He watches me intently as I consume my first bite. A moan slips past my lips, and once again, I’m at the center of attention. I can feel all eyes on me without looking around. Beau sits up a little straighter and takes a gulp of his wine. I got a small inkling of how good looking he was in the dimly lit truck, but the moonlight definitely didn’t do him justice. He is everything Ethan is not. Ethan is soft not muscled. He has average good looks, but his money makes up where he falls short. I take a moment to indulge in Beau’s perfection—my comparison to Ethan is really no comparison at all. From hair that is cut short on the sides but more than long enough on top for a good pull to his chiseled square jaw and facial features, he is the very definition of handsome. His eyes are the bluest I’ve ever seen, so it’s easy to get lost in them. The heather colored muscle shirt he’s wearing makes it hard not notice how his pecks fill it out. Hard indeed. The tattoo sleeve on his right arm gives him the edge of a bad ass. Sexy. Kind. Mysterious. I read the words ‘Found Myself In You’ embedded in his tattoo. If I was open to the possibility of being with another man, he could’ve definitely found himself in me. I have to bite my lip at that naughty thought. Masculinity has never looked so good. In hindsight, it’s probably why I didn’t give him the same fake name I gave Matt. He knows my first name, and oddly, I’m okay with that.
“Good, right?” he asks, replacing his gulp with smaller sips. I have to remember what the hell we were talking about. Oh, the lasagna. He’s referring to the moan I couldn’t suppress. If only he knew that the food was just part of it. Don’t get me wrong, this lasagna is beyond fantastic, but finally seeing him in the light stirs up more than a few butterflies.
“Good is an understatement. This is like heaven in your mouth,” I reply, diverting my attention back to the lasagna after I finish what’s in my mouth. “I’ve had plenty of lasagna before, but nothing even comes close to this.”
“I’ll have to be sure to let my mother know.” He winks, now taking a bite of his own food. I may have just wet my panties. Men are not on the menu for me at the moment, but it sure as hell doesn’t hurt to look. Especially when they look like him.
We eat in silence for what seems like an eternity. I can already feel the wine starting to relax me. A smile spreads on Beau’s face, but before I can inquire why, a gentle hand touches my shoulder.
“How was everything, dear?” I turn in my seat to see an older woman wearing a black shirt that says Rosalita’s. The flour splattered on it hints that she may be one of the cooks.
“Amazing, ma’am. I can’t express enough how much I loved it.” Beau is still working on his, but I demolished mine. I didn’t even care if I looked like a piggy. That was so good, and I was starving after two days of traveling with little food.
“Beau, why didn’t you give her some of my breadsticks to try? You’ll have to excuse my son.” She apologizes for him.
Son? That means she’s Rosalita, the owner. Thank goodness, I didn’t open my mouth about her being the cook although, obviously, she is. Of course, she’s Italian too. I didn’t connect the dots earlier, but Beau bears no resemblance, and I’m pretty sure he’s not Italian. Maybe he’s adopted.
“I’m Rosalita, and you must be Bleu,” she confirms.
“Yes ma’am. I’m Bleu Loren. Nice to meet you. As I said before, I really enjoyed the meal.” It takes me a second to realize I just shared my full name. I kind of suck at this covert stuff. Oh well, it’s out there now.
“I’m glad to hear that. Just wish my son would have given you some of my famous breadsticks. It goes really well with the lasagna.”
“I totally forgot. My apologies,” Beau says sheepishly.
“Can I get some to go perhaps?” I don’t want to come off as greedy, but I’d hate to disappoint. Okay, really, I’m dying to try them if they are anywhere close to being as good as the lasagna was. I wanted to save some for later, but that was an epic fail.
“Of course, dear. Beau, why don’t you be a gem and take your dishes to the kitchen. Make Bleu a to-go box of lasagna and don’t forget the breadsticks this time.”
He gives an exaggerated eye roll, and Rosalita slaps his shoulder. He clears the table but leaves the wine. Once he is out of sight, she takes the seat across from me where he was sitting.
“So my son tells me he picked you up alongside the road.” It’s more of a statement than a question. Apparently, he went to discuss more than spices and herbs when he left me at the table earlier. “Where are you headed, dear?”
I don’t want to be rude after she has been so generous, so I go with the truth. Well, a fraction of it. “I don’t know yet. I was just going to pass through town long enough to decide where I was headed next.”
She grabs my hands across the table, and my first instinct is to pull away, but I don’t.
“I’m not looking to pry. You obviously have some decisions you need to make without anyone meddling, but until you do, I could use some help around here if you’re interested.”
My ears perk up at the word help. Is she offering me a job? That is definitely first on my to-do list.
“Help?”
I want to make sure I understand her correctly. Who offers a complete stranger a job without knowing their experience? Wait … what exactly did Beau tell her? Couldn’t have been much considering I didn’t tell him anything.
“Yes, help. I opened this place just a week ago, and it’s already almost to capacity. Word of mouth alone is bringing more and more customers through the door. I don’t have enough wait staff as it is, so I need to hire more.” She gives my hand a squeeze. “The pay is only minimum wage, but I have no doubt you’d do well with tips. Also, I have an extra room you can use upstairs until you get your first check. After that, we can agree on what you’ll pay for rent or if you want to move somewhere else.”
Rosalita has said a mouthful. I can’t believe my luck. I only have $313 to live off after buying the gum at the store in the middle of nowhere. How can I pass up such a blessing? A place to stay and a chance to save some money before I move on. But that’s just it. Will she still want me if I tell her I don’t plan to make Hope Town my permanent home? Though, I did say I was just passing through.
“Rosalita, your offer is one that is too good to pass up. Your hospitality and generosity have been more than I’ve experienced in quite some time.”
“But?” she prompts. “I’m sensing some hesitation.”
I look over and see that Beau has taken a seat with some older muscled guys at the table over. Something is definitely up. He’s making sure he doesn’t interrupt our talk. I look back at Rosalita, and she’s staring at me … waiting for me to answer her.
“The thing is,” I start. “I was only planning on passing through. I would love to stay a while and take you up on your offer instead, but I don’t know for how long. I wasn’t planning on making Hope Town my home, so I wouldn’t want you to be disappointed when it was time for me to leave.” I have to look away, but she squeezes my hand again to make me look at her.
“My dear child, I’m aware of that. I heard you when you said you were passing through. Your help would be appreciated while I hire more staff to meet my already growing business. All I ask is that you just give me as much notice as you can. The job is yours, and the room upstairs is yours starting tonight if you want it.”
“In that case, I gladly accept. Thank you so much for the opportunity, and I won’t let you down.”
She surprises me by pouring herself some wine in the glass that Beau was drinking out of and then refilling mine. She holds up her wine glass for a toast, so I do the same.
“Welcome to the Rosalita family, dear. I’m ecstatic to have you. Be down here at eight a.m.” We toast and both finish the entire glass. Beau picks this moment to walk over.
“What is the celebration about?” He looks at us both as if he doesn’t already know.
“Bleu here is joining our Rosalita family. She starts early tomorrow, and she will be staying upstairs. Why don’t you show her to her room?”
“Congrats, Bleu. Welcome to the family. I have your goodies here,” he says, pointing at the food he has for me in the bag. “But now you get to experience all my mother’s delicious food while working here.” Beau chuckles and gives his mother a hug as she stands. She then turns around and hugs me too. I hug her back, feeling overwhelmed. For the first time in a long time, I feel safe.
The upstairs is nothing like down below. It is immediately obvious that this part of the house was not included in the mentioned renovation. It holds an old charm with original wood floors and oil paintings. It’s like stepping into another era. Beau opens the door to my room, and inside is just a full-size bed and a dresser. It’s not much, but I’m thankful. I recognize this room for what it is—a blessing.
“Let me get you some sheets and blankets for your bed,” Beau says from behind me.
He disappears only briefly before he comes back with an arm full of bedding. He busies himself making the bed, and I take a moment to stare at him once more. His back muscles stretch his muscle shirt to capacity. His arms are a sculpted dream. I have to keep reminding myself that I’m not interested in the male species, courtesy of Ethan, but I’m not blind. I’m sure glad he turned out not to be an ax murderer. A girl may just surrender willingly to a body and face like that. The way his jeans hug his ass is downright tipping the scale of unfairness. No man should have that much perfection. He has to be flawed somehow. Good looking and sweet. I’ll have to keep my distance from this one and keep my mind on the purpose of me staying here.
“Bleu?” He is now looking at me expectedly. Apparently, I missed his question while drooling over his physique.
“What was that? I missed the question,” I admit.
“I asked if I could get you anything else.” He eyes me suspiciously. Does he know where my thoughts drifted off to?
“No. Thank you so much for everything. You and your mother have been more than generous. I appreciate the kindness.”
“Well, the bathroom is down the hall to your right. Rest up. You start work in the morning, and it’s already late.” He turns to leave, and I have a moment of clarity. At his mention of it being late, I realize I have no idea what time it is.
“Wait. How will I know when it’s time to get up?” I ask worriedly.
“Well, your job is right downstairs, so you don’t have to get up terribly early. If you’re up by seven, you should have plenty of time to get ready.” His eyebrows knit in confusion. He probably doubts I can even do the job with a question that basic.
“I meant how will I know when it’s seven? I don’t have an alarm clock or a phone, remember? I don’t want to oversleep.”
“Oh. That’s right. Hold on a sec. I think I saw an extra alarm clock in the hall closet.” He leaves the room once again and returns moments later. He plugs it in and sets the current time for 11:00 p.m. before setting the alarm. He places the clock on the dresser across the room from the bed, so I have no choice but to get up in the morning to turn it off. Nicely played.
“Okay, good night, Miss Hitchhiker,” he teases. I can’t help the silly grin that spreads across my face. I can’t remember how long it’s been since I smiled this much, but it feels nice.
“Good night, my shiny knight,” I say to his back, but he’s already leaving the room.
Once he’s gone, I reflect on today’s events and how far I’ve come. I’m sure Ethan knows I’ve left by now. Will he come looking for me? Will my parents? I left a goodbye letter for him, so he knows that I left on my own free will and that I’m okay. I left behind all the material things he’s ever bought me including my phone. The phone I only said I lost. Unfortunately, that means I don’t have many possessions with me since he threw out nearly all my stuff when I moved in with him. They weren’t up to his standards for a man of his status. The only thing remaining that was originally mine fits inside my backpack. He can have everything else back. As one last act of rebellion, I withdrew five hundred dollars from one of the credit cards he had given me. Although a lot of it went toward my bus fare, I figured he owed me at least that much for my things he tossed without my permission. More than that actually. I don’t know what the actual value was but definitely worth more than the money I took, so I feel good with my choice.
I’ll take a shower in the morning since it’s already late. I pull the only pair of jeans I own out of my bag, a pair of panties, and a worn Stanford t-shirt that once belonged to my dad. I’ll have to find time to buy a bra as soon as possible since I didn’t bring any. Ethan preferred me braless or in the overpriced crap he purchased from La Perla. Let him give it all to the next woman he decides to play dress up with. I lay everything across the dresser next to the clock and hop into bed. Tomorrow starts my new journey.
The hot water pelts down my back as I take myself in my hand. My cock hardens as I admit my defeat and can’t push my little hitchhiker from my mind. I gave in last night, promising myself it would just be that one time so I could get some sleep. The way her tits strained against her tank plays on a constant loop. This morning brings me no reprieve. I picture her petite body underneath me as I slam inside her, her yellowish green eyes watching me as I push deep within her walls. My hand grips my cock tighter as I stroke the grip I imagine her cunt to feel like. I pump faster as I feel my release nearing. My head falls back as I explode inside my hand. Aftershocks rock through me, yet I’m not sated. I know I won’t be until I have the real thing. Fuck. I need to find some pussy and quick. Bleu obviously has shit she’s dealing with, and she doesn’t need me as an added complication. I fuck, and I move on. Last time I was in this town, my manwhore ways spread quickly. I had a different woman in my bed every night. I was told I was a dick quite a few times, and I don’t dispute that fact. My reputation this time around precedes me so I’ve been lying low. I’ve been too busy helping my mother to even bother. Regardless, I’m not going to change who I am for a piece of ass. I’ll just have to find a woman who knows what I’m about and still wants to fuck. My contact list hasn’t failed me yet.
I step out of the shower and wrap a towel around my semi-hard, unsated cock. I need to grab more toothpaste from my room. I’m halfway there when a frozen Bleu catches my eye. She just stands there—staring. My bulge twitches, and she quickly looks away. Yep, she was looking at my dick. To be fair, it’s pretty hard to miss.
“Morning, Bleu,” I greet. She keeps her eyes on the floor and gives a small wave.
“W-what are you d-doing?” she stutters.
“Well, first, I’m going to get toothpaste, so I can brush my teeth, and then I’m going to get dressed,” I say, dragging out the play by play.
“I mean, what are you doing here?” She rephrases her question.
“Didn’t my mother fill you in last night when she offered you a place to stay? I’m your roommate, and this is my room,” I add, pointing at my room. She’s wearing the same clothes she was in yesterday, so my guess is that she was heading to the bathroom for a shower.
“I didn’t know you lived here too. Rosalita didn’t mention it.”
“Does it matter?” She sneaks one more small peek before turning on her heel to walk away.
“No,” she mumbles.
My dick twitches once more as I watch her ass in those cutoffs. I need to get laid quick. The sooner, the better.