Chapter Five

 

 

Eric raked his hand through his hair and fiddled with the boxes of key chains next to the cash register. He was waiting for Lexi to arrive for her first day of work at the hardware store. Why the hell was he so nervous?

They’d already slept together for fuck’s sake. What was there to be nervous about? Still, he was pretty sure he’d rearranged the check-out counter five times before her car finally pulled into the parking lot.

He winced at the rattling sound of her old Honda Civic. There was no way in hell that thing could be safe. Maybe there was some way he could talk her into taking a car? A safer one? Maybe one with the hardware store logo on the side. He could tell her it was part of the employee package or something.

Yeah. Like there was any way that she would ever buy that crap. She was already half convinced that he was trying to make her into a ‘kept’ woman. Forcing a nicer car on her would be tantamount to buying her lingerie at this point. He was giving her a job and a little stability for the summer. That was just going to have to be enough.

His breath caught in his chest as she got out of her car then almost immediately turned and climbed back inside again.

What the hell. She was ditching?

She climbed out of her car. Walked about half-way to the front entrance. Only to turn and slink back to her car.

Eric walked to the door, ready to go after her, but then she jumped out of her car, slammed the door shut decisively and headed his way. The bell over the door dinged and she pulled up short as she saw him standing there, hands in his pockets.

They eyed one another, and Eric had to push down the impulse to close the distance between them and take her in his arms.

Shit. Maintaining a professional air between them was going to be harder than he’d anticipated.

“Hey Boss,” she finally said, rocking back on her heels and tucking her hands into the pockets of her jeans. A nicer pair than she’d worn to the bar the other night.

He grimaced. “Eric’s fine still.”

“Sure. I, uh, wasn’t sure what to wear.”

He couldn’t resist scanning her body, taking in her tight T-shirt, perfectly fitted jeans, and the way her hair fell all the way down to her elbows. God. Even her scuffed up Chuck Taylors were giving him a halfie. He needed to get himself under control.

Clearing his throat, Eric gestured to himself. “Jeans are fine. It’s a hardware store after all. And I have a T-shirt for you.” He pointed to his own forest green company shirt, emblazoned with Iris Hardware. “Iris is my grandmother’s name.”

Lexi’s eyes involuntarily softened. “Your grandfather named the store after her?”

“No,” Eric laughed even as he strode behind the counter and pulled out her T-shirt. “She named it after herself. She’s a toughie. Trust me. Takes what she wants and doesn’t wait around for handouts.”

“Sounds like my kind of girl,” Lexi said, reaching out for the shirt and pulling it over the one she already wore.

It fit her like a glove and Eric did his best to roll his tongue back into his mouth as she flipped her glossy blonde hair out from under the collar.

“Want the grand tour?” he cleared his throat again. He was going to have to start bringing cough drops to work if they were going to be working side by side.

He showed her around the store and was pleased and relieved that she knew the names and uses of almost all the tools. He even ran a few potential customer scenarios past her and she showed a workable knowledge of how to fix all the fictional problems.

“Anything I don’t know, I can just google, right?” she asked him, nodding her head at the old desktop behind the register.

“Sure, or ask me. Although, I probably won’t be here most of the time.”

“Alright.” She ducked her head and looked out onto the street. “Looks like you got a delivery. I’ll handle it,” she said and jogged out the door before he could.

Eric watched her and rubbed the back of his neck. God, he liked her. He was attracted to her. She was the hottest sex he’d ever had. Now he had to come to terms with the fact that in order to help her, he wasn’t going to be able to touch her again.

Kiss her again.

Go down on her again.

Fuck her again.

Damn it! Eric groaned and reached for his cup of cooling coffee on the counter.

Lexi laughed at something the Fed Ex man said outside. Eric watched the man watch Lexi’s lush ass as she bent over to pick up the package. Eric’s hand tightened on the cup of coffee instead of doing what he wanted to do, which was punch the poor Fed Ex man in the face.

The bell above the door rang again and Lexi shouldered her way inside, the box in her hands.

“I’ll unload this,” she called to him, already tearing the tape off the box.

“You had breakfast yet?” he asked, coming around the counter.

Lexi glanced up, surprised, her eyes narrowing just a little. “Yeah. Marina made pancakes this morning and shared some with me.”

Eric’s eyes widened as he checked the wall clock. “Marina was up early enough to make you pancakes before work? She must have been at the bar until at least 2:30. That’s less than 5 hours of sleep.”

“Oh that’s not good. Maybe she couldn’t sleep?”

Eric’s brow furrowed. He hadn’t been here when things had gone south for Marina. He’d still been in L.A. And a lot of years had passed since then. She was leaps and bounds better than she used to be. Still, if she was having trouble sleeping, that wasn’t a good sign. He made a mental note to check in with her. Maybe ask Dylan about it.

The bell over the door rang and distracted him from his thoughts.

“Morning, Mrs. Gunderson,” he said as the older, chubby woman strode in like she owned the place. She was his grandmother’s best friend and Eric knew she’d taken it upon herself to make sure he didn’t run the store into the ground while Iris was on vacation.

“Mornin’, boy,” she said, fanning herself in the automatic gesture of a woman who knows how to weather heat the old fashioned way. “You got any more of that coffee back there?”

“Of course, ma’am.” Eric tried not to sigh. He liked Mrs. Gunderson. He really did. Grew up with her as a member of the family. But getting her a cup of coffee meant she was going to stay and chat awhile. And she was infamous for having eyes like a hawk. He didn’t particularly care to be observed around Lexi right now.

“Oh! Child, you scared me,” Mrs. Gunderson hooted as Lexi emerged from an aisle in the store, breaking down the box she’d just finished unloading.

She stepped forward with her hand out. “Sorry about that. Lexi Fischer.”

“Cheryl Gunderson.” Mrs. Gunderson held Lexi’s hand for just a moment while she eyed her shrewdly. “Well, aren’t you an interesting creature.”

Lexi raised one eyebrow at the older woman, obviously unsure what to make of her old-fashioned flower print dress, the feathered 1980s hair, or the ancient pair of cowboy boots. Or more likely, she probably wasn’t sure how she felt about being called a creature.

“Not much girl in there, but pretty just the same,” Mrs. Gunderson said, observing Lexi as she accepted the cup of coffee from Eric.

Lexi’s eyebrow raised even further. “Uh—”

“What you know about horses, child?” Mrs. Gunderson asked as she leaned forward and squinted at one of the little silver rings that Lexi wore. Eric hadn’t noticed before that it was shaped like a horse.

He shook his head at Mrs. Gunderson. Pushing 75 years old and eyes like a hawk.

Lexi straightened her shoulders and stared Mrs. Gunderson right in the eye. “I know enough.”

“I suppose you learned about horses at one of them summer camps, huh? The kind with the funny hats and the polo playing.”

Lexi blinked her eyes slowly and when she spoke, she was damn near matching the slow country drawl that was like syrup oozing from Mrs. Gunderson’s mouth. Eric wondered if she was doing it on purpose or if it came naturally.

“No ma’am. I grew up on the rodeo circuit.”

“Is that right?” She’d caught Mrs. Gunderson’s attention. And Eric’s. “And what was your event?”

“Ropin’ and racin’. Mutton bustin' as a kid of course.”

Eric tried to keep his jaw from falling open. She’d grown up in the rodeo scene? Who was this woman? And why was he starving for information about her? Everything he learned just made him want to learn more.

Now Mrs. Gunderson had a look in her eye like she was trying to swallow down a similar interest. “I did a bit of rodeo as a girl, myself.” She raised her painted eyebrows. “Ain’t no easy world for a woman.”

Lexi shrugged. “I had my daddy there. He looked out for me.”

Mrs. Gunderson surveyed her for another second. “So, you going to come by my porch and talk to me about rodeo sometime?”

“That an invitation?”

“Sure was.”

“Alright then,” Lexi rocked back on her heels. “I suppose I will.”

“That’s just fine,” Mrs. Gunderson said as she pushed the half drunk cup of coffee back into Eric’s hand. “But Mr. Gunderson and I are a bit formal when we have guests. Wear a dress.”

Lexi’s eyebrows raised and this time she was much more amused than offended. “And what if I don’t have a dress to wear?”

Mrs. Gunderson didn’t turn around, just kept striding toward the door. “Buy one,” she threw back over her shoulder before she left.

“That is one old school lady,” Lexi said, going up on her toes to watch her sway down the street. “Real country.”

Eric raised his eyebrows and leaned forward, unable to resist brushing her hair back from her shoulder. “Rodeo, huh?”

She shrugged. “Everybody’s gotta grow up somewhere.”

 

* * *

 

Time passed easily for Lexi that day. There was a lot to learn and always something to get done. She liked being busy. Since life was all about balance, she also liked taking breaks. She’d just put her feet up in the back room when she heard the bell ring above the door.

Figured. Barely three customers all day and then the second she took a break, somebody walked in. She’d just stood when a slinky, female voice made its way into the backroom.

“Hey there, Eric.”

“Afternoon, Sarah,” Eric said. “You need something fixed?”

“As a matter of fact, I do,” the woman replied silkily, her tone making Lexi think, I just bet you need something fixed.

Unable to stop herself, Lexi peeked out the slightly open door.

She immediately spotted long silky blonde hair and a sliver of a powder pink dress.

“I’ve got a lamp that won’t turn on back home. I was wondering if you could come take a look at it.”

Eric cleared his throat. “Chances are you just need a new bulb. You know what wattage you’re looking for?” He started to guide the woman—Sarah—toward the lighting section of the store. She turned just enough for Lexi to get a load of her perfect D cup breasts.

“Well, wouldn’t you know it, it’s this funny little European thing that Daddy brought back from Venice for me. And I can’t for the life of me figure out what kind of bulb it’ll take. But I brought a picture of the lamp to show you. Maybe you can figure it out.”

Eric leaned closer to look at her phone, and Lexi watched his eyebrows lift up into his hairline. “Uh, Sarah, not sure that’s the picture you meant to show me.”

Sarah’s musical little laugh tinkled through the store, making Lexi’s fingernails bite into her palms where she clenched her fists.

“Oh my,” Sarah cooed. “Sorry about that.” She didn’t sound sorry at all. She swiped through a few pictures and Lexi could tell by the expression on Eric’s face that each was more explicit than the next. “Here’s the lamp.”

Eric cleared his throat. “Yeah. Um follow me, we’ve got a few of those bulbs left in stock.”

“Thank goodness,” Sarah replied. “It’s the lamp on my bedside table and I really like to keep the lights on when I’m in bed… for reading.”

Lexi clenched her fists. She was all for women expressing their sexuality. And as someone who’d fucked a near stranger in a barn two nights ago, she wasn’t trying to slut shame. But for the love of god! This was Eric’s place of work! Where a customer like Mrs. Gunderson could walk in any moment!

And even though she knew it was an utterly ridiculous thought, she couldn't help thinking of Eric as her man. And she certainly didn’t want Sarah with her D-cup breasts and whatever-naughty-pictures she had on her phone flirting with her man.

Eric didn’t say much else, just rang up her purchase, accepted the breathy little kiss on the cheek she gave him, and then let out one long breath when she trounced out the door.

Lexi leaned on the doorjamb of the break room and cleared her throat.

Eric turned to her. “Oh, hey. I suppose you saw all that?” He pointed his thumb toward the door that sweet little Sarah had just left through.

“Some of it,” Lexi said, jamming her hands in her pockets. “Though it seems you’re the one who got the eyeful.”

“Boy, did I.” Eric grimaced. “I think what she was doing in one of those pictures was technically illegal.”

“And she just up and flashed them at you? Takes a lot gumption.” Lexi sauntered forward, her hands still in her pockets, a neutral expression on her face.

“Takes a lot of something.” He stared at her a second, tilted his head, then grinned. “You don’t seem particularly shocked at the idea of naked pictures. Is that because you’ve taken some yourself?”

She hadn’t, but instead of telling him that, she just shrugged. “It’s the age of the camera phone.”

Eric’s mouth dropped open. “Well, damn. Show me.”

Lexi pulled up short at how quickly his playful tone turned commanding. It reminded her of how dominant he’d been that night in the barn, pinning her hands to that beam. Afraid he’d see and correctly interpret the movement, she refused to press her legs together even though she desperately wanted to.

“I’m your employee, remember?”

“Fine. You’re fired. Now, show me.” He held his hand out for her phone, but his tone had tuned playful again, and he wore a small, friendly smile on his face.

Lexi couldn’t help but smile back. “I told you we’re not sleeping together again, Eric.”

“That’s fine, but you didn’t say we couldn’t flirt with each other. I might be able to handle not sleeping with you. But not flirting with you? You ask the impossible. That’s just fighting against biology.”

“Fair enough. Flirting? Fine. Fucking? Not fine.”

“Fine.” He grinned again, and God, he was so beautiful he was hard to look at sometimes. “And for the record, sexting, whether it comes in the form of pictures or text, counts as flirting, not fucking.”

She rolled her eyes. “It certainly does not.”

He opened his mouth to say something else but his phone buzzed with an incoming text. He checked it, then said, “My friend Jake wants to know if you want to come have a drink with us tonight. Maybe we can take a poll about the sexting debate. What do you say?”

Lexi stepped up to the check-out counter and fiddled with one of the key chains they sold. “Who’s us?”

“Me and Jake and Dylan. And maybe our friend Will. We meet each other at the bar a few times a week.”

“Skeeps?” Lexi asked, naming the bar where Marina worked.

He nodded.

“I’m already going,” Lexi responded. “Marina and I are celebrating our new living arrangement.”

She ignored the way his face lit up when she said that she was going to be there. It wasn’t good for the little erratic pitter patter in her heart.

“That’s great!”

“I’m not going to stay too long though,” she warned him. “I’ve got work in the morning.”

He smiled at her. “Me too. And a full day of flirting ahead of me.”

Lexi would never admit it, but Lord, she liked the sound of that. Somehow she managed to say, “Flirt all you want. But remember sexting is not flirting.”

Eric just laughed. “We’ll see about that.”