CHAPTER NINETEEN
Journey
“Are you okay, dear?”
I smiled down at Miss Alpha and touched the heart bracelet she made me what felt like a lifetime ago. I sat down in a nearby chair so she wouldn’t have to crane her neck up at me. “Yes. I’m fine.”
She frowned. “Are you sure? Did you pull a muscle or something?”
No, but I got myself fucked six ways to Sunday last night. And this morning.
I shifted in my seat, so very glad Grant had avoided back there. Well, except for that surprise finger. He promised a butt plug next time.
I smiled to myself, pressing my hands to my belly to still the quivering there. Next time was tonight. Grant wanted me again today. Would he—
“Journey?”
I snapped my attention back to the elderly woman. “You know, I might have pulled a muscle. But it’ll be just fine.”
“Oh dear, did I hear you say you pulled a muscle?” Miss Madge asked. For people who couldn’t hear during a normal conversation, they could overhear just about anything.
“It’s fine.”
Miss Dorothy pulled her oversize purse from under the table. “I’ve got some liniment you can rub on it.” She pulled a giant bottle of the stuff from the bag. “This will loosen up anything.”
Hmmm… I was sure it’d burn like hell where I needed it right now, but if it loosened up anything…
I opened the lid and sniffed. Good god. The first whiff sent me into a coughing fit so strong Mr. Carl came over and put his arms around me, preparing for the Heimlich… if the lifesaving procedure involved putting your hands on a woman’s breasts.
I jumped up from the chair, still coughing. “I’m good.” Cough. Cough. “Promise.”
Miss Dorothy hit him in the head with her bag, nearly knocking him down. “I saw that.”
Mr. Carl looked like a kicked puppy. “Saw what? I was just trying to help!”
“Well, you son of a bitch,” she snarled, pulling her bag back for another whack, “you don’t Heimlich maneuver someone’s tits!”
And the quarrel was on with Miss Dorothy cursing up a storm. Miss Julie, back from maternity leave, intercepted the couple before they ran all our buyers away.
“Well, that was unnecessary,” Miss Alpha said, and I recapped the offending liniment and dropped back down in the chair, wincing as my poor vagina connected with the seat.
“I made another sell,” Miss Madge cried out, clapping her hands together.
I grinned at her. As much work as it had been to set all of this up, it had been worth it just to see their smiling faces. And everyone had sold at least one thing so far. The heart bracelets were doing well, which made me the happiest of all.
As the day headed toward noon and the heat of the day really hit, I ran out — well, waddled out would be more accurate — to get lunch along with more water and ice.
With the errand done, I was pouring rivers of sweat down every part of my body as I pulled the heavy cart back to the tent. I smiled, so very glad to see more customers looking at the selections.
So far, I’d purchased one of everything, telling them that I wanted something to remember each of them by since Friday had been my last day with them. I even purchased another heart bracelet from Miss Alpha, telling her it was for my sister so we’d match.
“Do you miss her?” Miss Alpha had asked, and I’d come very close to breaking into tears.
The truth was, I missed her terribly.
And another, horrible, truth was that I was enjoying the freedom to come and go as I pleased. The guilt of the silent admission tore at me. I would never, ever let it leave my lips.
“Hey, pretty lady.”
I whirled around, recognizing that voice anywhere, and sure enough, larger than life, Nash was standing behind me, baseball cap pulled down over his eyes, dark sunglasses covering the blue. “Hey…” I was blinking too fast. “You’re home early.” I accepted the tight hug he gave me and hugged him back. “Sorry I’m so sweaty.”
He grinned. “If I remember correctly, you were pretty sweaty the first time I met you. I don’t believe it stopped me from askin’ you out.”
Feeling every set of elderly eyes under that tent on us, I took Nash’s hand and led him away behind a wide tree. “It’s so good to see you. Did you get all the concert things wrapped up?”
“For the most part. The initial plannin’ things anyway. Anyway, got back to NYC earlier and tried to call you, but no answer. I remembered that you’d be here, so I stalked you down.”
Pulling my phone from my pocket, I noticed several missed calls and some missed texts. I stuffed the phone back in when Grant’s name flashed up. “Sorry, I’ve had it on silent during the sale.”
He looked around the tree and grinned. Waved.
I groaned. “Are they all still looking this way?”
“You betcha they are. I think one of them is holding up binoculars.”
I laughed. “That would be Miss Dorothy.”
He shrugged and turned his baseball cap around. “Well, I better scoot and let you get back to work.” He leaned down and kissed me. “Doin’ anything later?” My face must have answered him because he nodded. “All right then. I’ll give you a yell.” He kissed me again. “I want to see you soon.”
I clutched at his shirt. “I want to see you again soon too.”
And the thing was, I did want to see him again. Grant too.
As I watched him walk away, I knew I was going to go straight to hell.
“Mee-maw, I sure hope your angel wings are protecting you from witnessing your sweet little granddaughter turn into a sex starved slut.”
When Nash was safely at a distance, I got brave enough to leave the cover of the tree and head over to the tent.
Yep. They were still staring.
“Who was that?”
“Is he a movie star? He looked incognito.”
“What’s his name?”
“Why haven’t you told us anything about him?”
The questions flew at me like darts.
“He’s just a friend and—”
Miss Dorothy snorted. “Friend with benefits is more like it.”
My cheeks simmered.
I was saved from all the questions when a group of walkers stopped at the tent and everyone got busy selling again.
Turning my attention back to the cart, I began unpacking the boxes of sandwiches I’d picked up, placing them near everyone’s seats. I glanced around, looking for Mr. Carl and spotted him sitting in a chair under a tree, an ice pack held on his head. I didn’t feel sorry for him. He deserved that one.
But still, he had to eat, so I grabbed his box and a water and headed his way. He wouldn’t even look at me, just took the box from my hand. When I turned to walk away, he muttered, “Sorry.”
I faced him. “Thank you. Apology accepted, but please keep your hands to yourself in the future.”
I turned and ran nose first into a hard chest. Strong arms wrapped around me when I nearly fell backwards.
“Grant.” I was sure he could hear my heart beating a chaotic rhythm in my chest. Not from the slight scare he gave but from the realization that, if he’d been ten minutes earlier or Nash had been ten minutes later, my two worlds would have collided.
And what would have happened if they did?
Would there have been a fight?
Or would they have high-fived and gone on?
Grant took my elbow and led me away from Carl, guiding me behind a tree. The same damn tree, I realized.
“Are you okay?”
I forced a bright smile. “Yes. Sorry, Carl did something inappropriate earlier and he was apologizing.”
Grant’s face went as blank as death. “Inappropriate? To you?”
I grabbed his arms. “Don’t worry, Miss Dorothy took care of him. See that ice pack?”
Grant’s eyes slid to the older man and nodded. “Yeah.”
“Miss Dorothy and her twenty-pound purse taught him a lesson.”
“But you’re okay? You don’t need to see a doctor?”
I didn’t think my eyes had ever rolled that far back into my head. “I’m fine, I promise. But what are you doing here?”
The hands that had been gripping me softened and stroked down my arms. “I don’t know. I was in the area and thought I’d stop by.”
He looked so different in casual clothes. A white linen shirt was untucked over khaki shorts that showed off his muscular legs. His feet were covered by a pair of loafers that probably cost more than my rent.
“I’m glad you did. I’ve never seen you in shorts before.”
“Would you like to see me out of them later?”
“Actually, I’d like that very much but…”
He lifted a brow. “But what?”
I looked around and whispered. “I’m a little sore.”
He hands moved up to my shoulders and squeezed. “I’m sorry.” Then he smiled. “I have an idea. Trust me?”
I wanted to melt into him. Instead, I lifted a hand and stroked the scar on his lip. “Yes.”
He turned his head to kiss my finger. “When do you get finished here?”
“Two.”
“Do you have yoga tonight?”
He knew my schedule better than I did. “No, I already asked for a substitute because I knew I’d be wiped out after today.”
“Good. I’ll pick you up at your place at four. Pack an overnight bag.”
I grinned. “Where are we going?”
“It’s a secret, but I promise no sex. I want you to heal.”
My face fell. “I’m not that sore.”
He squeezed my shoulders. “That’s an order.”
I stuck out my lower lip. “You’re not the boss of me.”
His nostrils flared, and he growled low in his chest. “Do you know what I’d like to do with that lip?”
I stepped closer. “Will you show me later?”
He growled again. “Yes. That, I can do.”
Our lips met, and I wasn’t unaware that I’d kissed Nash not long before, and guilt tapped at my brain. I pulled away. “I should probably get back.”
“Yes. I have some errands to run. See you at four.”
“Not if I see you first.”
I leaned back against the tree, watching him walk away.
Taking a deep breath, I rounded the tree, and yep, all eyes were turned in my direction. A pair of binoculars were staring at me too.
I sighed. Might as well face the music. Since this was my last day with them, I could ride it out.
As I grew nearer, I heard Dorothy grumble, “Pulled muscle my ass.”
“Who was that, Journey?” Miss Alpha asked in her sweet voice, her head craned sideways to see me.
Dorothy snorted. “A friend.” She air quoted the last word.
Miss Madge clapped her hands together, a sparkle lighting up her eyes. “Are you sleeping with both of these friends?” She gave Mr. Earl, who was looking very stony faced, a side eye. “At the same time?” Another side eye in Earl’s direction. “Because if you are, I think that’s absolutely wonderful. Everyone should be free to explore their sexuality however they like.”
Please ground. Please just open up and swallow me. I’m ready to go. Now.
But the earth remained securely intact beneath my sneakers.
“Stop it now,” Miss Alpha interjected, shaking a gnarled finger at the group. “You’re embarrassing her.”
I gave her a soft smile. “Well, we only have an hour or so left before we close up shop. I’ll collect our trash and haul it off.”
More shoppers stopped by, taking the focus off of me, thank goodness, and I began gathering everything I saw. As I walked away, Miss Madge shouted, “Do ‘em both!” I kept on walking. “At the same time!”