Chapter 5

“I can’t believe you just asked June out. Are you completely insane?” Trey asked. He was so angry, and all he wanted to do was hurt his friend. Max’s flirting really annoyed him.

“What? Am I the only one who sees the hottie she’s turned into? So she’s got a bit more meat on her than what women want today. I think she’s hot.” Max threw his arms wide cursing the female population. “I’m tired of fucking thin women. I want a woman I can hold on to.”

Trey followed his friends down the street toward the only bar in town. The Sexy Cowgirl was where the party was at on a Friday night, a lot of music, a lot of beer, and a lot of dancing. Most Fridays he left with a woman or two to take the edge off his weekend.

“In case you didn’t notice she shot me down.”

“She’s not going to go for you,” Dale said, finally joining in the conversation.

“And why not?”

“She looked ready to burst out laughing at your mere suggestion of going out. June wants nothing to do with you.”

Trey was happy with that. Dale hadn’t shown any interest, and Max was shut down. Trey had a stack of respect for June, and it increased knowing she wasn’t easy. You’re not one to talk. Ever since he’d lost his virginity at sixteen, Trey had taken more than his fair share of women. He loved sex, but for a long time now, sex had lost its edge. Bringing a woman to orgasm was easy to him. They were putty in his hands, and they’d do everything he asked. Most of the women were happy to do as they were told. Not one of them took the lead with him, and he was tired of doing all the work.

Slinking his way to the bar, he ignored all the greetings from the women and ordered a beer.

“What’s gotten up your ass?” Max asked.

“Nothing. I’m just tired. It was a late night with the dolphin chick.”

The bartender, Joe, handed him an ice cold beer. Trey had given the other man a mean ass tattoo down the length of his arm, and the two had been cool ever since. Joe was a lot older than Trey and had kicked his ass once for hitting on Joe’s girl. After the ass kicking, Joe bought him a drink, thanking him for revealing what a skank the woman was.

It was a strange kind of friendship, but Trey was thankful for it all the same.

“Had a busy day?” Joe asked.

“The busiest.”

“Hey, Joe, you heard anything about June Armstrong who runs the bakery?” Max asked. Trey tensed.

“She’s Elliot’s daughter. You touch her, he’ll come after you, and they won’t be able to recognize your body. That man loves his family more than anything. No one hurts his family.”

Joe left them alone.

“Fuck me, her father sounds like some kind of mafia boss.”

“He owns my building,” Trey said, sipping at the beer.

“Oh crap. I won’t do anything to compromise your career, man. I’m sorry.” Max slapped him on the back. They were his friends, the two men who had his back through high school and through life.

“No worries.” Trey took another swig of beer thinking about the smile on June’s face. She really had thought Max’s suggestion was funny.

“I’m going to get me a woman for the night,” Max said. “See you later.”

Spinning around in his chair, Trey watched Max head into the throng of people.

“Are you okay?” Dale asked.

“I’m good. I’m always good.”

“You’re looking a little tense with Max.”

Letting out a sigh, Trey looked out at the dance floor seeing the happiness going on all around him. There was a time he’d be in the center of it all, fighting for his spot. When had his perspective on life changed? When did getting drunk and fucking every woman he met become a bore?

“I think I’m getting old.”

“Twenty-four is not old,” Dale said.

“No? Then why am I bored and fucking tired all the time? This is our life, Dale, and I’m fucking sick of the same old crap all the time.”

It was the first time he’d opened up to anyone about his thoughts.

“Trey, we’ve been getting drunk and having sex every weekend since we were sixteen. That has been eight years now. It’s okay to get bored with it. To be honest I wanted to stay home tonight.”

“Then why didn’t you?” Trey asked.

“Because I’d be alone. I’d rather be here than at home all alone. How pathetic is that?”

He didn’t find it pathetic at all.

During the night several women wrapped their arms around his neck, kissing and touching him. For once, Trey wasn’t in the mood to take anything. Dale left first at around midnight. Max left with three women on his arm and a promise to see him Saturday.

At one, the bar closed, and Trey took a beer with him and went for a walk. He needed to clear his head. Something was completely off with how he was feeling.

Since graduation he didn’t have to think about June or how he’d bullied her through high school. Seeing her again had awoken all the guilt, and the hunger still simmered deep inside him.

He wanted her badly. Max was right. June was a hottie. He’d always thought so, and time had only enhanced her beauty.

Moving from classroom to classroom he remembered looking for her. She was the only girl in high school with dark black hair that was natural and not out of a bottle, and she always walked with her head bowed down. There were times he wanted to see her blue eyes so he’d knock the books right out of her hands. He always felt like an ass, but at least he got a glimpse at her eyes. The worst was getting shit faced at prom, taking his date to a motel and fucking her. All the time he’d been fucking her, his thoughts were on June. She’d gone to prom, without a date, and she’d looked stunning.

The black full length dress she’d worn had molded to every curve. He’d spent most of the night rock hard, his date thinking she was the cause of his aroused state.

Circling back to town, he kicked an empty beer can across the street heading toward his shop. The buzz of the alcohol was fading. He’d walked his way to being sober. He saw the light shining in Just Another Slice. Stopping at the entrance to his shop he watched as June made her way around the bakery. She wore an apron, and from across the way he saw her face covered in flour. Walking toward the door, Trey knocked on the glass. She jumped, looking at him. Trey waved at her.