Page 9 of Bought and Paid For

Roman

I trailbehind Flynn as we march into the coffee shop. We’ve been coming into this shop every morning for four weeks now and she still hasn’t accepted any of our invitations. We’ve tried everything we can think of. We invited her to different nightclubs, bars, and even just a night in our bed but she’s turned them all down.

We even thought that maybe she was intimidated by there being two of us. This kind of lifestyle isn’t for everyone and we thought we could ease her into it. For a whole week, we took turns going into the coffee shop one at a time. That person would ask her out but would be upfront about it being with both of us. Still no. Then we thought that maybe she didn’t want both of us, just one and we spent a week trying to figure out if she had a preference between us. She treated both of us indifferently though.

The second week we both went in together and we didn’t ask her out. Instead, we just tried to get her to talk to us. She would give us curt answers but that was it. The third week, we went back to inviting her out but she’s still turning us down flat.

There are moments though when we’re talking to her that I can see the hint of attraction in her eyes or the way that her body leans towards us. I know she’s felt the connection whenever our hands brush too, if the little involuntary gasps she lets out each time is any indication.

Flynn isn’t the most patient guy and I can tell that he’s getting frustrated. We’ve both tried to forget about her and chat up other girls but she just keeps popping into our heads.

I can’t get what her friend said out of my head. I know we don’t know Aspen very well but there’s something about her that keeps drawing us in. It keeps us coming back again and again, even after being rejected dozens of times. I care about her and I don’t want anything bad to happen to her.

Aspen, she’s, well she’s got enough going on in her life. She doesn’t need any more trouble or heartbreak and you two have that written all over you. She just has enough to worry about without adding either of you guys to the mix. What her coworker said to us has been playing over and over in my head. I’ve tried to look over her to see if I could find any bruises or other signs of abuse but besides the almost constant dark eye circles beneath her eyes, there hasn’t been anything.

She works too hard. I’ve noticed that she seems a little tired some days but there’s something else there in her eyes. This deep sadness that I would give anything to take away.

I stand next to Flynn in line, not bothering with looking at the menu. By now we have a usual. Today, Bianca is working with our girl and she smiles and nudges Aspen when she sees us walk in. I keep my eyes locked on Aspen, anxious to see her reaction to seeing us here again.

I watch as her eyes swing and meet mine. She turns away quickly but I see the slight smile before she can hide it. God, I want this girl, I think as I smile to myself.

We wait patiently in line until it’s our turn.

“Morning, boys. The usual?” Bianca asks.

“Morning, Bianca. Yes, please.” Flynn says as he smiles at her and hands over his card.

“Hey, Aspen. You’re looking beautiful today, as usual.” Flynn says with a charming smile.

“Good morning.” She says over her shoulder as she makes our food and coffee.

“How are you doing today?” I ask.

“I’m fine.” She says, same as every other time I ask her this question.

Frustration grows in my stomach. I wish that she would open up to us more. We would give her the world if she would just let us in.

“Got any fun plans tonight?” Flynn asks.

“Yup.” She says, popping the p.

She says this every day but she never elaborates.

“What about tomorrow? It’s your day off, right?” Flynn tries again.

“Yeah.” She says as she places the coffee cups and pastry bag on the counter in front of us.

“Why don’t you let us take you out to breakfast? Have someone else make the coffee for a change?” Flynn offers.

“No, thanks.” She says before she starts on the next customer's order.

“When’s your break?” I try.

I know she has a break coming up unless she’s already taken it today. There’s been a couple of times when we’ve come that Bianca has been on break or our girl is just coming back from her break.

We’ve only caught her on her break once and she spent the entire time giving us brief answers while she texted someone else on her phone. I wanted to rip the phone out of her hand and see who she was texting. When she smiled down at her phone, I saw red and almost did rip it out of her hands to see who was making her grin like that. Was it another guy? I wanted Flynn and I to be the ones who made her happy. The ones who made her light up like that.

“It’s now.” Bianca pipes up before Aspen can say anything.

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