AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What we do after work has no effect on my job. You aren’t paying me for sex. I won’t be at your beck and call for that.”
“I am very aware that you aren’t a prostitute. When it comes to work and dating?—”
She cuts me off. “Not dating. I’m not interested in dating. Just sex. I’m on a hiatus from dating.”
“Why?”
“My reasons are irrelevant. I’m not looking for a relationship, and you’re someone I could never get attached to. Plus, you’re only here temporarily. So, if you want to burn off some steam together, I’m willing.”
Never in my life has a woman approached me and asked to keep things only sexual. I’ve had the arrangement before, of course, but it tends to happen more naturally. We start having sex and realize we aren’t compatible in other ways. She’s direct. I love it.
“I have one condition.”
Her eyebrows climb her forehead. “I’m listening.”
“No more calling me Junior. If you’re going to moan and scream my name, I want to hear Cooper.”
Amusement tickles her face as she tries not to smile. “Noted. But that won’t be an issue. I can be quiet.”
“We’ll see about that.” There’s no way. I can’t wait to hear her again.
“I should’ve asked this before, but have you had an STD screening recently? I got tested a few months ago and haven’t slept with anyone since.”
“I have. Back in December and I haven’t been with anyone either.”
“You know I’ve been sterilized so I won’t get pregnant. We can forgo condoms if you want unless one of us starts having sex with someone else.”
“Okay.” The sound of the front door opening reaches down the hall. “Is this something you want to keep quiet? Are you making me a dirty little secret?” I tease.
“That’s up to you. I don’t care what anybody thinks.”
We have that in common. There’s only one other thing I’m curious about. “What makes you think you couldn’t get attached to me?”
“Anybody here?” a voice calls out from the laundry room.
“Yeah, come on back,” Maren shouts, before turning back to me with a teasing grin. “Because rich jerks aren’t my type.” Her tongue slips out to lick her lips and she drops her voice so the approaching person can’t overhear. “That doesn’t mean I can’t ride the fuck out of you when the mood strikes.”
Quite a few people have found their way over to the community building by late afternoon. My day has been spent clearing paths to the trailers with the help of some of the other tenants to make sure everyone who needs to can get here. The snow has finally ceased, and it isn’t so bad once the wind dwindles away. Nobody has managed to get their vehicles out, especially since the only plow to pass through buried them deeper.
My concern over food was unnecessary. Multiple grills have been dragged to sit in a line along the side of the building. The smell of lighter fluid and charcoal hangs in the air when I drag my cooler out to join some of the others sitting in the snow. There’s no danger of any food going bad at these temperatures. Didi, the lady who runs what Maren called a porch store, deposits a huge box full of chips, cookies, candy bars, instant noodles and other items on one of the folding tables just inside.
Row and a teenage boy approach pulling two sleds behind them. “We’re headed down to the Food Saver for meat and beer. It’s the only store in town that has power. Any requests?” he asks.
“No, but I’ll go with you if you don’t mind.”
“Let’s go,” Row says.
“Good, you take this. I’m going inside,” the boy says, handing the rope that’s attached to the sled over to me, happy to escape the chore.
Sunlight begins to trickle through the clouds as the storm moves away from us. The grocery store is only about a mile down the road, but it takes us a while, slogging through the snow. The place is nearly empty. Unfortunately, so are a lot of the shelves.
“Wow, glad we aren’t here for eggs or milk,” I remark, and Row chuckles.
“Every time they predict even an inch of snow, the stores get attacked. People act like they’ll never see a loaf of bread or an egg again. At least they’ve got a good stock of liquor.”
The meat section is pretty well stocked too. While Row shops for liquor and a few odds and ends requested by his neighbors, I fill up my cart with packs of hamburger, pork chops, and chicken. If everyone is going to grill out, I want to make sure there’s enough to go around.
As we’re in line checking out, I recognize a package of blueberry muffins that Maren often brings to work with her in the morning. When I grab one, along with a bottle of vanilla iced coffee, Row nods at me.
