“This is so demeaning,” Delilah finally said, letting out a huffing breath.
“It doesn’t have to be. There’s nothing you can ask or say that someone hasn’t already come in and asked or said before.”
The death grip Delilah had on her bag was painful to witness.
“My boyfriend is a strong man, a good man. He wants to get married.”
“Do you want to marry him?”
“He is God’s gift to me, he loves me fiercely. He would defend me against the world, ofcourseI want to marry him.”
“Well…I can only hope that I’ll be so lucky one day. Good men like that are hard to find.”
“I had never imagined that the level of pleasure he showed me during our first time together could even exist,” Delilah said almost boastfully, like her man was the only man in the world who knew how to make a woman come. “I want to learn how to please him as much as he pleases me. I tried to take him into my mouth, but he’s so…big…I believe I caused him pain.”
Ooooh, bad head. For some men, that was an offense worse than death. Delilah’s man sounded like a good guy, though; someone she obviously adored.
“Well, my young temptress,” Stormy said conspiratorially, linking her arm through Delilah’s. “I do believe you’ve come to the right place.”
She proceeded to show Delilah books and videos covering everything from human development to women’s sexual revolution to oral copulation and role-playing. She recommended a couple of games that explored sensual touch and getting to know your lover’s body and needs as well as your own.
“You know of many ways to seduce, Stormy. I’m not fully convinced that you are not a whore.”
“Delilah, let me tell you something,” Stormy said, not caring about the big sale they were about to make. Sometimes you just had to stop being polite.
Jules rushed back into the main room, carrying a cup of steaming tea on a saucer just as Delilah took her armful of items toward the register.
“What, did you have to go to Japan to snap each twig individually?” Stormy muttered as Jules passed her.
“Whatever do you mean?” Jules blinked innocently.
“Mangy bitch,” Stormy said as she took the saucer. “Delilah, I’ll just put this in a to-go cup, get you on your way, I know a woman like you has a busy schedule. And in apology for not honoring your time, Jules will throw in two handfuls of our most popular ribbed, extra-large condoms for free.”
“Yeah, that’ll show me.” Jules snorted as she crossed over to the other side of the counter and rang Delilah up. “Sorry about the delay,” Stormy heard Jules mumble. “Technical difficulties.”
“Apologies are unnecessary, I didn’t have very high expectations. Tell me, do men come here to buy all the things you offer here? My fiancé was in the area earlier; maybe he came in to buy me something?”
“I’ve been here since opening, no men have stopped by,” Jules said. Unlike Stormy, Jules’ responses didn’t welcome conversation. The younger woman left with her purchases by the time Stormy reentered the room with the to-go tea.
“Next time I see that crazy woman coming I’m shutting this bitch down for the day,” Jules stated, drinking Delilah’s tea.
For the next two hours, Stormy and Jules stayed busy with an afternoon rush. At three-thirty on the dot, Lynx walked into the boutique wearing black sunglasses, a fitted black T-shirt, a worn brown leather vest, and black jeans. Stormy shook her head; he looked sexy and utterly stealth.
The four regulars laughing with Jules quieted, smiles turning predatory, as they noticed the younger man walk in.
“Ladies,” Lynx greeted, shedding his glasses, amber eyes smoldering with sexual promise.
The man was a menace. With the grace of a predatory big cat and the playfulness of a tabby, Lynx was all trouble. Despite what Lucas said, the only person who needed to be protected around Lynx was whatever woman he felt like toying with. And Stormy included herself among them. He had been relentless in his campaign to have Stormy give Lucas another chance.
“Hey Asian boy, when we partying again?” Jules called out.
“I’m only a phone call away from my family Jules. You can come up the mountain or I can go down on you…my bad, I meant come down to you.”
Jules laughed, and Stormy would have, too, if she hadn’t had to move fast to intercept Lynx before the four regulars—deemed regulars because they wore shit out and needed to constantly replenish their supply—dragged Lynx behind the salon curtain and showed him what it really meant to be wild.
“Gwen, I will drop-kick you. Don’t play with me,” Stormy threatened, pushing Lynx behind her as she held out her arm keeping the stout fifty-six-year-old white woman with two adult kids and four malefriendsaway.
Stormy navigated Lynx toward the stairs, keeping her body between his and theirs. The myth about a woman’s diminished sex drive in older years obviously came from someone who had no real knowledge of older women’s needs.
