Total pages in book: 16
Estimated words: 14546 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 73(@200wpm)___ 58(@250wpm)___ 48(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 14546 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 73(@200wpm)___ 58(@250wpm)___ 48(@300wpm)
“Hey, Josh, I mean Iron.” She smiles at me. I wish I could say it’s the same smile she always gives me, but it’s not. Today is different.
Without thinking about it, I slide my glasses up on my head and look down at her big green eyes. “I told you that you can call me Josh when it’s just us.”
She nods her head and I wait. Obviously, she’s got something she wants to say. But when nothing comes out, she just keeps looking at me. I ask her, “You okay?”
She nods her head, clears her throat, and tries again. “So I’ve been thinking…”
She is so innocent looking and it’s almost painful to look at her I want her so bad. I slide my glasses back down and hope she can’t tell I’m undressing her with my eyes.
I wait for her to continue before I finally ask her, “Thinking about what?”
Her shoulders visibly pull back, and she juts out her chin. “I want to know if you’ll go out with me. I like you and I, uh, well, I want to know if you might like me too.”
My cock lengthens in my pants at the thought. How many times have I imagined just that? Maddy and me, on a date, out together, hanging at the clubhouse, making her mine. Every. Damn. Day. I think about it every day. But it can’t and won’t happen.
“I don’t date, Maddy.” And I know where her mind goes. I know what she’s about to offer me and I can’t let her voice it. I can’t. If she says the words, I won’t be strong enough to turn her down. So I show her the dick that I am, just to ensure she’s not going to want to go out with me. “And you sure as shit ain’t the down and dirty kind of woman I prefer. Go find yourself a doctor or lawyer or some shit. Someone safe. Because that sure as hell ain’t me.”
Her eyes hold a flash of shock, and I don’t blame her. I’ve never talked to her like that before. Never. And fuck, if I heard someone else do it, I’d probably kill them for it.
She looks sad, and I feel the pain of her frown far deeper than I’ve ever felt anything in my life.
Determined, I lean down and kiss her cheek, forcing myself to pull away. “I’ll see you around, Maddy.”
My feet feel like I have concrete slabs holding them down, but I walk away. I have to.
3
Maddy
I don’t want to watch him as he turns from me, but I don’t have a choice. I should go inside the store and lick my wounds. But something has stopped me. I know Josh. And even though he said those mean and hurtful things, I could see it in his face that it hurt him worse to say it than it did for me to hear it. I can’t take my eyes off him as he slowly walks down the sidewalk. I shake my head as if doing so will stop the tears from gathering in my eyes. Any normal person would give up. My ego is definitely bruised. Right before he walks into the restaurant, he turns and looks at me, stopping with his hand on the door. Even from here, I can see his pinched eyebrows and the concern on his face.
So I do what I normally would do. I smile at him. The biggest smile I can muster.
He laughs and winks at me. Maybe he doesn’t realize that by doing so, he is encouraging me not to give up. But he’s still smiling when he waves at me and pushes through the door.
I go back into the store. Besides a curious look from my dad, he doesn’t say anything. I get to work, wondering if Iron is going to come by after he eats, but when I hear his bike start up outside, I stand at the window and watch him pull away.
I get back to work and finish pricing the new shipment that came in while also helping the customers. Before I know it, the day’s almost over, just an hour or so to go.
“Why don’t you take a break? Walk over to the bakery and get us a snack.” My dad bumps me in the shoulder. He’s been quiet most of the day, and I know he wants to ask me what’s going on, but I also know my father. When it comes to boys, he’s not going to touch it, and he for sure knows that my melancholy attitude today is definitely about a boy.
I softly smile at him, knowing that he’s just trying to make me feel better. “You know you’re not supposed to be eating a lot of sugar. I’m pretty sure your doctor said you needed to stay away from the carbs and anything that I get from over at Hazel’s Bakery is definitely going to have too much sugar.”