Origins of the Personalia
- 3 years ago
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Something Personal Ch. 01 free porn video
Brobdingnagian thanks to GaiusPetronius, not just for the editing of all four chapters, but for the brainstorming and the support. Any mistakes are my own, due to either stubbornness or lack of attention.
This is a four-part series I’m submitting all at once, if past stories are any indication, there will be a new chapter posted each day. Thanks for reading!
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‘This line is endless,’ Gavin muttered, checking the time on his phone before looking at the eight people in front of him in the checkout line.
Glancing once again in the direction of the bookstore’s information desk, he was relieved to see an employee finally step behind it and wave a customer over. Gavin hurried to the line and stood behind a tall, dark-haired woman. She paused next to a man who was standing by the sign that read Please form line here but facing away from the information desk.
‘Sir, are you in line?’ she asked politely.
The man scowled and rolled his eyes. ‘Do I look like I’m in line? The line is there,’ he growled condescendingly, pointing at the customer being helped by the clerk.
Gavin’s mouth dropped open at the unwarranted rudeness. He couldn’t see the woman’s face, but saw her head jerk back. Amazingly, her voice was calm.
‘Actually, the line starts here, where you are,’ she said almost sweetly, pointing to the sign in front of him.
The man looked at the sign and rolled his eyes again before sighing loudly and stomping away.
‘What a dick,’ Gavin said under his breath.
Stunning, bright blue eyes regarded him with mild surprise and Gavin felt a shock run through him. The woman grinned and shrugged before facing the information desk. He wasn’t even sure he returned the smile. She flipped her hair over her shoulder and he caught a whiff of her shampoo – an unrecognizable scent that was rich and heady without bowling him over. As she walked to the clerk, he let his eyes travel down her long legs covered in tailored grey pants, noticing how they molded to her hips and behind, and suddenly not minding this errand. He was busy imagining what the rest of her looked like and didn’t notice she had moved away until the clerk called him over.
‘Hi, can you tell me where to find Pillars of the Earth?’ he asked, watching the woman out of the corner of his eye.
She was standing to the side with her back to him, scribbling something in a small notebook. One elbow was resting on the counter, her hip jutting out as she wrote. Damn, he thought.
‘Would you like me to show you where that is?’ the clerk was asking him.
Gavin blinked and realized he’d completely missed the answer to his question.
‘Uh, no. Could you write it down, though?’ he asked, feeling like an idiot.
The clerk looked at him strangely but quickly jotted the information on the back of a bookmark.
‘Thanks,’ Gavin told him, turning to where the woman had been – only to find the spot empty.
With a small sigh, he looked at the bookmark and then around the store to find the section he needed. It took him several minutes because he found himself looking for her and had to remind himself what he was supposed to be doing. He wasn’t sure why he wanted to find her – was it those blue eyes? Was it the way she’d handled the rude old man? Or was it because she hadn’t seemed to give him a second thought after she’d looked at him? He didn’t chase after women and wasn’t accustomed to the anxious feeling in the pit of his stomach that he might not see her again.
Finally locating the aisle where the book was supposed to be, Gavin struggled to focus. He was trying in vain to remember the author’s last name when he thankfully spotted the book by its title.
‘That’s one of my all-time favorites,’ he heard a sultry voice say.
He whipped around. She was standing just a few feet away, and he saw instantly that his imagination hadn’t done the rest of her justice. Her blazer was fitted and flared slightly at the hips, emphasizing her small waist. She was wearing a deep red blouse, which was in striking contrast to her porcelain skin. He noticed for the first time how tall she was – able to look him almost directly in the eye without tilting her head. He allowed himself a second to take in her full lips before looking at her vivid eyes.
‘Really? That’s good to hear,’ he said with a smile.
She gave him a small smile and turned back to the shelf.
‘What are your other favorites?’ he asked.
She spoke while continuing to peruse the books. ‘The Book Thief. The Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde.’
Gavin had never heard of any of them, but nodded. She selected a book and turned toward him.
‘I hope you like it,’ she said as she started to walk past him.
‘Uh, it’s actually a gift – for my niece,’ he said quickly, wanting to keep talking to her.
She turned back slowly. ‘How old is she?’
‘It’s for her thirteenth birthday.’
She wrinkled her brow. ‘Hm.’
‘What?’
‘Well, there’s a rape scene in the book,’ she told him. ‘I didn’t read it until college, though I guess a high schooler could probably handle it. But thirteen…’ she trailed off with a shrug. ‘Did she ask for it?’
He looked at the book self-consciously. ‘No, I read a blurb about it,’ he said. ‘It was one of Oprah’s books.’ He looked up in time to see her roll her eyes. ‘Not a fan of Oprah?’ he asked with a grin. He knew he should be embarrassed but decided to take advantage of the opportunity to be self-deprecating.
She shrugged. ‘I don’t really have an opinion – other than it’s good that she gets the masses to read, I guess.
‘What would you recommend?’
‘It really depends on your niece – whether she’s already a book lover or if you’re trying to get her excited about reading. If she likes mysteries or romance, if she prefers something light or can handle something heavier.’
She watched the struggle that was apparently evident on his face.
‘Okay,’ she went on matter-of-factly. ‘I’m guessing she’s either not a big reader or you don’t know her that well.’
‘I guess I don’t – I really only see her a few times a year,’ he said, trying not to sound defensive.
She nodded, thinking. ‘I would try one of the classics like A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, or A Wrinkle in Time. Maybe Little Women. And get a gift receipt.’ She turned to walk away.
‘Wait,’ he said, fighting a wince when he heard the desperation in his voice.
She turned slowly. ‘Did you need me to write them down?’
He chuckled. ‘Actually, that would probably be helpful. But I really just wanted to thank you for your help and ask if I could buy you a cup of coffee.’
She looked at him speculatively for a moment. ‘Come on,’ she said and started walking past him again.
Assuming they were headed for the cafe in the corner of the bookstore, he was flustered when she moved into another aisle, and then another, picking up books as she went. Naturally he followed until she finally stopped and handed them to him.
‘Read the excerpts,’ she said. ‘On the back?’ she added a little patronizingly. ‘That should help you figure out which one to pick for her.’ She turned away again.
‘So, that’s a no on the coffee, then?’ he called to her retreating back.
‘No, thanks,’ she said over her shoulder without looking at him.
Despite being blown off, and quite efficiently so, he found himself grinning.
–
‘Dude, what are you reading?’ Brett asked, dropping onto the opposite end of the couch.
Gavin glanced up at his roommate. ‘Pillars of the Earth.’
‘That book is mammoth. Why?’
A slow grin spread across Gavin’s face.
‘Seriously, a girl?’ Brett burst out laughing. ‘Christ, that’s some effort. Just look up the ending online and pretend you read it.’
Gavin chuckled but didn’t respond. Brett’s phone chirped and he threw a pillow at Gavi
n after reading the text.
‘Are you coming to the pub or are you going to stay home, Bookworm Sally?’
Gavin held up his index finger, signaling for Brett to wait as he read.
‘Oh, did you need to just finish this one chapter?’ Brett teased in a high-pitched voice. ‘Do you want me to make you a cup of tea and get you a kitty cat?’
Gavin laughed heartily and placed the bookmark on the page. ‘Okay, you douche. Let’s go.’
They walked the few blocks to the pub where Mark and Keane had already started a game of pool. They had been friends since college and since they still lived in the same neighborhood, most of the time it was like college never ended. But beyond that, they were the closest thing to family Gavin had.
‘Your round,’ Keane told Gavin as a greeting, holding out an empty pitcher. Gavin grinned and turned toward the bar.
‘Regina Saskatchewan,’ he said to the blonde behind the pub, resting his arms on the surface and leaning in with a smile.
Gina rolled her eyes and smirked. ‘Gavin,’ she said with a nod to the pitcher. ‘Another one?’
‘Yeah, do they have a tab yet?’
‘Of course not – they were waiting for their sugar daddy to get here,’ she teased.
He chuckled and handed her his credit card. Walking back toward the pool table he found Mark talking to a petite redhead who was flirtatiously tilting her head and playing with her hair as they spoke. He was not surprised to see Mark leaning slightly away from her and looking around instead of meeting her eye.
‘Hey, man,’ Mark said to Gavin. ‘Do you remember Catherine – we work together. Catherine, I think you’ve met Gavin before.’
‘Nice to see you again,’ Gavin told her with a smile. ‘Do you want to get in on a game?’ he asked, gesturing to the pool table. ‘Or are you just here for the company?’ he added with a wink.
She smiled and giggled. ‘No, I just stopped by to say hi. I need to get back to my friends,’ she added, waving her arm toward a nearby table.
Gavin looked over automatically and his breath caught as he saw the long, dark hair of one of the women. Her back was to him but as his eyes fell to her backside, he knew it was her. She was wearing jeans, but they hugged her body just as her grey pants had. He blinked and turned back to Mark and Catherine who were looking at him with slightly puzzled expressions.
He cleared his throat. ‘Well, you’re all welcome to join us, of course,’ he said, pouring himself a beer.
Catherine giggled again. ‘We’ll think about it. See you.’ She directed the last comment to Mark and walked away.
‘What was that?’ Mark asked curiously.
‘What?’ Gavin hoped Mark hadn’t seen his reaction to seeing the woman again.
‘You’re all welcome to join us?’ Mark quoted, raising his eyebrows.
Gavin laughed. ‘Dude, she is clearly interested. You’ve strung her along long enough. I thought I was being a good wingman.’
Mark frowned. ‘We work together,’ he said with emphasis. ‘No way, man.’ He shook his head. ‘No way.’
Gavin shrugged good-naturedly and tried to keep his eyes from wandering to the table near theirs as they played pool. Catherine seemed to take any excuse to walk by them, so much so that Gavin found it difficult not to laugh when Mark would move to the opposite end of the table when she did. The others soon noticed as well.
‘What, are you scared of that tiny little thing?’ Keane teased.
Mark shot him a look. ‘Shut up.’ He glanced quickly at Catherine’s table before looking at his friends. ‘I don’t want to give her the wrong idea. I’m not shitting where I eat, man.’
Brett shrugged. ‘Get her fired. Then ask her out.’ They all laughed.
Gavin kept a close eye on the women, making sure not to let his friends notice. He found his opportunity when Catherine made yet another pass by their table and stopped to say something to Mark. He didn’t know where the third woman had gone, but the one he’d set his sights on was alone, sipping her drink and looking around the room. He strode over confidently and set his beer on the table next to her.
‘Thanks for your help the other day,’ he said conversationally.
Her head snapped around and once again he was looking at those stunning blue eyes, startled for only a moment before she looked at him blankly.
‘At the bookstore,’ he reminded her.
She gave him a polite smile, her expression clearing.
‘Which one did you pick?’ she asked.
‘Actually, I bought them all. I haven’t decided which one to send her yet,’ he said with a grin.
She nodded, bringing her glass to her mouth again.
‘I’m Gavin,’ he told her. ‘Gavin Burke.’
She watched him for a few moments. ‘Nina,’ she finally said.
‘What a beautiful name.’
She shot him a sardonic look. ‘Wow. Really?’ she asked.
He burst out laughing. ‘Hey, it usually works.’
‘With who – eighteen-year-olds?’
‘Come on, now,’ he said, his twinkling eyes belying his serious tone. ‘They have to at least be old enough to drink.’
When her lips curved up he could tell she was smiling despite herself.
‘So, twice in the same week – how is it I’ve never seen you around before this?’
She gave a small shrug. ‘Maybe you’re just not a very good stalker.’
He laughed in surprise. Her voice was matter-of-fact and he couldn’t tell if she was trying to make a joke or if she was annoyed, but either way, he was amused. She looked at him as if she were slightly impressed.
‘I just moved here,’ she told him.
‘Oh? From where?’
‘Chicago.’
She kept looking around the room and sipping her drink as she answered him, but it didn’t feel like rudeness or like his questions were unwanted somehow. It was more like she could take or leave his company and it didn’t matter to her one way or the other.
‘What brought you here?’ he went on, amused that she was making him carry the conversation.
‘Work,’ she said. She looked at him. ‘I’m a school counselor at Ridgefield Elementary,’ she added, anticipating his next question.
He nodded, the smile still on his lips. ‘What kind of counseling do little kids need anyway?’ he joked. ‘Their moms give them peanut butter and jelly when they wanted pizza, that kind of thing?’
She turned to face him directly. Her eyes were solemn but her tone was still conversational.
‘Life isn’t always easy for kids, you know. Bullying, learning disorders, divorce, absent parents…’ Her voice trailed off as she watched him.
He realized his eyes had started to widen and he tried to retrieve the smile.
‘I’m sorry,’ he said in a low voice. ‘It was a poor attempt at humor.’
She gave him a nod, the corners of her mouth turned up. It was probably the friendliest gesture he had received from her so far.
‘So how do you know Catherine?’ he ventured.
‘We’ve been friends since high school.’ She glanced at the pool table toward her friend with a genuine smile. ‘It’s been forever since we lived in the same place, but it’s like no time has passed,’ she added.
He smiled warmly. ‘That’s great,’ he said sincerely.
She met his eyes, looking a little surprised but still wearing the smile that reached her eyes.
Catherine returned, looking curiously at Gavin.
‘Oh, hello,’ she said, her voice surprised.
‘Hi,’ he said with a grin.
Catherine looked puzzled and glanced at Nina. Gavin waited, wondering if Nina would volunteer any information.
‘I helped him at the bookstore the other day,’ Nina finally said. ‘And now I think he’s stalking me.’
She smiled when they laughed.
‘I started reading Pillars of the Earth,’ Gavin told her suddenly.
She turned to him. ‘Really?’ she asked in disbelief.
He laughed. ‘Yeah. It’s good.’
She looked pleased. ‘Good,’ she said quietly.
They all looked toward the pool table when Brett
called Gavin’s name.
‘Gotta go,’ he said easily, picking up his beer. ‘Hopefully I’ll see you again soon,’ he added as he faced Nina before joining his friends.
Brett moved so his back was facing the table Gavin had just left.
‘Who is that?’ he asked in a low voice. ‘She’s hot.’
Gavin squashed the flicker of jealousy. ‘I met her at the bookstore the other day.’
‘Ah,’ Brett said.
‘What?’ Gavin looked at his roommate to see a mischievous look on his face.
‘Nothing.’ Brett shrugged, smirking.
Gavin rolled his eyes and grabbed a cue. ‘Rack ’em,’ he said, hoping he wasn’t blushing.
–
‘He’s cute,’ Catherine’s friend Mira said, returning to their table.
Nina looked openly at the pool table. ‘I guess,’ she said, still looking in Gavin’s direction.
Catherine snorted. ‘You haven’t changed.’
Nina turned to her. ‘What do you mean?’
Catherine laughed now. ‘You still don’t give a shit if guys see you checking them out.’
‘I wasn’t checking him out,’ Nina specified calmly. ‘I was just looking at him.’ She shrugged.
‘Whichever,’ Catherine said. ‘You haven’t changed.’ She turned to Mira. ‘She’s never played games – doesn’t flirt with guys, just tells them what she thinks, good or bad. She scared the hell out of all the guys in high school.’ She laughed again.
Nina shrugged again. ‘I just don’t know how to be any other way,’ she said candidly. ‘So why bother trying?’
She allowed herself one more glance at the pool table, wondering if she should try to be more covert but unable to quash her sudden curiosity about him. She had ignored his flirting at the bookstore – it was clear he wasn’t a book lover like she was and she knew she was a snob about it. But his response when she called him on his cheesy pick-up line was surprising and she’d found herself entertained.
He leaned over the pool table to make a shot and for the first time she really inspected him. Tall with blond hair and brown eyes, a gorgeous smile, arms that were lightly tanned and muscular as if he worked outdoors. And the back of him is nice, too, she told herself, watching his behind as he straightened up.
What she found most intriguing was his reaction when she described the issues her kids at school faced. At first it seemed like chagrin when she made it clear she didn’t appreciate him belittling the children’s problems. But she had watched his eyes closely and saw something like painful recognition when she mentioned divorce and family discord. He came across as easygoing and maybe it wasn’t an act – yet she suspected there was more to him than that.
Nina turned back to Catherine. ‘So, that’s Mark, huh?’
Catherine blushed and Nina grinned. Catherine had been talking about Mark for almost a year, since they started working together.
‘Is that why you picked this bar?’ Nina asked, mostly curious but a little teasingly.
‘Shut up,’ Catherine said good-naturedly.
Nina caught Mira grinning at Catherine. Mira met her eye and they shared a laugh.
–
‘Do you want me to get her number for you?’ Mark asked Gavin.
Gavin jumped a little, realizing his sporadic glances had turned into an open stare. He tried to mask his embarrassment.
‘But then you’d have to talk to Catherine.’ He looked at his friend, feigning innocence. ‘Or is that just a good excuse to talk to her?’
Mark chuckled self-consciously. ‘Fuck you, dude.’
Gavin grinned.
‘Ladies, are you going to play or what?’ Keane asked.
Gavin and Mark flipped him off simultaneously and he laughed.
As Gavin settled back onto his pillows later that night, grabbing the book and opening it where he’d left off, he realized he felt relaxed. It surprised him. He flirted a lot but normally never gave women another thought if they didn’t respond. Nina was different: he’d felt unsettled ever since she’d walked away without even letting him get her name. Impressed by her attitude, sure, but disappointed nonetheless. The unease seemed to have disappeared now that he knew her name and that there was a strong possibility he’d see her again.
–
Nina slammed the phone down and covered her face with her hands, taking deep breaths. Checking her schedule quickly, she decided to take a walk to clear her head fully.
‘I’m going to grab a coffee, Felicia,’ she told the secretary. ‘Do you want anything?’
Lianne
- 26.12.2022
- 15
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