Page 10 of Rent Free

“What are you doing here?” I asked Gable.

Gable looked up from the display case and said, “I’m trying to tell myself that I don’t need anything to eat, but the smell drew me in.”

“What can I get you?” a woman breezed in from the back, door swinging in her wake.

The breath stalled in my lungs.

She was… beautiful.

Breathtaking.

Captivating.

She was tall, like five-foot-nine or so. She had long, flowing blonde hair. Not straight, but not curly either. Like Faith Hill used to have in those old country music videos I used to masturbate to.

She had deep, mahogany eyes, and she looked so familiar to me, yet I couldn’t place why.

And tits.

Wow, were her tits fantastic.

Continuing the vintage Faith Hill look, she had on high-waisted Wrangler jeans that showed off a helaciously curvy ass, and the cutest little sandals that wrapped around delicate toes painted a hot pink.

I took in every single inch of the package that was available to me, and sick and tired as I was, I was still able to produce an instant hard-on.

Shiiiit.

I was sick in the head.

Metaphorically and physically.

“Hello,” she smiled at me, showing off a line of perfectly white, perfectly straight teeth.

I walked up to the woman and the sudden urge to say ‘my leg hurts’ was overwhelming.

And since I gave myself the freedom to follow those random impulses when I was off shift, I said, “My leg hurts.”

She blinked.

Then tears started to form in her eyes, and I felt my heart pound hard in my chest.

Women crying was the bane of my existence.

I couldn’t deal.

Everyone knew it, too.

“Ooh,” she breathed.

“Hey, Atlas!” the bakery owner called out as she swung into the bakery, a fresh set of chocolate scones on the large sheet pan held out in front of her. “Are you here for yourself, or your family?”

“Sister,” I replied, very aware that one sound out of my mouth would give away just how sick I was.

“You sound awful,” she eyed me. “Sick as a dog and still running errands for your family?”

I flashed her a smile. “Family is everything.”

The sound of the woman behind the counter making a noise underneath her breath had me glancing back toward her. “Hi.”

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