ground and just ignore him if she saw him again, Chl oe cruised down the aisle at a supermarket sweeper’s pace. She snatched a jar of peanut butter as she quickly passed by. She didn’t stop to peruse brands or debate on chunky or smooth, she simply grabbed the first jar she saw and kept on walking.
She finished three aisle s in this manner. In the fourth, she grabbed a jar of cherries and froze as the warm sensation swept over her again. She looked up and was relieved to find the aisle in front of her empty.
“How are you ?”
Dell’s voice beh ind her had her tensing.
She didn’t answer at first, but turned to find him towering directly behind her. “ W hat do you want?” She watched as his dreamy amber eyes slid up and down her frame, making her suddenly self-conscious abou t her attire. She hadn’t intend ed on leaving the house that day so she’d dressed comfortably that morning in a pair of old, form fitting jeans that were ripped high on each thigh. Her white t-shirt was just as old, and the way it stretched too tight across her breasts was a testament to her smaller size of yesteryear. The only thing that was even close to suitable for a day out were the new white tennis shoes that shone too bright ly on her small feet. She fidgeted uncomfortably and turned away from Dell when his gaze lingered a fraction too long on her breasts. “Good bye Dell.”
“Wait.”
Chloe looked back just in time to see him reach for her. She jumped back and in doing so dropped the jar of cherries she held , sending a loud crash reverberating through the aisle. Her eyes were large as she scowled up at him, “Don’t touch me!”
A store employee arrived in the aisle just as Chloe said the words. The employee was large, and thick, reminding her of one of the wise-guys she’d seen on a TV show about the mob. He wasn’t close to being as large and muscular as Dell, but he didn’t seem deterred.
The employee stopped and eyed Chloe then focused on Dell. “You alright lady? This guy bothering you?”
“I’m fine,” Chloe kept her scowl on Dell, “h e was just leaving.”
Dell tore his eyes from Chloe and didn’t even look at the employee as he turned in the opposite direction and st ormed angrily down the aisle.
Chloe watched Dell stalk away. Even with his jacket on, she could see the muscles of his back and arms bunch. Her belly fluttered. Why does he have this e ffect on me? She’d forgotten all about the store employee until he crossed in front of her and dropped to a knee to start picking up the larger chunks of broken glass.
“I’m sorry, it just slipped.”
“That’s alright,” the employee kept his head down. “Happens all the time.”
She left the employee in the aisle and finished the rest of her shopping; stopping only to call her mother and say she’d be slightly longer than the promised twenty-minutes. The call ended up lasting much longer than Chloe had hoped when her mother instantly assumed she’d had another spell. After five minutes, Chloe was successful in convin cing her mother that she was fine , just taking a little longer than she’d anticipated . She’d been tempted to tell her mother that she’d run into Dell, but decided against it in the end. She knew her mother couldn’t possibl y like the Blackbird’s after what they’d done to Donnie. Why her mother felt the need to pretend in front of her, she had no idea, but she knew in her mother’s heart, just as in her own, hatred for the Blackbird’s would live eternally.
After the call, she checked out and pushed the cart to her car. The parking lot was dark when she finally popped the trunk with the remote on her key chain and began transferring her groceries . W hen she heard footsteps approaching, s he assumed it was another shopper until Dell’s voice had her turning quickly .
“Chloe, we need to talk.”
“What are you
She finished three aisle s in this manner. In the fourth, she grabbed a jar of cherries and froze as the warm sensation swept over her again. She looked up and was relieved to find the aisle in front of her empty.
“How are you ?”
Dell’s voice beh ind her had her tensing.
She didn’t answer at first, but turned to find him towering directly behind her. “ W hat do you want?” She watched as his dreamy amber eyes slid up and down her frame, making her suddenly self-conscious abou t her attire. She hadn’t intend ed on leaving the house that day so she’d dressed comfortably that morning in a pair of old, form fitting jeans that were ripped high on each thigh. Her white t-shirt was just as old, and the way it stretched too tight across her breasts was a testament to her smaller size of yesteryear. The only thing that was even close to suitable for a day out were the new white tennis shoes that shone too bright ly on her small feet. She fidgeted uncomfortably and turned away from Dell when his gaze lingered a fraction too long on her breasts. “Good bye Dell.”
“Wait.”
Chloe looked back just in time to see him reach for her. She jumped back and in doing so dropped the jar of cherries she held , sending a loud crash reverberating through the aisle. Her eyes were large as she scowled up at him, “Don’t touch me!”
A store employee arrived in the aisle just as Chloe said the words. The employee was large, and thick, reminding her of one of the wise-guys she’d seen on a TV show about the mob. He wasn’t close to being as large and muscular as Dell, but he didn’t seem deterred.
The employee stopped and eyed Chloe then focused on Dell. “You alright lady? This guy bothering you?”
“I’m fine,” Chloe kept her scowl on Dell, “h e was just leaving.”
Dell tore his eyes from Chloe and didn’t even look at the employee as he turned in the opposite direction and st ormed angrily down the aisle.
Chloe watched Dell stalk away. Even with his jacket on, she could see the muscles of his back and arms bunch. Her belly fluttered. Why does he have this e ffect on me? She’d forgotten all about the store employee until he crossed in front of her and dropped to a knee to start picking up the larger chunks of broken glass.
“I’m sorry, it just slipped.”
“That’s alright,” the employee kept his head down. “Happens all the time.”
She left the employee in the aisle and finished the rest of her shopping; stopping only to call her mother and say she’d be slightly longer than the promised twenty-minutes. The call ended up lasting much longer than Chloe had hoped when her mother instantly assumed she’d had another spell. After five minutes, Chloe was successful in convin cing her mother that she was fine , just taking a little longer than she’d anticipated . She’d been tempted to tell her mother that she’d run into Dell, but decided against it in the end. She knew her mother couldn’t possibl y like the Blackbird’s after what they’d done to Donnie. Why her mother felt the need to pretend in front of her, she had no idea, but she knew in her mother’s heart, just as in her own, hatred for the Blackbird’s would live eternally.
After the call, she checked out and pushed the cart to her car. The parking lot was dark when she finally popped the trunk with the remote on her key chain and began transferring her groceries . W hen she heard footsteps approaching, s he assumed it was another shopper until Dell’s voice had her turning quickly .
“Chloe, we need to talk.”
“What are you
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