“They are.” She licked her upper lip unconsciously, the topic of conversation spurring her on. I hadn’t realized how much passion went into her baking. I wondered if that passion could be applied to other things as well, maybe intimate things.
The more I talked to her, the less I began to think of her as Cory’s girl. She hadn’t made any indication that they were exclusive, and I knew that Cory hadn’t taken the next step by asking her out. It left all options on the table. I didn’t want to step on his toes, but I was quickly falling in lust with the young woman.
“Do you have to work a double again tomorrow?” I asked.
“I think so,” she sighed, handing over the bag.
I checked my phone. It was almost five, and I didn’t want to keep her. I could have spent all night studying her face. The messy bun on top of her head let single strands of colorful hair drop artistically around her face.
I thought about taking pictures of her, using her as a model. She had a photogenic quality that I couldn’t help but notice. Staged in the bakery, she would make the perfect pinup, a sexy businesswoman with a delicious product.
“Have you thought about modeling?” I asked.
She turned away, unimpressed by the question. It was outlandish in a way, but I was serious. I knew how to turn a shy girl into a stunning subject; I had done it so many times I lost count. She had a quality about her that anyone could appreciate, a wholesome, good-natured smile and a fresh face. But it wasn’t just her face that interested me. There were other attributes further down that sparked my imagination.
“Get out of here,” she teased. “I have to close up.”
“Part of the investment is going to be getting you on social media,” I warned. “You need a publicity campaign to bring more people in.”
“Okay,” she placated me. “We’ll talk about it later.”
I grabbed the bag she’d set aside for me and walked toward the door. “Take care.”
“You too,” she said in a meaningful way that let me know I’d made an impression.
I couldn’t stop smiling all the way back to the office. Calling for a ride, I stood on the sidewalk, thinking. She was beautiful, there was no question about it. I couldn’t stop myself from wanting to get to know her better. Where had she gone to school? What was her living situation like? Had she always wanted to be a baker? Those were the things I contemplated while I was waiting for my ride. It slipped my mind entirely, but by the time I got back home, I realized I hadn’t once thought about my ex that day. It was almost a miracle.
The woman had broken my heart, and I thought I would be depressed for the rest of my life. But it had only taken one new and intriguing woman to snap me out of my funk. I let the past go and concentrated on the future.
Walking in the door to my apartment, I pulled off my tie. I didn’t like wearing it; it felt like a chain around my neck. I pulled off my work shirt as well. The scratchy cotton fabric rubbed against my chest the wrong way. The things I had to put up with for a corporate job were incredible. If it wasn’t for the paycheck, I would just say fuck it and double down on the freelance work.
But while taking photos could be lucrative at times, there were long periods when I couldn’t sell anything. I needed a magazine behind me, and I had already been that route. The PR work at least afforded me nights and weekends off. I could put up with the three-piece suit for the time being.
I couldn’t get Petra out of my head. A wicked thought occurred to me, and I went straight to the bedroom. Grabbing a box of Kleenex and a bottle of lotion from the bathroom, I settled onto the mattress. I felt guilty, but not that guilty. Cory had no claim to her heart or to her body. And besides, no one was ever going to know what I was up to.
I lay back, loosening my belt and undoing my fly. She was so pretty. I imagined stroking her hair, feeling all the delicate strands part under my touch. I would tease out the length of it, releasing it from its bondage above her head. It would spill down over her shoulders, framing her face deliciously.
I imagined her just the way I’d seen her that morning, working hard at the bakery counter. She would be elbow deep in dough, rubbing it and shaping it into her signature treats. I would guide her away from her task with another, more urgent desire.
Her lips would taste like candy, like the jam she used to fill the pastries. I saw myself reaching up to stroke her neck, the gentle slope of it the perfect complement to her silky skin. I would slide her shirt up over her head, remove her bra, and let her breasts swing free.
Taking her by the waist, I would haul her up onto the counter, spreading her legs so I could stand between them. With her half naked before me, I intended to lick each of her nipples. They would feel so rough in my mouth, taut and erect with her need. She would slide her fingers through my hair, urging me on.
I imagined pulling her back down, turning her around, and pinning her to the stainless-steel counter. I would ease her pants down over her hips, revealing the core womanhood that I so desired. She would moan, understanding that I meant to take her right there in the bakery. It was so hot, I could hardly breathe.
I reached down to stroke my erection. I was already stiff and swollen from the imagery. Pumping a handful of lotion, I smoothed it over my junk. It wouldn’t take much to bring me to a climax. I was nearly there, primed to experience the closest thing to conquest that a man can do by himself.
Concentrating, I imagined sliding into Petra from behind. She was so wet and tight, her pussy a gentle opening designed for my rod. I pressed my hips against her ass, digging my way deeper and deeper still. She moaned in ecstasy, giving me permission to do whatever it was I wanted with her.
I slapped her bottom, loving the way the flesh jiggled. She let out a shocked breath that only spurred me on. Rubbing myself to conclusion, I imagined that I was embedded in her body, working toward a final ejaculation.
When I came into my hand, my body tensed. Petra vanished from my mind and from the bakery, leaving me breathless and alone in my own bed. The moment didn’t last long. I clung to the picture of her, accepting what I had to offer, naked in the middle of her workspace. Then the fantasy came crashing down.
I kicked my pants off and went to take a shower. I had a new appreciation for Petra, and I wasn’t sure that I wanted to stand to the side and let Cory close in on her. She was just as available to me as she was to him, maybe even more so. I decided to throw my hat into the ring. I wanted her, and nothing was going to get in my way.