Hidden Desires Read Free Page B

deal?"
    "The next women who catches your eye, I want you to start a conversation with her."
    Cayden considered it. Sounds easy enough. I come up with all sorts of stupid chatter for the most annoying customers... and she didn't say what kind of conversation it should be. "You got a deal."
    "What?" Jodie raised both eyebrows in surprise. "You're serious?"
    "Yeah." Cayden nodded surely.
    "Shake on it then."
    "I don't know where your hand has been." The blue eyed woman joked.
    "Me? Have you been to the bathroom lately?"
    Cayden blushed. "I don't make that a habit smart mouth. It was only that one time, and I was desperate."
    "Oooo, someone got you so horny you had no choice?"
    "Something like that." The shop keeper agreed. She wasn't going to admit she got horny watching the Playboy Channel. She'd never admit to anyone she watched porno.
    "Well, at least that proves the blood still flows down below."
    "Shut up."
     
    Brooke was exhausted by the end of the day. No amount of coffee was able to energize her. As she turned off her computer, she yawned so widely that tears sprung to her eyes. Damn, and I still have to tend to Fred. Brooke sighed and was getting ready to leave when the phone rang. She glared at it first, then picked it up. It was her mother reminding her about Fred. "I know Ma, I'm going there now."
    "Brooke, Honey, are you alright? You sound wiped out."
    "Yeah, I am, but I'm fine."
    Unconvinced, Mrs. Hewitt pursed her lips. "Are you still unable to sleep?" She asked in concern.
    "Ma, I'll be ok. Grant's taking me to the doctor on Saturday."
    "The doctor! Honey, how bad is this?" She asked in alarm.
    "It's pretty bad." Brooke answered truthfully, she could never lie to her mother.
    "Oh, Baby!"
    "Mom, don't worry ok? How's gramma?" She asked to change the subject.
    "She's really fine now, but we're going to stay the extra night just to make sure."
    "Well, that's great to hear. Listen, let me go so I can get out of here. Love you, Ma."
    "Love you too, Brooke." Mrs. Hewitt hung up the phone, still concerned.
     
    The small blonde was too tired to walk uptown so she took a cab. Being rush hour, the traffic was unbearable, and it frustrated Brooke to no end. She was already irritable, and paying to sit in stand-still traffic, just three blocks from her parents condo made her crazy. "Just pull over, I'll get out right here." she instructed, shoving money through the slot in the partition.
    When she got out of the cab, Brooke grimaced from the heat, then looked at her surroundings. She found herself standing in front of a store she hadn't noticed before. The Fuzzy Belly Deli , she thought with a smile. The name alone brightened her cranky mood and she decided to check it out. How come I never saw this place before? she wondered, looking around. Must be cuz the subway lets me out one Avenue over , she deduced, opening the front door and glancing up at the bell that rang over her head.
    The store wasn't very large and Brooke already liked it because it had air conditioning. Taking a breath of the cool air, she looked around. There was a large variety of pet toys, leashes, collars and supplies, but the majority of the shelves were lined with treats and food. OOOO! Fred would just love it here! she thought excitedly. Green eyes continued to wander to the short counter which was adorned with baskets of little colorful toys. A customer blocked her view of the person who worked behind it, but Brooke was sure she heard a television going somewhere. She walked around, touching things, picking them up and squeezing them, making them squeak. She picked up a few treats that were supposedly "gourmet" and after careful consideration, decided that Fred would like the peanut butter cookies over the chocolate chip.
    Jodie and Cayden stood patiently, with smiles plastered to their faces as Paul, the single, obese, forty something year old man, who still lived with his mother and her 6 cats, went on and on about everything under the sun. Cayden