Page 14 of Desolation

I follow him to the bathroom, making sure I am far enough behind him that he doesn’t see I’m following. He might seem sturdy and tough but he is getting older every day and I worry about him.

I lean against the hallway and wait for him to come out of the bathroom in the lobby when I do a double take. The toothpick in my mouth nearly falling out.

One of the receptionists is giving a tour to the most beautiful woman I’ve laid eyes on in years. She is lean but with curves in all the right places. The tight jeans she has on are ripped mid-thigh and at her knees, showing off athletic legs. She has on a crop top that stretches against the swell of her breasts. The white color contrasting perfectly with her olive skin. I make my way up to her face, her blond hair, windswept and wild. Her cheekbones, prominent over a slightly crooked nose. Her eyes, the color of honey. Her lips, full and plump. I would give anything to bite down on them. I watch as she passes, her ass made for the jeans she has on. Her hips, just large enough to give her round ass the perfect peach shape.

I scrub my hands over my face as I watch the two of them talk. Thinking of all the dirty things I could do to a woman like that. I wonder if she would like it. She is older than me but I bet she has never had anything like what I can give her.

I’m startled by someone kicking my shin. I look over and see Mr. Cartwell standing next to me.

“Do you need a bucket for your drool?”

“Fuck off.” I tell him.

“Shithead,” he mutters back at me. “Maybe we should put our game of chess on hold. You can go see if your superior flirting skills will work on that woman.”

I turn toward him. “Are you mocking my ability to flirt with a woman?”

“That’s not the only ability I mock.”

I stare down at the old man, gritting my jaw. “You have a lot of shit coming out of that wrinkled mouth of yours today.”

“And you have a lot of ego that needs to be checked.” He pushes me with his walker. “Go. Flirt with her. I want to see you fail miserably.”

I put my hand to my chest. “No hope for me?”

“I haven’t had hope for you since you walked into my goddamn life. Now please go and entertain me for the first time since you started coming around here, boy.”

I laugh and shake my head as I walk away. I hope if I’m ever that old I am just as cantankerous as him.

I walk up to Wendy, the sweet southern belle, that is giving this fine as hell woman a tour. I turn on my southern accent and charm. “Hey beautiful.”

Wendy blushes as she turns to me. “Hello, Landon. I didn’t realize you were here today.”

“I’m here every Saturday, ma’am. You weren’t at the front desk when I walked in. I was gonna ask you out to lunch.”

Her blush grows deeper. “Well, I’m going to have to take a raincheck. I was just showing Marianne around. She came to volunteer for the day.”

“Landon,” I say to Marianne and grab her hand, bringing it to my mouth and placing a chaste kiss against it. “Pleasure to meet you.”

The woman just stares at me like I’ve grown horns out of my head. I turn back to Wendy. “Why don’t I give you twenty bucks and you pick yourself up a nice lunch. I’ll give Marianne a tour.”

Marianne’s gaze flicks back and forth between me and Wendy.

“Oh Landon, you are such a dear. It is past my lunch break.”

I give Wendy my classic panty melting grin as I slip her a twenty. “I’ll pick up where you left off.”

“God bless you, young man. I don’t—”

“It’s not necessary,” Marianne cuts in. “I think you’ve shown me around enough.”

Wendy grabs her hand. “Oh heavens dear, you still need to meet a few people and I haven’t shown you the garden. So many of the residents here love being there. And Landon is one of our longest-attending volunteers. Been coming here for a year. He knows all the ins and outs of this place.”

And there are many more ins and outs I would like to know of. Just on this woman’s sinful body.

“I’m sure I can figure—”

I grab Marianne’s hand and feel her stiffen from my touch.

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