Page 32 of Afternoon Delight
“I better write that down.” I mimed reaching for a pencil behind my ear and scribbled on my palm. “I know I’m going to mix those up.”
We shared a long look that was mostly laughter with a hint of speculation. It wasn’t my imagination. We were definitely into each other.
Meg dropped her lashes and uprighted a fallen box. “You don’t really want to buy something, do you?”
“You’re a terrible saleswoman. Yes, I do. What’s this Darth Vader thing?” I picked up a black cuff shaped like a swirling cape. Inside were ridges and a silicone pad with tiny pins.
“That’s for the frenulum.”
“Just the tip? Like a toe in the water? Way to meet me where I’m at, Meg. What’s this, a lamp?” I reached for another item—a clear silicone casing. It looked decorative on its stand, but the embedded balls bulged when I squeezed it.
“It stretches around the penis.” She took it and tugged to show its flexibility. “The firmer shapes add stimulation. That’s the only one out of its box, but you can get it with ridges or— I thought I had another one.” She searched the shelf.
“I’ll try the ridges. And the ‘Luke, I am your father’ one.” I pulled out my wallet and handed over my card.
Now it got weird. She knew I was going home to use these toys.
“You need lube,” she said. “Water-soluble, or it’ll break down the silicone.”
“Might as well sell me a five-gallon bucket. My nights are quiet.”
“I’ll give you this tiny free sample.” She stole it from a jar on the counter, smiling at a drag artist chatting with the woman behind the counter. “If you come back for more, I’ll know the toys were a hit.”
“That’ll be in seven minutes. I’ve got an empty store and heightened curiosity.”
“Buddy, the longer I work here, the less that kind of talk fazes me. You do you.” She rang me up and handed back the card.
“Do you hit all those double entendres on purpose, or is it a gift?”
“It’s the store. If I started a drinking game for all the puns, I would be hammered all day every day.” She handed me the bag. “Enjoy your evening.”
“Pretty sure that’s a given.”
Truth was, I already had.
Chapter 17
Meg
I was dragging my ass the next morning, feeling hungover even though I’d only had one glass of wine when I got home. A big one, granted. I’d chugged it before falling straight into bed.
After my shower, I glanced at my laptop and saw it was about to short-circuit with messages from Peterson, Londale, and Funk. I might not be irreplaceable, but they’d realized my departure was going to be a pain in the ass. Some clients were very pissed to be losing me, and HR was pressuring me to finalize terms for contract work.
Suddenly, the firm had very deep pockets. Assholes.
I was thinking about that while I poured my coffee into a travel mug. At the same time, Roddie peppered me with instructions on how to enroll him in part-time classes at the high school. It involved phone calls and filling out forms online.
“I’ll get started if I have time at work, okay? I’ve got to get in there to tidy up and fill the online orders before I open for the day.” I stole a slice of his toast.
“Hey.” He frowned.
“What. You don’t even have school today. Look through Grandpa’s stuff downstairs. Let Grandma know what you might want to keep for yourself. You kids be good.”
I was halfway to the shop when I reached for my coffee and realized I’d left it on the counter. That’s the kind of day it was going to be, I guess.
I was early, so Zak and Dale weren’t at their shop yet. I texted Zak.
I forgot my coffee. What’s your poison?
