Page 29 of Afternoon Delight
I tried not to wonder what sort of butt-plug emergency he was racing to, but I was quickly distracted when Zak returned with my coffee.
“Thanks.” I came to the door to accept it so he could stay positioned to keep an eye on his own shop’s entrance. “What’s the occasion?”
“Dad always helps with breakfast, but whatever went into my mouth this morning wasn’t coffee.” He made a face, but he wasn’t joking. Beneath the grimace was brooding concern.
“I’m sorry.” I wanted to squeeze his arm.
“Yeah. I can’t tell Zara. She gets upset. I bought you a coffee so I could stand here and bitch to you about it.” He carefully broke the tab on his cup lid and folded it back.
“You already gave me a Penthouse for that.” I nodded toward the basket. “I’ve had offers, by the way. I told them to come by your shop, knock three times, and ask for Zak.”
“Tinfoil,” he reminded me with exasperation. “You think I want my dad knowing I’m cutting side deals in vintage porn? I should check on him.” He reached for the door. “But hey, good luck today.”
“Thanks. And seriously, anytime.”
“Thanks.” He nodded and slipped into his own shop.
I thought about him between the small rushes of customers I had through the morning, wishing there was something I could do to help Zak.
Like what? I chided myself. Buy him a toy to cheer him up? He had said he was curious.
I’d spent a lot of time examining the vagina-focused toys and had finally brought home a small vibrator marketed as ‘stealth’ for its near-silent vibration. It delivered solid orgasms. I had no complaints, but it wasn’t changing my life or anything.
Since the store was quiet, I took a closer look at the penis-focused toys. I’d filled a lot of online orders for super high-end products with Bluetooth controls that could be used via an app for long-distance lovemaking. Most of what I had on the shelf was mid-range in price and focused on masturbation sleeves and prostate stimulators.
A rimming plug? How did that work?
The door jangled.
“Mom?” Roddie walked in.
For Christ’s sake. I dropped the plug.
“What are you doing here?” My heart was fully outside my chest, running away.
“I texted you.” His gaze swung like a scythe from wall to wall.
I checked my phone and there it was.
Roddie:
Wifi is trash. Going to library.
“How did you get here? Did Grandma drop you?” I looked toward the street.
“No. She had to help someone named Barbara at the thrift store.” He came further into the shop and peered around the shelf to see what it held. “I checked the bus schedule, then got off down the street.”
“Did you text Grandma?” I started to text her.
“Uh-huh. I said I going to the library, but I saw online that the coffee shop across the street has free wifi. I brought my school stuff.” He adjusted his backpack on his shoulder while tilting his head back to see how the sex swing was affixed to the rafter beam.
“I’ve been thinking of upgrading it. The wifi,” I clarified as Roddie’s gaze crashed down to meet mine. Was I starting to blush? Ugh. “I’ll talk to Grandma tonight.”
“I went by a high school on the bus. If you’re really going to stay until summer, you could drop me there on your way to work and I could walk here after.”
“You want to go to school here?” In Milestone? When I was growing up, my mother hadn’t let me date anyone from this neighborhood. Zak had probably gone to that high school, though. Why did knowing he was from the wrong side of the tracks make me warm to him even more?
“For music and science, so I don’t fall behind. It’s only a semester,” Roddie said absently, still taking in the toys that his grandmother had arranged so painstakingly.
