"She can run, but she can't hide," Dylan said to the empty room. He stroked his cock, picturing her tight lips around it, until his seed spurted into his waiting hand. Anna Hollis wasn't going to slip out of his grasp so easily.
Chapter Nine
Anna drove into Paradise with her eyes wide open, trying to see the town through a stranger's viewpoint. That's what she felt like. A stranger. It had been two long weeks since she'd laid eyes on the place, and she wasn't sure another week or two wouldn't do her any good. Two long weeks since she'd seen Dylan.
She was a coward, plain and simple. As soon as she'd left his bed, she'd packed all her things in a suitcase, written her father a note explaining that she was gone to check on all the Hollis stores, and run as far and fast as she could. But she was back and ready to face her fears. Sort of.
She pulled into a parking spot in front of Buy the Book, Mel's bookstore, and finger combed her hair. She'd left the top down on her car and instead of looking sexy and tousled as she'd hoped, she looked like she just rolled out of bed. She refreshed her lipstick and pushed her sunglasses on the top of her head in hopes that no one would notice.
Anna had always enjoyed walking into the bookstore, the smell of the pages and glue that had led her to so many peaceful hours, fresh coffee and sandwiches being served in the café and the tinkle of bells as customers walked in and out.
She inhaled the homey aroma and looked around to see if anything had changed in the past weeks. The place was crowded with people browsing the shelves or study groups lounging in the overstuffed chairs in the corner. She saw the store manager and a couple of other full time employees, looking frazzled and helping as many people as possible at the same time.
Anna headed to the back of the store to the café in hopes of finding Mel reasonably unattached. Mel was behind the counter taking inventory of all the food supplies, her hair sticking up in all directions, more so than usual, and a pencil stuck behind each ear.
"Wow, you guys are packed," Anna said.
Mel looked up, startled at Anna's appearance after being gone so long. "Ah, so the prodigal daughter returns," she said, smiling. "I was wondering if you were ever going to come back. I was planning on moving my stuff into your house when it was finished, but I guess I'll have to stay in my own meager dwelling.
"Shut up," Anna said by way of greeting. "So, I hear you're a lesbian."
"Which is why we're so busy today," Mel said, running her fingers through her hair, explaining the dishevelment.
"Everyone has stopped by at one point or another to get a look at me, like I've sprouted wings or had the word "lesbian" tattooed on my forehead. I've had everything from disdainful glances to people wanting me to describe my sex life in lurid detail. Of course, I've never had any kind of sex life before, so I'm a little short on a lot of the details. Oh, and Mrs. Neagley winked at me, which kind of grossed me out, but explains why she's spent so many years going to garage sells with Erma Miller."
"Well, I guess I can look on the bright side," Anna said smiling. "Everyone's probably so busy talking about you that maybe they've forgotten all about me."
"Yeah, tell me about it. I've been dodging phone calls from my mother for weeks. Getting gossip about her own daughter doesn't make the activity quite as fun as spreading it about other people's kids. And besides, you're the one that said you wanted to be so wild that the women gossip about you in the beauty salon. Go out and do something stupid again so the spotlight will be off me."
"With the way things have been going lately, it'll only be a matter of time."
Mel nodded toward the window where a group of children was standing with their faces pressed against the glass. "On the upside, though, business has been great. Where'd you hear the news?"
"I stopped in the bank on my way here," Anna said, barely able to contain her laughter at the hilarity of it all. "Barbara Rubenstein stopped me at the counter and wanted to know if I'd always known you were a lesbian or if I was just as surprised as the rest of the town when you came out of the closet."
"I shudder to think what you told her." Mel closed her eyes in dread.
"I told her I've always known, but I respected your privacy."
"Ohmigod," Mel said. "This just keeps getting better."
"Just kidding. I gave my best blank face and told her I had no idea what she was talking about. I used my rich, haughty girl voice, and threatened to take all my money out of the bank if she started spreading rumors."
"Damn, Della Samuels," Mel muttered. "I hope all the chemicals that woman uses on her hair makes her pubic hair fall out."
"Ouch," Anna said. "That's harsh."
"Well, the woman has spread it all over town that I'm a lesbian," Mel whined. "Now I'm never going to find my soul mate."
"Yeah, but wishing someone's pubic hairs to fall out is like a cardinal sin or something," Anna said, biting her lip. "You can get all kinds of bad Karma for a wish like that. Why did she start spreading the rumor anyway?"
"Well, I kind of told Mitchell that I was a lesbian so he'd stop looking at me like I was little red riding hood and he was the big bad wolf. I don't have the death wish that you do when it comes to men. I want a nice, sensible guy. Maybe a banker or a produce guy at the supermarket."
"Oscar Daniels works in the produce section at Howard's Grocery," Anna said, a look of utter disgust on her face. "Everyone in town knows he doesn't wash his hands after he uses the restroom. Brian said he saw him walk into a stall and leave without even rinsing. In a stall! You know what that means."
"I didn't say I wanted to marry Oscar Daniels for Pete's sake," Mel said in exasperation. "I just want someone who's reliable and will treat me like a queen for the rest of my life. You're missing the point here. I was leading up to your situation, which since you're standing here interrupting my work day, I assume you've decided to face the consequences of your actions?"
"Well, I really came back because I didn't have anywhere else left to go," Anna said depressed. "I've been to every Hollis Tools store in the state of Texas, and I have no place else to turn. So am I ready to face the consequences? The answer is no, but I don't really have any other choice."
Anna sat on a stool at the counter and laid her head down on the cool surface. "Have you seen him," she mumbled in Mel's general direction.
"I'm sorry?" Mel asked, knowing exactly what Anna wanted to know. "I don't think I heard you correctly."
"You heard me," Anna said, humiliated beyond all belief. "How does he look? Was he mad?"
"Oh, he looks as good as ever," Mel said. "Was he mad? I'm not really sure if mad describes it. From what I hear around town, he's been disgruntled at best and a complete asshole at worst. I'll let you find out for yourself. It won't be long before word hits that you're back in town."
"I shouldn't have left so soon," Anna said.
"You think?" Mel asked sarcastically. "It could be for the best though. Maybe it'll give him a taste of his own medicine. He's usually the one that walks out in the middle of the night and never looks back. I just don't think you should get into the habit of it."
"I think I've made a huge miscalculation," Anna said, pounding her forehead on the countertop.
"Stop doing that," Mel hissed. "I don't need any more strange looks."
"He's like an addiction," Anna continued. "I don't think I'll ever get enough of him. That's the real reason I ran away. He's ruined me for all other men."
"Wow. That's impressive to hit a ten on the scale your first time out. I'm only shooting for an eight or an eight plus. That way I always know I haven't capped out. And look on the bright side," Mel said. "At least you've had a man. You're an expert compared to me."
"Thanks," Anna said, "I think. I've got to protect myself, Mel. What if I keep seeing him and end up falling for him? Dylan Maguire will never love any one woman. I just don't know what to do."
"Sometimes you just have to take chances," Mel said. "It's all a crap shoot. So what are you going to do?"
"I'm going to walk down to Norma's Bakery and buy as much chocolate as possible, and then I'm going to go home and eat every bit of it," Anna said. "You want to come over tonight and share it with me?"