Paradise Disguised(16)

           



       

"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?"