neon pink vibrator display to keep herself propped up.

The salesman approached me. He looked like the kind of man who’d work in a sex shop. Tall-ish. Great hair. Decent physique, but with kind of a rat face. A handsome rat? Yeah, a handsome rat with facial hair. He wore dark washed jeans and a black T-shirt with the wordsCoochie, Coochiewritten across the chest.

“We have a Valentine’s Day special running, if you’re interested.”

That piqued my interest. “I’m interested.”

He smiled and I couldn’t decide if it was handsome or oily. “Are you looking to celebrate with someone special or flying solo this year?” The salesman did this sort of slow eye waggle that didn’t hit me the same way Girard’s eye waggle always did.

“Someone special,” I announced. “Very special. The most special.”

His face fell, but he pulled it together, turning on the salesman charm. “We have a build-your-own-treasure-chest of goodies.”

“It’s like a choose your own adventure for sex,” Lena called out excitedly while walking over to where we stood.

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