Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

Bonny

"Come on, sweet bunny. We've got to get you back to the shop before Candy gets here."

I'm so… stunned I have a hard time acting like we didn't just do what we did. Grayson doesn't seem to have a problem with it though. He's the one who helps me sit up and straighten my clothes, helping me into my jacket like I might have just been visiting to talk gossip with him instead of him making me cum so hard I couldn't catch my breath afterward. And now he's pushing me out of his office and through his waiting room.

He walks me to the door just as Candy pulls up. Normally she pulls in the back, but she's got things in her car that we need to unload for today. As soon as Candy opens her door, he's gone. Candy looks at me and I try my hardest to control the emotions that rush through me.

"Was that Grayson?" Her brows furrow as she takes me in.

"Oh, um, yeah. He… was keeping me company while I waited for you. Here, let me grab those for you."

I barely meet her eyes as I dive into the project at hand. I don't want her to question me about Grayson. Not today. I already have enough anxiety of my own. I don't need her to add to it by constantly seeing me as nothing more than a shy and na?ve little girl.

Part of me wonders if maybe… Grayson isn't as proud of this budding relationship we've started. If he was, why would he leave when Candy came around? And if he doesn't want to be seen with me… what does that mean? Is he embarrassed to be with me? Is it the age difference between us, the fact I'm not as smart as the women he spends his days with? Is it how na?ve I am?

Yeah, he called Mom but that doesn't mean anything. He didn't know she was going to run her mouth to every person she worked with. Maybe he is someone who likes to leave himself open to play the field. If that's true, how many other women has he taken to his office and laid out on his table? Or to his bed?

My stomach rolls at the thought of being just one among the many. Mom thought Ann's daughter hadn't won but maybe she was wrong. Maybe Grayson is burying his flag with every young woman in town. I push that out of my mind and stay focused, but I think Candy realizes something is wrong.

When Lolly comes in later, I pull her to the side and ask her not to say anything to Candy about me spending the night at Grayson's in case she hasn't heard about it yet.

"Have you already fucked it up, honey?"

I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from collapsing on her and pouring my heart out to someone…but I have to pick up Tandy and don't want her to know anything has been going on with me.

"I just… yeah." It's just easier to go with it being my fault than to try to explain why I don't want to be with him because I don't want to share like I'm some selfish child trying to keep a toy all to myself. "I did and I don't want anyone to know how stupid I've been."

"Oh honey, you aren't stupid at all. You're the sweetest, nicest person alive."

Probably another reason Grayson isn't just mine. A woman like me just couldn't keep a man like him content for more than a couple of days - something to switch up all the torrid affairs he's having. I'm nothing more than a palate cleanser in between his spicy, erotic women.

"I have to go pick Tandy up. I just… I guess I don't want Candy telling me ‘I told you so' just yet."

"It will be our secret, hon."

She's such a good friend. My afternoon is spent playing with Tandy and helping her with math. Mom is working a double tonight so she can take time off Saturday so me and Lolly and Candy can have a girls' night. When my phone rings I ignore the call not really wanting to talk to anyone but mom. When I look at the number, it comes up as Grayson's. He must have put his number in my phone when he used it to find Mom's number. I ignore it and eventually put it on silent so it doesn't bother Tandy so much.

After that, it seems like he started texting me. I eventually give in and write him a short text telling him I'm taking care of Tandy and can't talk right now and that I would talk to him later. As in never. There is no way I can be ok being his palate cleanser. I don't think I'm okay sharing either. I'm not really a girl that can do casual where relationships are concerned. I think the best thing to do is just stay busy so telling him I'm too busy for him won't be a lie and I can keep my distance.

But that's easier said than done since he is waiting on me again the next morning when I pull in. He looks too good in a sweater that matches the blue of his eyes. Damn it! I pretend like I am about to step out as he comes over to my car.

"Crap, I forgot that thing for Candy."

"Thing?"

"Yeah, she needed it, and my mom had one and I left it." I make a show of getting back in the car. "I'll run back home really quick. Sorry." Sorry, you can't have your ego stroked by making me cum for you like I was a stupid high schooler with my first crush. "Um…I'll be back. Bye."

I'm pulling out before I dare look back at a very stunned Grayson as he watches me leave, "Bye Grayson."

I take a moment to gather myself. I did most of my crying last night after Tandy went to bed but before my mom got home. I don't really have time to mope and cry today, especially since I don't want to listen to Candy tell me she told me so. I'm not trying to keep her in the dark, and I will tell her soon, but for now, I just need to fortify my mushy insides, so they don't spill out on anyone - especially not Mom or Tandy.

When I come back, I make sure to park around the building and scurry in as fast as I can. By the time Thursday rolls around, I look like the walking dead and can't seem to stay awake unless I'm in constant motion. So, when Grayson comes in around lunch, he catches me nodding off.

"Bonny?"

My eyes jerk open and land on the one man I will only ever allow myself to have in my dreams. Shit!

"Grayson, hi, uh…do you need something?" Real smooth transition stupid.

"Yeah, I need to know why you've been ghosting me for the past week."

Okay, first of all, it hasn't been a whole week, just a couple of days, really. Second of all, calling it ghosting is a little… harsh."

"I…oh, I wasn't trying to ghost you, Grayson." On purpose anyway. Just trying to stay away from you so I can protect myself. "I've just been really busy, you know. What with getting the shop open in a matter of days and me having to pick Tandy up and watch her…it's just been…really busy, you know."

He steps around the counter and comes right over to me. I have to still myself before I fling myself at him with no care about other women or my fucking fragile heart. When he reaches out to touch me, I unconsciously pull away from him and even though his eyes turn a chilly gray he follows through placing his thumb under one of my eyes.

"You look…"

I swivel my stool to the opposite side and hop down. "Like a zombie? Yeah, I know. I…you know…it's…just been busy and…"

"Too busy to sleep?"

"Pretty busy."

"Ah, see I thought someone might have told you something that made you doubt me."

I answer right away, "Nope. No. I've really been so busy I haven't talked to a lot of people or heard any of the local gossip. Guess I'll have to catch up when the shop opens."

It's easy to say since it's all true. I have been busy, and no one told me anything about Grayson to make me change my mind. It was actually him that cleared stuff up for me. I start fiddling with the shelving we need to put up before the end of the week and pretend like I have something to do hoping the entire time he gets tired of waiting and leaves.