Page 50 of Fight for Me

I was never a shy person, or self-conscious about my looks before that day in the warehouse. People, mostly women, always told me how handsome I was, how great my body looked, and I never had an issue with intimacy. Yet since getting burned, I wasn’t able to even consider getting naked in front of a woman.

When I hear the shower running next door, I snap out of it and pull on a fresh shirt before finding the smallest t-shirt and pants I own for Jen to wear. Before I open the door, I hesitate and listen to the sounds coming from the bathroom. I’m trying not to think about her naked body not even five feet away from me, but it’s hard for me not to imagine her covered in soap, touching herself in the steam-filled cabin.

Glancing down at the bulge in my jeans, I hiss at my treasonous dick, “Calm the fuck down! This isn’t the time for this.” I shake my head in annoyance at myself. It’s been too long since I’ve been with anybody, so it’s no wonder I can’t keep my mind out of the gutter.

After I’m finished counting to a hundred and thinking about everything gross I saw in life, I take a deep breath and march to the guest room. The water was still running when I left my room, but I still knock lightly before I enter.

I find the guestroom in a state of complete disarray, with a fully awake Henry sitting in the center of the mess, eating one of those dry biscuits that he likes. There’s a phone on his lap displaying a vividly colored cartoon.

“Hey, little man. What happened here?” I ask and wait patiently for him to acknowledge me. After a few prolonged seconds, Henry lifts his head and looks at me, then around him.

“Mamma,” he states with a nod and immediately concentrates back on the screen.

“Your mom did all this?” I ask with a chuckle.

Once again the kid looks up, this time with a heavy sigh, as if he’s tired of my shit, and stresses, “Yes. Mamma do.”

“Okay, okay. I believe you,” I say in a serious tone. “Why don’t we help a little with the clean-up, huh?”

Henry nods but comes back to whatever he’s watching, dismissing me completely. I smile to myself and tap his little head before grabbing everything he’s thrown out of the bag, probably searching for the snacks. When I hear the shower stall open, and Jen moving around in the bathroom, I quickly put everything on the bed, including the clothes I brought her, and get out of there as fast as I can.

It's already hard as it is – punintended, no need to add the view of a half-naked Jen getting straight out of a shower to torment me even further.

“Jen? I left you something to wear. Come downstairs when you’re ready,” I call through the closed door.

“Okay!” she calls back, and I exhale loudly at hearing her sweet voice. Get a fucking grip, man.

I get downstairs and move to light up the fireplace. Normally, I wouldn’t bother with it because I’m used to sleeping in lower temperatures, but I want Jen and Henry to feel comfortable and warm at my house.

I’m stacking the firewood, lost in thought, when I suddenly feel eyes on me. Turning around with a piece of wood in hand, I start asking, “Hey, did you...” and then almost choke on my own spit.

I turn into a coughing fit when I spot Jen standing barefoot in the middle of my living room, dressed in just my t-shirt that barely reaches her mid-thigh. Her toned long legs are on full display, and for the life of me, I can’t stop my eyes from perusing them. I snap my head up to look at her face, and gulp at the sight of her wet hair hanging loosely around her beautiful face.

“Hey there. What are you doing?” Jen asks with a gleamin her eye.

“What?” I mutter stupidly, and blink down at the wood that I’m holding up. “Oh, I thought I’ll light the fire. You know... in case you or Henry feel cold.”

“Wow, and he’s thoughtful. Damn Brody, hasn’t anyone told you that men are supposed to have flaws?” she flirts as she comes closer.

“Believe me, baby, I have many of those,” I respond absentmindedly, eyeing her legs once again, and then forcing myself to look away. I turn to the fireplace and focus on my task before asking, “So, uh, was there something wrong with the pants I gave you? I’m sure I can find something else for you to wear.”

Jen steps next to me and smirks. “I tried them on, but honestly, I could fit my whole body in one leg of those pants. But don’t worry, I’m quite comfortable like this.” She gestures toward her body, making my mouth go dry as I involuntarily follow the movement from the corner of my eye.

“I bet you do,” I grumble and poke at the slowly burning wood, before closing the cover and standing up. “Where’s the little guy?”

“Well, after eating half a pack of biscuits, he passed out on the carpet. If that’s not good parenting, I don’t know what is,” Jenny jokes and trails after me to the kitchen. “Little rascal. The second he’s left alone, he comes rummaging through the bag, searching for the goodies.”

“Shit, you could've told me to watch him for you,” I say sheepishly, watching as Jen sits up on the kitchen counter. Don’t look at her legs. Don’t you look at her legs, you motherfucker.

She waves me off and laughs. “Nah, he’ll be fine. God only knows what Rita has been up to with him when I leave for work. A little sugar won’t kill him.”

“Probably not.” I chuckle and look out the window. The storm is starting to let up, but there’s still heavy rain pounding on the windows. “I don’t think we will be going to see your car today. It’s getting late, and the road will be too muddy, so I’m afraid you’re stuck here with me.”

Jen glances in the direction I’m looking and sighs. “I figured. I’ve already called Gary that I won’t be in tomorrow. He was cool about it, but I won’t be able to come to Ruth’s next Sunday because I will have to work off the missed day.”

“Oh shit, I’m sorry, Jen. If I had known...”

She shakes her head and cuts me off with a smile. “It’s fine, Brody. I wouldn’t be able to get to work without my car anyway. And if I didn’t wanna be here, I wouldn’t. Storm or not.”

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