Page 3 of Payback's a B!tch

2

Cameron

Workingwith my uncle in construction wasn’t very lucrative. Coming back from two tours of duty in Afghanistan made it hard for me to get used to civilization. It all seemed so pointless, but there were bright spots in every dismal day.

Getting hired to renovate this beach house in the middle of nowhere was going to give me a purpose and a goal to strive for. It didn’t hurt that the owner was a delicious piece of candy who would probably melt in my mouth.

Following her around had the added benefit of seeing her curves and wondering with impure thoughts about what she would look like naked. I was practically praying for a wardrobe malfunction when she bent over in front of me.

“I think you understand the reason why I need somebody strong and capable of doing the job. Your resume speaks for itself. There is one glaring omission that I would like to talk about. There’s a gap right after high school of almost four years,” Constance mentioned while flipping through the two-page summary.

“I was in the military, following in my father’s footsteps. Nobody can dispute how 9/11 changed everything for all of us. I think in some small way we’ve become complacent since that fateful day. Maybe we don’t want to be reminded,” I lamented with my face solemn and my words short.

The house was a little stuffy, and in desperate need of major improvements. In my head, I was calculating the cost with dollar signs in my eyes. The basic frame and bones of the place were in good shape.

It had the potential to be a gold mine.

“I can’t even imagine what you went through. My uncle was never the same when he came back from finishing his service to this country. It amazes me how as a society we turn our backs on those who are suffering right in our backyard,” she replied with a shake of her head.

“I can count on one hand how many people have thanked me. It’s refreshing to find somebody who understands. Your uncle was a brave man. I was never much for heroics unless it was on the football field. It’s a lot different when you’re in a platoon where no man is left behind,” I spoke with reverence, remembering with clarity those times that made me wake up in a cold sweat, clinging to the bed sheets.

One thing was painfully clear: My time in the military had sculpted my body into granite. It was almost too easy to follow a regiment with the rest of my team at the crack of dawn, pushing myself to the limits of my endurance. Getting out and going our separate ways was a bitter pill to swallow.

None of us wanted to relive those days.

“I’m happy to hire somebody with your work ethic and experience. You’ve done it all, including electrical and plumbing. I’m sure a handshake deal and money under the table is the kind of compensation you’re looking for,” Constance proffered her hand with her dainty fingernails painted in my favorite color of purple.

When we touched, there was this static shock that made her jump back with a giggle. It was cute and highly suggestive and those giant melons made it even better. It was hard not to stare directly at those natural wonders topped with very delicious strawberry tips threatening to burst though the thin layer of fabric.

There were already a couple of holes to give me brief glimpses of her flesh glistening with perspiration.

Three weeks was a long time to go without physical companionship.

My girlfriend at the time was a cold fish who just couldn’t accept my mood swings. It wasn’t like I could blame her for turning a blind eye. Diana couldn’t know the extent of the horrors I had seen. Saying the words would have made the experience real when the nightmares were more than enough.

One face continued to haunt me, and it made me unable to rest. The guilt just weighed me down.

“That would make it easier and I won’t have to charge you for the taxes. Give me a few minutes to write an estimate, unless you prefer an hourly rate. The one thing you can be assured of is that my work is guaranteed. I never go past a deadline. My portfolio is a mile long,” I said with my voice cracking until I had it on the kitchen counter.

Constance was standing right next to me, with her heady perfume causing my head to swim. In this position, I was able to see the swell of her breasts. They were quite a handful and my mouth watered at the possibility of mixing business with pleasure.

A certain part of me had taken notice of her feminine curves. Hiding it wasn’t easy when it was rather large and quite pronounced when excited. The heavy equipment I was carrying around was threatening to bust through the zipper of its denim prison.

“You really do come prepared. This hardwood is exactly what I want to get my hands on. My best friend gave me an idea of where I can find it. It’s closer than you would think,” She replied with just the tip of her tongue moving around the oval of her mouth.

It sounded like she was talking about something more than a business arrangement. Those lips were begging to be kissed. That mouth was the kind of temptation that could get a guy into trouble.

“I’m not…I’m not sure what you mean by that,” I stammered with my body angled away from her to keep her from thinking I was only after one thing.

“I apologize. I suppose it would sound a little strange out of context. There’s an old rundown barn down the street. I’m going to have a few words with the owner of the property and see what we can’t do about getting a deal for the barn beams and whatever other pieces we can get,” She said, while the temperature in the room kept rising.

It had nothing to do with the weather outside.

“That does seem to be the growing trend. I’m already envisioning where best to use that material. I would say this project is going to take no more than two months. I’ve gone over your list of requirements and I have a few suggestions to make,” I uttered with my mind overwhelmed by visions of doing obscene and nasty things to her body

“Come up with some ideas and we can brainstorm in the morning. I know this might sound a little unorthodox but I think you should consider living here for the duration of the project. There is plenty of room. We will have to share a bathroom since there’s only one in the entire house that’s working at the moment,” Constance said while she was leaning forward with the tip of her finger in her mouth.

“That works out great for me. I just moved here. I’m between places. This way I can get an early start and maybe shave off a couple of days on my estimate.” Most of my stuff was in storage. There was just one green duffel bag in the back of my truck that was sitting by the curb.

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