Chapter Six
Hollis
I stayed up late with my rifle near the door. I knew I was being too paranoid, but it still worried me that the vandals seemed to be growing bolder.
After a couple of hours, no one came back. So I moved to the couch and flipped on the news. I only closed my eyes for a second, but when I opened them again, the sun was streaming through a gap in the curtains.
The scent of coffee reached my nose, and I tried to sit up. I couldn’t move, though, because Jada was sprawled out on top of me.
“Good morning, cowboy,” I heard Eddie’s voice coming from the kitchen.
“Move, ya big lug,” I said and gently pushed Jada to the side. “What are you doing here so early?” I asked as I sat up and looked in Eddie’s direction.
“I’m not early. It’s my usual time. When you weren’t in the warehouse, I used the keys to let myself in. I was worried about you. Since you were asleep and not murdered, I decided to put on coffee.”
“I apologize for still being asleep. I didn’t plan on passing out on the sofa,” I said and stood up.
“It’s okay. If you needed the sleep, you needed the sleep. The coffee is ready.”
“Thanks. I’m just going to go grab a shower real quick. I’ll have a cup when I get out.”
“Great, I’ll go out and finish up those last few seedlings,” Eddie said. “Unless you’d like for me to make you some breakfast.”
I’d never had an Omega wake me up with coffee and breakfast. It was nice. “Well, that’s not in your job description, but I wouldn’t say no to a couple slices of buttered toast and a hunk of that farmer’s cheddar in the fridge.”
“I’ll have it ready when you get out,” Eddie said.
I gave him a wave and headed off to the shower. I didn’t remember falling asleep on the sofa, but I did sort of remember the dream I had about Eddie.
It was hazy, but I could remember it being pretty sexual. I’d tried not to lust after the young Omega, but apparently my unconscious mind did not have the same qualms about picturing my cock sinking deep into his tight, slick asshole.
Shit.
My cock sprung to life, and it was hard as a rock. I turned the water to cold and stepped in, and it didn’t help. Rather than freeze, I turned the water back to warm and wrapped my hand around my engorged cock. Images from my dream flashed through my mind like rapid fire. I couldn’t hold onto any of them, but the glimpses of Eddie moaning were enough to push me over the edge quickly. Once I’d finished, I showered quickly and got my ass out to the kitchen.
Eddie was already outside, but he’d left coffee, toast, and cheese on the table for me. I ate and downed the coffee.
Out in the warehouse, I found Eddie in the seed room. He was finishing up planting the seedlings, so my timing couldn’t have been more perfect.
“Follow me,” I said and took Eddie to the pod room.
The lettuce was ready to harvest, so I showed Eddie how to pluck the greens that had sprouted without damaging the leaves. I set some of the best leaves back for our lunch and hoped that at that point, Eddie just assumed we’d be eating together.
Once we’d harvested all the plants that were ready, Eddie and I worked side by side to package the lettuce for sale in plastic clamshells.
“Help me load these in my truck,” I said once the packaging was done. “We’re taking them to Diamond City.”
“Why Diamond City? Why not sell them to York’s?” Eddie asked. “They’re really that hung up on whatever family thing you have going on that they won’t sell your produce? They’re losing money just to hold a grudge.”
“You’re assuming that the townsfolk would even buy lettuce from me. The packaging says River’s Edge Farm right on it. Even if the Yorks would take it, and I doubt Mavis would ever allow it, we’d both lose out. My produce would rot and it would take up space in their store for vegetables that would sell.”
“You’re right. It just seems so ridiculous to me. And I don’t understand why you’ve stayed here, but I am glad you did,” Eddie said and then turned away as red crept up his neck to his cheeks. “So, do you think I could go with you to make the delivery? I mean, if that’s alright. Otherwise, I could stay here and do whatever work you’ve assigned to me,” he stammered.
“You can come. I could use the company and the help unloading. We’ll be back later than your usual quitting time, so I can drop you off at home.”
“I’ll call Ted right now and let him know,” Eddie said and went outside to use his phone.
He made the call, and I made a decision. I didn’t like Eddie being so dependent on other people for transportation, and it didn’t make any sense considering there was something I could do to help.
“Okay, I told him you’d give me a ride,” Eddie said.
“Actually, there’s been a change of plans,” I said. “I have a surprise for you. Follow me.”
I led Eddie to another nearby warehouse. It was smaller than the main one. I used it to store equipment and as a machine shop. Tucked away on one corner under a tarp was my mother’s old hatchback. It ran well and didn’t have a ton of miles on it.
When I’d moved back into the house, I tuned it up and got it ready for sale. That was before I realized nobody local would buy a car from me. Rather than deal with the hassle, I’d thrown a tarp over it. I did start it up and drive it down the road every few months just to make sure it still ran and the gas didn’t go stale.
After I pulled the tarp off, I grabbed the keys from the glove box and handed them to Eddie. He looked at me with his head cocked to one side.
“It’s just sitting here. I can sell it to you cheap for payments. Whatever you can afford monthly,” I said.
“Really?”
Eddie asked the question before launching himself onto me. He wrapped his arms around my neck and squeezed as if his life depended on it. I should have pushed him away, but it was the first human contact I’d had in longer than I could remember. Feeling him hugging me was too good to pass up, so I wrapped my arms around his waist and let myself enjoy the embrace.
Moments later, Eddie pulled back enough to look into my eyes, but he didn’t let go. I thought about kissing him. The urge to taste his lips was almost overwhelming, but then I read the look in his eyes. He wanted it too. That was dangerous territory, so I backed off.
“I’m going to go find the title real quick,” I said.
I let go, even though the loss of contact felt like being set adrift in the blackness of outer space, and went over to a workbench to retrieve the hatchback’s title from the drawer.
“Thank you for this,” Eddie said as I signed the title.
“Make it official in the morning before you come in for work. You can drive it home after work today.”
“You’re just going to let me take it before I’ve even made a payment?” Eddie asked incredulously.
“Like I said, it’s just sitting here.”