The Grunt by Latrivia S. Nelson

squeaked under his weight and the soft padding under him quickly deflated. Still, he sank down in comfort and rested his head back. A deep breath finally released from him and caused a strain in his chest. Wow, this has been one hell of a day , he said to himself.

    Moving a multi-colored pillow from behind his back, he waited for her to come back out to join him. And for a minute, he wondered if this counted as a date. There were candles, a nearly naked woman and nice quiet apartment. This was something that he had not experienced in a while. It felt good, though it was on the eve of his wife’s death. A tinge of guilt overcame him as he dwelled on how premature this makeshift date was. Life was a strange thing and often better than fiction.
     
    Courtney didn’t make him wait long. She sprang like a flower from her bedroom wearing a pink halter sundress that brought attention to the suntan lines on her dark shoulders.

    Brett sat up a little, watching her every move. His mouth firmed involuntarily as he swept her body. Even in the dark, he could see her nipples pebbled against the soft cotton covering her skin. The first thought that came to mind was that she looked touchable.
     
    “So do you want hazelnut or Columbian brew?” she asked, going to the kitchen.

    Brett watched her as she popped into the kitchenette and opened up her pantry. Staring back at him with a smile she waited.
     
    “Columbian, please,” he answered, wondering if she could tell he was attracted to her and wondering at the same time if she was attracted to him. Oddly enough, he wanted her to be.

    “One fresh cup of Columbian coffee coming right up,” she said, pulling a gourmet tin from the cabinet. As she did so, her damp hair fell over her face and suddenly Brett wanted to move it out of her way. He wanted to touch her soft as silk skin.
     
    Her hazel brown eyes flashed at him before she went back to the task in front of her. That single moment of acknowledgement stung at him like a thousand bees. Was he supposed to feel like this? He could not explain it but she did something strange to him, something no other woman had ever done before.

    With great effort, he managed to peel his eyes off of her and look around her place once more to calm himself. As she had hinted at, the music from Anderson’s apartment banged against her wall. But inside her little safe haven, there was utter peace. After lighting a candle in the corner on the table, she brought over two cups of coffee and sat them down on the table in front of him.
     
    “There you go,” she said, bending over to put down the two paisley-colored mugs. The fleur-de-leaf golden necklace fell between her breasts and lodged itself against her firm orbs.

    “Thanks,” Brett said, sneaking a peak down her dress. She had full ripe breasts that made his mouth water. As she looked back up at him, he felt it in his groin. Desire.

    Sitting across from him in a small chair, she put her feet under her and took a deep breath. “So,” she said with a smile, “what does a man do when he goes from divorced to widowed?”

    The question floored him. She was very direct. Rubbing his itchy, tired eyes with his index finger, he slumped down in the sofa and stretched out his long legs. “Well, I don’t quite know yet,” he answered honestly. “A lot has happened in the last twelve hours.”

    “Tell me about it,” she said with a knowing nod. “I was told today that the county is cutting back and has to eliminate my job. So, I have to figure out another way to pay for my tuition. And I seriously doubt my parents will help.”

    Brett tried to focus. “Why?” he asked

    “Because this is like my third try at it. I’ve changed my major too many times, and my dad hates indecisiveness. I went from wanting to be a doctor to a lawyer to a cop and now I’m going to become a librarian. Wait. That’s four majors, isn’t it?”

    “Oh, you’re a scatterbrain?” he frowned, wishing he