Page 11 of Rescue
It’s been so long since I’ve felt anything for someone beyond fleeting physical attraction. I’ve had a handful of one night stands over the years. The town tends to pick up during the winter months and occasionally I’ll find a tourist who scratches that itch I feel every. It doesn’t happen often, but I’m not a monk.
Something about Penelope feels different, though. Like a jolt to my system. It feels like I just woke up from a deep sleep. I don’t know how I could feel this way about someone after such a brief encounter. I tell myself to just ignore it and move on with my day, but I keep thinking about our exciting interaction. Thoughts of her embarrassed and flustered face make me smile the whole way home.
Once I get home I head straight for the shower. My bulge has become a full on, persistent erection. I rinse off with thoughts of her bright green eyes flashing through my mind. Once I’m confident I’ve washed all the whipped cream out of my hair, I grab the soap and start to wash my body. Moving down my abs, I use my soapy hand to grab my hard dick and start to stroke. Penelope’s perky full cleavage on her knees in front of me comes to mind and I imagine her standing in front of me with her pouty lips out, begging to take me into her mouth. Before I’m ready, I explode all over the shower wall.
I steady myself with a hand against the opposite wall to get myself under control. I can’t believe I came like that after meeting this girl one time. What is it about her that’s so different?
When I’m back in my truck on the way to work, guilt and shame start to eat at me. I’m not ready for another relationship and probably never will be. I’m not fit to be someone’s partner and I may not know Penny very well, but I know she deserves better than I’ll ever be. I need to get her out of my head and avoid her at all costs.
I try unsuccessfully all day to forget about my early morning excitement. Except for some mild shock from Janis that I was later than usual, everything has been running seamlessly. Everything short of the fact that I just can’t get my head in the game. Between figuring out this deal with the Callahans and my run in with Penelope this morning, my focus is off. It becomes clear sometime after lunch that I’m not going to be able to get any more work done, so I tell Janis I’m heading out and leave early. It’s uncharacteristic of me, but I can’t find the energy to care. I need to get my head on straight.
I get in my truck and just drive. Without even knowing where I’m going, I end up at my oldest brother Mason’s cabin in the woods. He’s done pretty well for himself out here. He’s built the whole house from the ground up, with some help from my dad, brothers, and me here and there. We came out and helped every chance we got, but it was nothing compared to the work Mason put in here. What started as an undeveloped piece of land has become a testament to his craftsmanship. One look at this place and you’d know you had a good contractor on your hands.
He enlisted in the Marines just out of high school and served for 6 years before he was honorably discharged after an IED explosion that almost took his life. He still has some scars, and he doesn’t like to talk about what happened overseas, so we don’t push it. Since he’s been home the last few years, he’s really put all his focus on this property, investing all his blood, sweat, tears, and more than a little money into the masterpiece that it is today: a rustic two story log cabin in the woods with a free standing two story shop where he spends most of his free time, working on his furniture business. He builds custom reclaimed wood pieces for high end clients. Rumor has it, he’s got more commissions than he needs these days.
He also serves as the town handyman. When he started building his house, he studied and got his contractor’s license so he wouldn’t have to deal with any middlemen. Word got out around town and now he gets calls all the time when folks need something done on their homes or businesses. He stays busy which is what he likes, and from what I can tell, he makes a good living doing it.
Not that Mason would brag. He’s the quiet one of the four of us. The son who rarely speaks up, but when he does, everyone sits back to listen. I guess that’s what drove me here. I don’t want to answer any questions and I know he won’t ask.
If Mason’s awake, he’s working. That’s just who he is since he came home. Makes it easier on me, honestly, since he’s usually pretty easy to find. Today is no different. I walk into the shop and am assaulted by the blaring sounds of classic rock and his loud machinery. It looks like he’s just started on a one-of-a-kind headboard.
“Hey,” he says, seemingly away that I’m off work so early, but ignoring it.
“You need any help today?”
His eyebrows lift, but he still doesn’t ask. He knows if I want to talk about it I will. I still don’t know what has me so shaken up, and I’m not ready to talk about it, so I know Mason was the right guy to come to.
“Sure,” he says, sparing me the third degree and turns to grab something on the table behind him. Relieved, I’ll do whatever he asks. He turns back around with a sander. “Sand this piece down for me while I work on the legs.” I’ve helped with stuff like this a thousand times, so it is no problem. This is just the kind of mindless work I need to get Penny out of my head, hopefully for good.
