I moved over her carefully, both sweating and delighting in the steady, unhurried slides in and out. Everything in me tingled and rushed to overwhelming proportions, and I quickly snaked my fingers between us, rubbing her folds with soft circles until she was shaking and panting and tightening around me even more. I felt her quivering deep inside as she cried out, and finally I felt free to let go. I spilled out into the condom as she writhed and milked me to the bone.
Then I was the one to laugh, and she joined in once again. I rolled over next to her and felt the warmth of her body wrap around me. I wanted to take more of it in, but it had been a long, drunken night and within minutes we were both drifting off into silent, still darkness.
The reality didn’t set in until I woke up to a splitting headache and the hint of the rising sun coming in through Del’s blinds. I opened my eyes slowly and looked down at her draped across my chest, sleeping peacefully. Her body was completely naked and uncovered, and the sight of it in early daylight was enough to make me instantly hard again. I carefully rolled out from under her and slid out of bed, knowing I couldn’t let myself go there again.
I certainly didn’t mean to fall into bed with her. It was completely unprofessional of me and had the potential to fuck up all of my plans here in Cherry Falls. She had promised not to rally the town against me and go peacefully from her rented space if she determined she couldn’t make the rent. But all bets were off when hearts were involved. I felt the weight of my mistake like a giant knot in the pit of my stomach as I quietly gathered my things and left.
A night like that with a client or tenant might have been kosher back in NY, but I had a feeling you didn’t want to mess around with women in Cherry Falls. Especially when that woman was already quick to hate you and make no secret about their feelings. I could only hope that she’d regret it as much as I did and we’d never have to speak about it again.
I went home and showered and got dressed for the day. All morning I was haunted by flashes of the night before – Del’s southern drawl, the taste of apple pie moonshine on her lips, the sweet, fruity smell of her hair, and the feeling of her tan, glowing skin underneath my hands. The sounds she made and the feeling of being inside of her all swarmed together to make one big poltergeist that seemed intent on making every second of the day harder than it needed to be.
I was all out of sorts, fumbling over my words, forgetting things, and misplacing everything the second it left my hands. It wasn’t fun for me or the new secretary I had hired who kept having to remind me of things over and over or ask the same questions five times before they sank in. I thought maybe my hangover was to blame. But the next day, after I was rehydrated and fully rested, my thoughts about Del were still just as relentless.
After a long day at the office, I returned home and sat on the rooftop to try and gather my thoughts. I knew what it sounded like; the distracted thoughts and inability to focus on anything but her. It sounded like the beginning of feelings, but that was impossible. I had been around the block enough times to know I was immune to that sort of thing. I didn’t have time for it, and I had yet to meet a woman I couldn’t shake.
It made me determined to find the real reason behind this apparent obsession. I thought back on the sight of the mountains and the hint of guilt that I felt. It was true that someone would be sweeping in to take over Cherry Falls whether it was us or not. I wanted to hold true to what I said to Del about doing the best job I could if it was going to fall into my hands. Sure, I wanted to make money. But doing that didn’t have to mean destroying the soul of Cherry Falls and all it had been before this boom started.
I was lost in thought when Ben, Damon, and Joey joined me out on the roof. In my haze, I had completely forgotten that I invited them over. They sat around me and cracked open a few beers. Damon and Joey updated us on the status of the renovations while Ben went on about a few new properties he was working on developing.
“I’ve already had three tenants clear out of the strip I’m working on,” he boasted. “I’ve already talked to some good franchises about moving in.” He watched me for any sign of approval, but I was still off in my own world. “You okay there, boss?”
“Yeah.” I waved him off. “I’m fine.”
I didn’t have the heart to tell him that I wasn’t being as aggressive with the parts of town I had assigned myself to. I was eager to focus on alleviating my guilt, and all at once, it occurred to me that the best way to do that was to make sure Del got to keep her shop. Maybe I couldn’t help all of the local business owners in the same way, but I could at least make sure she kept her lifelong dream and that it was a success. I admired her determination and wanted to help.
“Any word from the owners of the diner?” he pushed further. “They staying or going?”
Ben shared my vision for what swanky sort of place could move in instead, but I was no longer in the mood for dwelling on our goal to push people out.
“We’re getting the rent from them regardless,” I huffed. “Whichever way it goes, we’re still making money. And we still own half the town.”
He sulked a little, but I tried not to notice. Our plan was about more than just owning buildings and making money, really. We wanted to see Cherry Falls transform into the kind of high-class, hip place we were used to with all the best clothes, food, and atmosphere. I hadn’t forgotten any of that. But maybe helping Del stay in business would ward off any other feelings of guilt that were bubbling up inside.
The next day, I circled back around to one of the secretary candidates I had interviewed but didn’t hire. Most of her experience was in the fashion industry, and she had freshly moved here from New York just like me. She was a looker too, and briefly, I considered if asking her out might help me out in more ways than one. Maybe that’d get Del off my mind. But instead, I decided to focus on the mission at hand. Help Del keep her shop.
11
Delilah
A closure sign was tied up in front of the doors of my shop, proudly proclaiming that we were undergoing renovations. And I was busy inside, working on just that. I definitely wasn’t still kicking myself for tumbling into bed with Nick Ransom. Nor was I obsessing over the fact that he left before I woke up the next morning and hadn’t contacted me since.
What else would I expect? Nick was one of those kinds of guys. The evening probably really wasn’t a date – just as he said. But once we were drunk and he had a pretty girl right in front of him, why not have a little fun? It wasn’t like I thought we’d have breakfast together the next morning or that he’d call for a second date. No, I wasn’t stupid enough to expect, or secretly hope, for any of that. I didn’t even want any of that because I didn’t like Nick...not really.
So, why was it all still gnawing at my gut? I would convince myself that it wasn’t. I had a store to revamp so that I could save it from ruin by the very man I was trying so hard not to obsess over. How messed up was that? It was definitely for the best that he left and that he hadn’t called. Or so I kept telling myself.
I rummaged through the racks of merchandise in the store, dividing it into piles. A pile for donating, a pile for trashing, and a very small pile for what would actually fit into my new vision for the store. Lizzy and Angel were doing their best to help, but they had been giving me funny looks all morning and it was putting me on edge. Finally, they couldn’t hold it in anymore. Angel approached me, as I pretended not to notice, with Lizzy looming over her shoulder.