Page 40 of Swamp Princess

“Look who’s talking. Seems to me you fucking took advantage and fucked her while she thought it was me.” I clamp my mouth shut, hating how he figured that out so quickly. Once we hit the four, I speed even faster.

Once there, we park and I look at the small building. It is plain beige building and walking in, the walls are decorated in a dove gray with pink trimming and photos of birthings and vaginas all over. Going to the front desk, we see a receptionist who looks to be in her early twenties, and before I can say anything, Blaise stops me.

“Let me handle this.” He saunters over to the desk while we hang back. I watch as Blaise flirts and the girls at the desk eat it up. Finally, he smiles and waves goodbye to them. When he walks back over to me he points across the street. “They saw her walking to the grocery store across the street, but that’s all they know.”

We walk out and walk across to the grocery store and when we get inside, my senses are hit with the most amazing smells. Spices and flowers and seasoned meats. We have nothing like this in North Warren. Most of the stores carry only organic shit or light seasonings and plain meats and fish.

Even the people here are different. They dress how they want. Some in pajamas, others in suits, and even some in half bathing suits.

“This store is incredible.” Rem speaks what I was thinking.

“We don’t have time to sight-see.” Blaise stomps forward and we follow, but I notice like me, Loyal and Rem are looking around, taking everything in. I know Rem is most likely going to come back here. He loves to cook and this store opened his eyes.

We find a manager and when we describe Brinley, he pales and tells us to leave which gives us more questions without answers. As we leave, a cashier rushes out after Blaise.

“Blaise, hey.”

“Hey, Pix. How are you?”

“I know you asked about Brinley.” She moves forward, lowering her voice. “She helped someone she shouldn’t have and then got in a car. Don’t ask me who it is, I want to keep my life.” She turns and dashes back into the store, leaving us to think about what she told us.

“Fuck!” Blaise shouts. “Fuck, Fuck!” This is not good.

* * *

Brinley

“Quit playing games with my heart!” I sing out as Hector belts out the next line.

“I should have known from the start.” We go back and forth on the karaoke machine, singing Backstreet Boys much to the amusement of Rosie who trickled outside and gave us chicken and rice for dinner. I am halfway through the second week with Hector, and I finally admitted that I fell hard and fast for this man.

He is not like the other guys from the swamps. He is real and raw. He’s not afraid to be who he really is and have fun. He’s not trying to impress me, he’s goofy and at night, he likes to read, and the man reads why choose novels.

These two weeks have been so magical, and I don’t want the bubble to pop. I know I have to go back to school.

“Brinley, will you come with me?” Hector pauses the machine and looks at me.

“Of course.” Hector holds out his hand and I take it, feeling like it is the most natural thing in the world. Being with him feels so natural. Almost like I have known him for forever. This is what I missed with Blaise lately and before my slowly healing patchwork of a heart can shatter again, I shut down thoughts of Blaise.

I turn to Rosie. “You will be okay then, Rosie?” I noticed she was limping, and Hector had called a doctor and had her checked out. She had some internal bruising but overall, he told her to keep to light work and not to carry anything heavy.

“Oh, shush, you sweet girl. You two go and have fun.” She waves us away and I follow Hector. He leads us to a more secluded part of his property, and I see the blanket and the basket.

“I thought we could do dessert together.” He smiles and looks a little nervous. It makes him more boyish and less like the man. It's adorable. I know Hector is hiding some things, but I don’t expect him to tell me his whole life within the first two weeks.

“I would love that.” I sit down and pull him with me. Hector pulls out some small glass plates and moves around to pull the dessert out, and I see it is cheesecake with strawberries on top.

“Grandmother made this.”

“Oh, goody. I love her cooking.” I lick my lips and make give me motions. He chuckles and passes me the plate and pulls out what looks like champagne.

“Don’t worry, it’s not alcohol. It is strawberries and cream sparkling water.” I giggle and moan as I put the first bite in my mouth. “You’re killing me. The noises you make, I would love to hear while I’m the one making you make those noises.”

I pause as my body flushes and heats with his words, but I brush it off for the moment, making a joke instead. “So, you’re trying to seduce me, Hector?”

“Is it working?” His face turns serious, and I gulp.

“Do you want it to work?” I place the plate down, eagerly waiting for his answer.

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