her breast, making her groan, causing her heart to pound wildly in her chest. Brooke's fingers explored the muscular bicep, the strong hairy forearm.
Hairy?
Confused green eyes popped open and Brooke struggled, caught between her dream and reality. Looking down and seeing herself clutching Grant's hand to her breast alarmed her. The dream replayed itself vividly and she gasped. Cayden? Climbing out of bed quickly, she stood in the middle of the room to catch her breath and calm her racing heart. Oh god! What's happening to me?
The tall brunette dug her spoon into the half-eaten ice cream and talked back to the television. It took a while to relax the night before and finally fall asleep and when she woke up, she was cranky. Having the world's fattest cat sprawled across her face didn't help any and she knew the only cure for a day like this was Ben and Jerry. Cayden was grateful that Jodie had other plans for today and wouldn't be at the shop until later. She wanted to be alone. She didn't mind the occasional customer, that was her job, and small talk was easy. She didn't want anyone getting into her brain, and Jodie was great at that. Making herself comfortable, the shop keeper put her long legs up on the counter and tipped back her chair, settling down to watch TV and drown herself in bits of caramel and frozen marshmallow.
Only a few minutes had passed when the bell tinkled, signalling a customer. Cayden looked up and groaned, No, not today.... please... why me? See glanced up at the heavens and narrowed her eyes wondering what she did to deserve this. "Hello Mrs. Hoffman. What can I do for you?"
The stooped over old woman with her beard and mustache, whose long hair looked like it hadn't been washed in months, pushed her wagon towards the counter. "What?"
"I SAY, WHAT CAN I DO FOR YOU TODAY?"
"What the hell are you yelling at me for? Are you crazy?" the old woman bent over and pet her poodle who was desperately trying to escape the wagon.
Cayden watched the old woman catch her breath with concern, and tried speaking louder than normal, but less than a shout. "Mrs Hoffman, you shouldn't be running around in this heat."
"Yeah, well, what the hell do you want me to do starve? I had to go shopping you miserable son of a bitch! My Princess was going to starve too if we didn't come here to buy her food!" she yelled.
Cayden took a calming breath. "I have your case of food in the back, let me go get it, take a seat and relax."
The old woman sat in one of the two chairs in the store and harrumphed. "Good. It's too hot out there for anyone to be running around, even the Nazis."
The tall woman rolled her eyes.
"You know they're on my fire escape? I saw them, those bastards. They were stealing my brassieres!"
Cayden couldn't help herself. "The Nazis?"
"You're damned right, those sons of bitches. They climb up my fire escape at night and steal my brassieres! And my girdles! Cheap bastards!"
Cayden leaned over the wagon to pick up Princess and put the food inside.
"That goddamned foot doctor! He should break a leg! It's not my fault he has no business in this heat! He cut my toe on purpose! What did I do? I'm a helpless old lady! The son of a bitch should break a leg!"
Cayden frowned and put the poodle back in the cart. "You know Mrs. Hoffman, I think Princess needs a haircut. A shave actually." She suggested, unable to feel the dog's skin through the thick layer of matted fur.
"She's fine! What do you want her to drop dead? I have an air conditioner! She'll get arthritis! You stupid son of a bitch! My Husband's dead! My name is Blanche!"
"Blanche, I really think Princess should be shaved..."
"Shut up! What do you know? What are you a doctor? That stupid goddamned foot doctor should break a leg! Do you think you know everything?"
"Didn't say that I do... Blanche."
"You should eat fish you know... it improves the memory. But not pineapple soda. I had diarrhea for a whole day and even kaopectate didn't help.
Hairy?
Confused green eyes popped open and Brooke struggled, caught between her dream and reality. Looking down and seeing herself clutching Grant's hand to her breast alarmed her. The dream replayed itself vividly and she gasped. Cayden? Climbing out of bed quickly, she stood in the middle of the room to catch her breath and calm her racing heart. Oh god! What's happening to me?
The tall brunette dug her spoon into the half-eaten ice cream and talked back to the television. It took a while to relax the night before and finally fall asleep and when she woke up, she was cranky. Having the world's fattest cat sprawled across her face didn't help any and she knew the only cure for a day like this was Ben and Jerry. Cayden was grateful that Jodie had other plans for today and wouldn't be at the shop until later. She wanted to be alone. She didn't mind the occasional customer, that was her job, and small talk was easy. She didn't want anyone getting into her brain, and Jodie was great at that. Making herself comfortable, the shop keeper put her long legs up on the counter and tipped back her chair, settling down to watch TV and drown herself in bits of caramel and frozen marshmallow.
Only a few minutes had passed when the bell tinkled, signalling a customer. Cayden looked up and groaned, No, not today.... please... why me? See glanced up at the heavens and narrowed her eyes wondering what she did to deserve this. "Hello Mrs. Hoffman. What can I do for you?"
The stooped over old woman with her beard and mustache, whose long hair looked like it hadn't been washed in months, pushed her wagon towards the counter. "What?"
"I SAY, WHAT CAN I DO FOR YOU TODAY?"
"What the hell are you yelling at me for? Are you crazy?" the old woman bent over and pet her poodle who was desperately trying to escape the wagon.
Cayden watched the old woman catch her breath with concern, and tried speaking louder than normal, but less than a shout. "Mrs Hoffman, you shouldn't be running around in this heat."
"Yeah, well, what the hell do you want me to do starve? I had to go shopping you miserable son of a bitch! My Princess was going to starve too if we didn't come here to buy her food!" she yelled.
Cayden took a calming breath. "I have your case of food in the back, let me go get it, take a seat and relax."
The old woman sat in one of the two chairs in the store and harrumphed. "Good. It's too hot out there for anyone to be running around, even the Nazis."
The tall woman rolled her eyes.
"You know they're on my fire escape? I saw them, those bastards. They were stealing my brassieres!"
Cayden couldn't help herself. "The Nazis?"
"You're damned right, those sons of bitches. They climb up my fire escape at night and steal my brassieres! And my girdles! Cheap bastards!"
Cayden leaned over the wagon to pick up Princess and put the food inside.
"That goddamned foot doctor! He should break a leg! It's not my fault he has no business in this heat! He cut my toe on purpose! What did I do? I'm a helpless old lady! The son of a bitch should break a leg!"
Cayden frowned and put the poodle back in the cart. "You know Mrs. Hoffman, I think Princess needs a haircut. A shave actually." She suggested, unable to feel the dog's skin through the thick layer of matted fur.
"She's fine! What do you want her to drop dead? I have an air conditioner! She'll get arthritis! You stupid son of a bitch! My Husband's dead! My name is Blanche!"
"Blanche, I really think Princess should be shaved..."
"Shut up! What do you know? What are you a doctor? That stupid goddamned foot doctor should break a leg! Do you think you know everything?"
"Didn't say that I do... Blanche."
"You should eat fish you know... it improves the memory. But not pineapple soda. I had diarrhea for a whole day and even kaopectate didn't help.
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