Work, work, work(Maturity Warning)

[autumn]

In the middle of the hot streets of New Orleans, surrounded by bigger buildings, squatted a small used book store called Twice Told Tales. This small building was where Autumn Minari had been making her money since getting out of the home for displaced children. She had originally been turned off by the name, a pun as awful as this one would normally have made her incredibly embarrased to work in the place but she had gotten over her original disgust and had decided to stay. She'd always loved books and what they held inside them. One of the things she'd discovered while working at Triple T was that she loved the smell of books almost as much as she loved reading them.

So there she stood, in the middle of a tiny bookstore, surrounded by nearly ceiling high stacks of books, sniffing. Her dark hair fell in soft, gentle waves around her, a dark halo for the book angel. Reaching out, she grabbed one of the books off the top of the stack and read the spine. Moving quickly, efficiently, Autumn walked to the appropriate book shelf and placed the book in the right spot. Her boss had left her in charge today, and since they only had a small client base apart from the occasional tourist that strayed in, she had the store all to herself.

Sometimes the silence would get to her, and this was one of those times. Autumn decided not to go back to her stacks of books needing shelving and walked instead to the area behind the counter. She reached underneath and pulled out the boombox that was hidden there. She turned it on, found a radio station that played music she liked, and then turned the music up loud enough to be easily heard and enjoyed but not so loud that it would bother any customers that might come in.

Autumn sighed happily and then danced her way over to the stacks of books, beginning the process of shelving again, wondering what the day would bring and hoping not to get overrun with tourists.

[jakedaniels]

"What's the place called?" Jake asked, holding his nokia cell to his ear while his eyes darted about the area frantically, trying to spot what his friend had claimed to be the best bookstore on this side of Louisiana. "Twice Told Tales?" A skeptical look crossed his face as he continued to listen to his friends rambling about what could be found within. Daniels was in search, more specifically in search of books on arachnids. His eyes continued to scan the business plaques that hung just above various stores before finally spotting his target on the opposite side of the street. "Are you kidding me?" Slowly he pulled the phone from his ear as the voice on the other end began to yell. "Fine!" With that Jake hung up. He did not like being yelled at and he had been to each of the big chain book stores in town, none having any specific book on South American Arachnids. This was too be his last chance.

The streets were not too busy, which made crossing them illegally all the more simpler. New Orleans was humid, the air sticky and it appeared storms were soon to be moving in as imposing clouds were starting to dominate over the skies. Of course, it could turn out to be like Texas weather and the clouds just a cruel bluff where nothing really happens except muggier air. Decked in cargo shorts, flip flops and his pet shops red work t-shirt that read "Big Arachnids Plus", Daniels quietly made his way onto the sidewalk and immediately over to the bookstores door. First impressions were everything and odds were, if a big chain retailer did not have a book on his subject, the odds were, this place would not either. Who would shop at a dinky little shop like this one anyway?

Quietly he entered the shop, his eyes shot about immediately, looking for any signs of life. He heard the sound of music, loud but not too loud and a woman whose back was turned to him. The clerk looked too caught up in whatever she was up to, so Jake simply began scanning the various spines. They were in order alphabetically and by subject... so the store itself was not so bad. It had organization. He ventured through the store, but could not seem to find the section on pets or animals. Perhaps they did not have a pet section, or perhaps he passed it up. Minutes passed and still nothing. Ok, this was frustrating. Daniels rounded one shelf and made his way to the counter.

His feet came to a dead stop.

With eyes the focused on every portion of her face, the memories flooded back to him, the woman that had ignored Daniels throughout their stay at the home. The woman Daniels had not seen since graduation. The woman whom had embarrassed him, even if inadvertently, at Prom. The woman that Jake had only ever wanted to get to know now stood before him. A few years had passed since they had last been around one another, or in any sense, and yet Jake had not forgotten her. Mixed feelings overtook him, agitation, irritation, uneasiness, nervousness, a bit of feeling flushed. She was beautiful but still... she'd ignored him for years. Today wouldn't be any different. Any emotion a person could have felt, Jake had it roaring through him now.

Quietly he turned his back and eye'd several historical books, before catching her eye, though remaining close enough that he would not have to yell to ask his question, "So. I'm glad you've been doing good for yourself Autumn," he even remembered her name, "I'm looking for a book on South American Arachnids. Do you have anything in stock?" Still he expected no response from Autumn. Her silence was what he was use too.

[autumn]

Hearing the door open and close, Autumn moved to see who had entered the shop and was forced to turn to her memories. She knew this person from somewhere, but she was having trouble placing him. Perhaps because he was from the part of her past she always tried to keep as far from the surface as possible. She shelved a few books on autopilot while she tried to place the face.

He was cute, whoever he was, despite her people aversion Autumn was still a female and she could still appreciate a handsome male. And this ghost of her past certainly fit that description. She watched him from the corner of her eye, tracking his journey through the store by the sound of his footprints. He didn't seem to be finding what he was looking for which was bad news for her, since that meant she was going to have to talk to him.

Sure enough, his footsteps brought him into her range. Autumn raised her face to look at him and suddenly everything rushed back.

This boy had been her personal shadow the entire time she'd been at the home, he had attached to her sometime after they had both arrived and he hadn't detached himself until...oh until she'd rejected him at prom, which would explain why he looked like he expected her to slap him, physically or verbally. And also the words he said.

She had no idea why she'd said no at the "prom" when he'd come to ask her to dance. He was just as cute then as he was now, and he had obviously been interested in at least getting to know her. But for some reason she just hadn't been able to get her body to say yes, she'd tried to tell her mouth to open...wanted her tongue and lips to form the word, but nothing had happened. She'd sat there like a bump on the log, not even able to look him in the eye, and not said a single word until he'd just walked away.

It might have had something to do with the fact that Autumn had been alone for so long, had been so focused on continuing to be alone, and everyone else...every single boy in the home...had been afraid to approach her, let alone talk to her and ask her to dance. She thought that most of the reason she had sat there was simply because she was shocked beyond words that anyone wanted to dance with her.

And now here he was, and she was still wary of him, incredibly so. But she had to talk to him this time, it was her job and Autumn would be able to force her mind to stop screaming at her to run for the hills.

She processed his words carefully, surprised that he remembered her name, and hearing him say hers made her remember his. Her voice filled the now quiet room, the boombox having quieted at the end of a song. "Well Jake, let me have a look." She spoke strongly, happy that she had been able to make herself talk to him. "South American Arachnids you say? I hate spiders..." Autumn shuddered but headed over to one of the shelves he had missed in his journey. Filed under 'pets and phobias', was a large book on Arachnids. Autumn selected this book from the bunch and flipped to the index. "Hmm, well it's not specified to South American Arachnids, but it does have a 200 page section on them. Will that work for you?" She asked, turning to look at him and holding the book out.

[jakedaniels]

"Well Jake, let me have a look." Even though he had aged somewhat, even though the years had passed, she knew his name. Amazing in all honesty, Jake was slightly taken aback as he would have most assuredly assumed Autumn would have forgot a face belonging to a person with whom had remained relatively secluded in the home. Still, it was nice to hear. "South American Arachnids you say? I hate spiders..." He followed her, though not too close. She led him back towards a shelf that he had skipped passed and when she pulled the book down, placed under a label of 'Pets and Phobias', Daniels wanted to kick himself. Ok, so he made himself look stupid. Perhaps if he spent less time thinking of the past and more time thinking of the here and now, he would have seen it."Hmm, well it's not specified to South American Arachnids, but it does have a 200 page section on them. Will that work for you?" Daniels took the book as soon as she handed it too him and began to scan through its table of contents before flipping to the section he needed. Perfect. Though Jake loved spiders, and he even owned one, there was still many things he was ignorant on and this book, if it proved to be useful, would also help out his salesmen in the store.

"This will do just fine." Jake replied, though he lied. There was no time to skim through. If anything, things seemed tense in this quaint little store. Why shouldn't it be. Jake and Autumn both had pasts that they held within the deepest recesses of their souls and even in the home, the only people that knew about it was the caretakers. Daniels knew nothing of Autumn nor did she know anything of him but still, both seemed to be dancing around the other as if they knew everything. In all reality, one could make that argument. Everyone in the home had been there because of some traumatizing event. Whatever that reason be, was not really important. It was cause and effect, essentially. The cause bringing them together and the effect being everyone knew something bad happened to someone else. That was just as unnerving as anything. "Spiders aren't so bad. The saying 'they're more scare of us than we are of them is essentially true'. The stories of people being bitten by them is only caused by one of two reasons. Someone got stupid and messed with the animal or by sheer chance that a spider and human crossed paths and the spider viewed them as a threat." So it was not the best way to start off a conversation and if anything, Autumn must have been as unnerved about what was going on as Jake had been. "Sorry. I'm ready to check out."

He made his way to the counter and pulled out his wallet. "This is a nice store you have here." He paused. This was awkward. She'd finally spoken to him, mentioned his name. She had just spoken to him more in the last two minutes than she had in nearly eight years while being at the home. "What's your customer base centered on? Those looking for something specific or those just venturing about?" he was at least trying to spark some conversation while she rang up the sale. "Seems peaceful, relaxing... relatively quiet." Jake could have cursed himself out for making such obvious and predictable remarks but what was he suppose to say or do? She had avoided almost everyone at the home while there, what would make this time any different. Finally he decided to be direct. He had nothing to lose. Nothing to fear. If anything, the two would probably never see one another again after this. Whether or not she wanted to talk about the past was up in the air, but Jake still needed to just say what was on his mind, "Listen. I'm sorry." He pulled out several bills and lay them on the counter as she finalized the total, "I'm sorry if there was anything I had ever done back at the home that unnerved you or made you uncomfortable. I'm not the best when it comes to getting to know people. I prefer people coming to me so those times I approached you, if it made you uncomfortable, I'm sorry." Nothing about his voice told the story that he could possibly be lieing. In all honesty, Jake was being truthful. Avoidant by nature, he had never learned how to openly approach anyone to start a typical conversation. Sure managing a shop forced him to become more outgoing in a sense but in other ways he was still the same person that had first entered that home so many years ago. He still held some things from the outside world. Even his closest employees knew nothing of his personal life or what secret he held in that respect. It was probably best to just liven the mood and change the subject, "How much do I owe you?"

[autumn]

Autumn watched as he scanned through the book, she hoped that it would work for him. If she had to keep looking through the books it would take a while. She knew they probably had something that would work for him, they had every kind of book in this store, for any kind of person. Autumn had spent many long, long days and nights going through the books trying to figure out the best way to organize them, but with the wide ranges of topics there simply was no easy way to do it. ”This will do just fine.” Autumn nodded, happy that she had been able to help a customer. “Good, I’m glad. Is there anything else you need?” She too had noticed the tension, and she knew that she was mostly the one responsible. If she’d just been able to make herself take a risk back at the home, the two of them wouldn’t be standing awkwardly with each other in a tiny shop filled to the brim with old books. She started when he spoke, and smiled slightly. “Oh trust me, I understand all that, but that doesn’t make them any less…creepy crawly. I don’t know, I’ve never really been near one except to run away.” Her smile grew at her own fear.

“I’m ready to check out.” Autumn nodded and took the book from him. “Alright, follow me.” Autumn once again led the way through the maze of bookshelves. Sensing him following her she walked around behind the counter and set the book down. She began typing the book into the cash register and paused when he began talking again. “Thank you, though it’s not mine. I just work here. My boss is on vacation right now so he left me in charge, considering he didn’t have any other employees to leave it with.” She laughed nervously. She’d never talked this much before in her life. She made small talk with the other customers but most of them didn’t have a past with her, most of them didn’t feel the awkward tension, and most of them she hadn’t felt the need to ease that awkward tension with. “Our customer base is mostly locals, but occasionally we have a few tourists come in as well. And yes, it is very peaceful in here…sometimes too peaceful that’s why I put the music on when there haven’t been customers in a while.” Were they really going to talk about the store…for a long time? Autumn turned back to the cash register and concentrated on the sale again.

Initially she thought that his silence meant she had finally gotten a reprieve from speaking, that maybe the tension would be over soon. But then his voice filled the store again. Autumn looked up at him shocked, his words made her feel horrible. Obviously he’d been through a lot and her stupid past, after screwing up her life and making it impossible for her to trust anyone, had screwed up his now too. And now she was going to have to fix it. “Oh god Jake….” Her face was stricken with grief at the pain she had obviously caused him. “I didn’t…you didn’t….” How to make him understand? “It’s just…I’ve had a lot of bad experiences that have made it really hard for me to trust people. And you….you kinda scared me at the home because you were, well honestly you were kinda like a stalker at times.” She looked down at her hands and sighed.

“Then at prom, I didn’t even really want to be there watching other people getting over their troubles and enjoying someone else’s company while I couldn’t even forget my past long enough to make friends, let alone have a relationship. And I was so jealous of all those other girls, because I knew I was just as pretty but no one had asked me to go with them, or asked me to dance.” She laughed softly and then looked up at him. “And then you came, and you asked. And I was too shocked, and scared out of my mind to even answer you.” Autumn’s eyes fell again. “I guess you took my silence as rejection, and I couldn’t make myself go after you. You did make me uncomfortable but it was only because I’m too big a wuss to make myself talk to people, I’m too afraid I’ll get hurt again.” She reached out, suddenly feeling the need to make him understand it wasn’t his fault, she grabbed his hand gently and looked him right in the eyes. “You have nothing to be sorry for…this is all about my insecurities….my fears.”

She pulled back again and blushed. “Umm, that’ll be six dollars.”

[jakedaniels]

There was not anything he could really say, Autumn was right. Jake had been the uneasy kid. He did not know how to approach people so, at times, he had followed while trying to build himself up in an attempt to try and speak to her but never could figure out what to do. So alas, it had all culminated to that night at prom where Daniels had been shot down. He could not blame her, it was now apparent, she had been unnerved, uneasy about him. The one thing he could not do was come off the same way again. She did not want to talk to Jake then, odds were she wanted him out of her store now. Quietly, he handed over the six dollars, an uneasy silence befalling them both. She tried to play it off as if it was all on her, her insecurities and faults but Daniels knew better. Had he done things differently, approached her differently in the beginning, perhaps she would have spoken to him. That was a long time off, years back and there was no point to fret about it now.

He heard the cling of the register, which drew his attention back to the here and now. She handed over his change, which Jake immediately tucked into his pocket. Still he remained silent as she had gotten a small bag, tucked the book inside and slid the receipt in. "Well..." Jake said. Setting the bag down on the counter and removing the receipt. He pulled his wallet back out and slid the reciept in. If it had been in the bag, he would probably forget it but at least this way, if he kept it, he could get reimbursed for it since it would be listed as a work related expense. Still Jake wanted to say more, to find something to talk about but Autumn was made uneasy. It was time to be the classy guy and leave. If there was fate, it was cruel, to pull up both of their old wounds like this. "... thank you for being such a great help today." Just before Jake slid his wallet back away, he pulled a business card from it and set it on the counter and flashed her a smile. "I'll see you around sometime. If you ever get more arachnid books perhaps you could put my shops number into your buisness' roll-a-dex?"


"Again, Apologies. Should have acted more... normal." he laughed, referring back to the home. "It's all good though, and again sorry. I hope the rest of your day goes well for you!" With that and a quick tucking of the wallet away, Jake grabbed his bag and made his way to the front door. Ah well. Perhaps tomorrow would bring about happier times.

[autumn]

Autumn bagged the book and sighed as he took the receipt out, she always forgot to ask people if they wanted it to be put into the bags or not. She felt horrible, and she could tell he hadn’t listened to her before. Her whole time at the school, she’d wanted nothing more than to tell Jake Daniels that she did like him too but that she needed him to teach her how to trust people. Ever since she left the home, she’d regretted her inability to go after him at prom, regretted her inability to speak to him, to accept his offer to dance. Autumn reached out and took the business card from it’s place on the counter. “Alright….I’ll do that, and I’ll make sure to keep an eye out for books.” She looked at the card and smiled sadly when she heard him apologizing again.

Now it was just making her feel incredibly awful that he continued to view this whole mess as his fault. She’d made the mistake of letting him walk away once, she would not do it again. She felt like she had been sucked into some romance movie, where the two soul mates have been away from each other for years, but they still remember each other perfectly and they both are still scarred from their pasts but they find a way to get past it regardless. Autumn wasn’t sure if that was how this was going to turn out, but she sure as hell was going to find out.

She rushed out from behind the counter and walked quickly towards him. “Jake!...Wait.” She wasn’t sure what to do, what to say, to make him understand what she was feeling. So she did the first thing she could think of. “I told you it wasn’t your fault.” She stated simply before pushing him gently up against a bookshelf, wrapping her arms around his neck, and leaning up to press her lips against his. Don’t push me away…please. Even as she thought it she expected him to do nothing else.

[jakedaniels]

Jake was pushed against the bookshelf, Autumn wrapping her arms around him. She pressed her lips to his in sudden fashion and a flurry of emotions overtook him. Lust, joy, surprise but the biggest was confliction. This was so... out of character, so unexpected especially from Autumn. How much had she changed since the home? How much had she really changed? How much could she have changed? What happened between the time they left the home and now? He kissed back, not one to abandon someone mid kiss and in fact one of the best pleasures in life was a kiss. At first their lips toyed with the others, pressing flesh to flesh but soon they dare... venture deeper. Autumns hands pulled Jakes head down towards her. Moist, warm flesh met moist warm flesh, their tongues dominating over the other, yet at times, toyed with the opposites lips. This felt good, refreshing. Like a warm bayou breeze that help to alleviate the body, this kiss sent a swirl of emotions through Daniels.

His hands, which hand gripped her hips, slowly moved up and down his back in firm strokes, before falling to her backside, squeezing gently, only to slide back up to her hips. Their heads continued to fight for domination and Daniels did not want it to end yet something compelled him to pull back, to end the kiss. Why? And then it hit him... "I don't want you do anything you felt obligated to do?" Daniels was not sure if Autumn felt guilted into such an act and if she had, he would not forgive himself. Should he have even kissed back, though it did feel good. "Listen, I'm off work in about six hours. If you get off perhaps you should come by the petshop. We could head out for a walk... or whatever once I'm off." Of all the times to be forward and to ask her a decent question, it had to be after she kissed him? Unique was of doing it but it worked, the kiss did give Jake enough confidence to ask the simple question. It was when his feet hit something on the floor that Daniels finally realized he dropped his book, but his eyes remained locked on Autumns. With a motion of his thumb across her lips, he slowly knelt down and grabbed his small bag. Who was Jake kidding. It had been one hell of a kiss and he could already tell, based on what was exchanged, Autumn needed it as much as he had. Now was the time to see if anything else would develop, could develop or would it end right here and now.

[autumn]

At first, all Autumn could think about was the fact that he hadn’t pushed her away, but then she began to realize that him still holding on to her meant that they were still kissing, and she focused on that again. Autumn found her hands floating up to twine through the hair on Jake’s head, even though there wasn’t much of it, and pull him down to her more so she could fully appreciate the delicious friction between their lips. She felt his tongue in her mouth and sighed, moving forward more to press herself against him. This wanton abandon was out of character for her but it also felt amazing.

As she focused more, she began to take in the details of the kiss. The warmth of his hands sliding up and down her back, squeezing her butt, and returning to her hips; the moist juncture between their lips; the tingling sensation rolling all through her body; and most importantly the taste of him. Jake tasted like snow, regardless of the fact that Autumn had never tasted snow, or been near snow, she knew that he tasted like snow because she had tasted it in her dreams. She loved snow, with a deep and burning passion born of the fact that she had never actually experienced it, only seen it in it’s romanticized form on movies and television and in books. So for Jake to taste like her dreams, it almost seemed like a sign that she’d done the right thing.

Her mind came to this conclusion seconds before Jake pulled away, causing her to whimper in protest when he did so and then groan in frustration at his words. He thought she had thrown herself at him out of pity or some sick sense of guilt. “I don’t do anything unless I want to Jake.” Autumn said, irritation written clearly on her face. She was not the type of girl that just went around kissing boys, she was quite pure in that area in fact, as Jake was the first boy she’d ever kissed. “Oh god….you’re the first boy I’ve ever kissed and you think I did it out of pity. How horrible of a kisser must that make me?”

Twice Told Tales closed whenever it’s sole employ decided it did, but Autumn suddenly didn’t feel much like telling him that. After the kiss they’d shared, which Autumn had thought was pretty damn good, he’d thrown it back in her face as an act of pity. It had been an act of desperation, sure, but not pity, never pity. “I don’t know Jake, we’ll see. I’m not sure I want to go anywhere with someone who thinks I’m the type of girl who would be able to just throw herself at some guy because she feels bad.” Autumn stalked angrily back behind the counter. “Have a nice day sir, I hope you found everything you came looking for.”

[jakedaniels]

He pushed the wrong buttons and he knew it. Autumn had been completely offended with his statement. What else was Jake suppose to say? It didn't make sense. It also did not help that this had been Autumns first kiss, an absolutely splendid kiss that had been ruined with a single insensitive remark about not wanting her to do something she didn't want, not wanting her to do something she was compelled to do. 'God Jake, when can you shut up.' Daniels had no clue with women, that much was certain and with her, it was apparent nothing would ever come easy with Autumn. It did not happen years earlier at the home and it did not happen now. Autumn was a complicated woman. Why did he have to open his mouth? Why did he have to make that statement? Why was everything anyone did for or too him thought of as an act of pity and obligation. There was no point in staying, not now anyway. Autumn needed time and based on how fast and angrily she stalked off to the counter, Daniels did not want to risk insulting her anymore than he already have, albeit inadvertently. "This kiss was nice." he said while he reached the entrance, "I hope the remainder of your day go's well for you." With that he left, leaving Autumn to regain what peace he thought she could gather with his departure. A part of his wanted to stay, wanted to explain what exactly he meant but no matter how he phrased it, the statement still came off asinine.

Hours Later

Big Arachnids Plus was not the largest pet store in New Orleans, though it had the largest selection of arachnids in this part of the united states. Over a two hundred different species of Scorpions and Spiders. Jake respected the creatures, capable of stalking through the night with little fear of their surroundings. In their worlds, these particular species were the pinnacle - the top of their food chain but now, all were housed in glass containers that were beautifully implanted into the walls. Anyone to the shop could walk along the walls to find any particular species they wanted. Tarantula's were the biggest draw and by the the most abundant of the store. The store was maintained by four employees. A cashier, a high school student by the name of Mindy whom could use her charm to get any gentleman to buy the additional knick knacks that doted the counter, even if they did not truly need it. Frank, Mindy's boyfriend worked with the Lizards and Snakes while the Jeremiah worked the large fish tanks at the center of the store.

All teens but all three had a ability that made Big Arachnids Plus a huge hit within the community. When it came to stocking, moving about product and rearranging the store as needed, all employees including Jake pitched in. Daniels himself worked with the spiders and scorpions and was legally the only one allowed to do so. As the only adult in the store, it was his responsibility to ensure the safety of his employees and with the passing of the 'Dangerous Animals in Captivity Act', the State of Louisiana had to hand out Licenses to those handling and selling poisonous animals. As such, minors could not hold a license. Having returned not but ten minutes earlier, frustration blasted across his face, Mindy did not have her usual cheerful greeting. A high pitched hello always brought a smile to Jake face, though his demeanor gave off a sign to not play around. Shame - he would have smiled had she done it now.

"Jake, everything ok?" Frank asked rounding one of the various shelves containing large terrarium tanks. He had spotted Jake coming into the store and must have given people a heads up on Daniels posture and facial expressions.

"Everything's fine. Did the shipment of Corn Snakes take to the new tank?" Daniels asked, trying to free his mind of the grip that Autumn still held.

"Yeah - they were released about forty minutes ago. So far no signs of stress in any of them." Frank was hesitant and drew himself back towards the tanks as Jake made his way towards his office.

He needed to clear his mind. He still could not believe how stupid he had gotten. The office was small, enough for a desk, a chair behind it, three chairs in front and a computer though the side wall had a window which let him keep an eye on the front register. If anyone got stupid with Mindy or the register, he would see. Still he had no interest in looking at anyone. Quietly he closed the blinds, though he door remained open so he could still hear the chatter in the store. If something happened or his employees needed him, they knew that when his door was open, they could come talk to him - even when he was as tense as he was now. Autumn still played on his mind, the kiss, the sensual, warm, moist kiss that had been a sinful delight but was ruined by a singular comment, a rather stupid singular comment.

[autumn]

Autumn didn’t respond as he left the store, but as soon as he was gone her face lost it’s tense angry expression. She slid down to the floor behind the counter and looked down at the floor. Unbidden, tears began to slide down her cheeks. This was the exact reason she didn’t trust people, didn’t even talk to people, because they always found a way to hurt you. Always. Jake had barely gotten her to speak to him before he broke her in two. Why was she so stupid? To think she’d actually gone after him, touched him, wasted her first kiss on him.

Thinking about the kiss just made the tears come faster, it had been amazing. Perfect and yet, that was what made it so hard. The kiss was all the more painful now because it had been so perfect and felt so right. Autumn avoided moments like that because they were so god-awful painful when they were turned against you. The silence of the store was broken again by a sob torn from deep in her chest. She slumped to her side and lay with her cheek pressing against the soft carpet of the store. Content to do nothing more than sit and cry over her loss.

“I thought you wanted me…” She whispered to herself. How stupid. To think someone like him would ever want to tie themselves to someone like her. Even though they were both damaged, even though they were both dregs of society, Jake was still far above her. So far above her that she should have been able to tell that he was out of reach. But she’d ignored her fears, thinking she might actually be able to be happy for once. Thinking that maybe he would be worth taking a risk for.

“Stupid! How could you be so stupid?” Autumn hated herself for it, and hated Jake as well. Life was nothing if not cruel. She had learned that long ago. Squaring her shoulders, Autumn sat up, wiping the tears from her face. She stood slowly and prepared herself for the rest of her day.


Some Time Later


There had been next to no customers the rest of that day, which turned out to be a good thing because Autumn continuously found herself thinking back to that morning and her kiss with Jake, and consistently after that thinking she found herself crying uncontrollably. She’d just finished one of these intense crying bouts when she decided that she’d had enough for the day.

After locking up the shop and grabbing her things. Autumn headed for home once more. On her way she passed by a shop whose name she’d never taken notice of before but suddenly it was familiar. She stopped to look at it and wondered why. Then she realized. Big Arachnids Plus, which was the name of the shop, was the name that had been printed boldly at the top of the business card Jake had given to her. Which she had dutifully put into the roll-a-dex of the store, regardless of what had happened between them.

Unable to stop herself, Autumn suddenly went from being the stalkee, to being the stalker. She walked into the store, facing her fear of spiders and all things creepy crawly, just to maybe see Jake again and hopefully let herself realize that she didn’t have anything to be upset about. But as she walked she realized that she was just being stupid…and creepy. Halfway through the store, easily within sight of his office despite her knowledge, she stopped, shook herself, and turned to head back out. Shaking her head and mumbling to herself about how stupid she was.

[jakedaniels]

The remainder of his day was spent double checking shipments, orders, crunching numbers. It had gone bye seemingly normal for the most part. Everything was tidy and in order, just as he liked it. His employees had not alerted him to any concerns so the sudden arrival of Frank at his door was noticed. Frank rarely came to the door, if there was a problem, often times he knew how to fix it. "Jake." His head motioned for the window. Daniels eyes narrowed in confusion and using two fingers he pried open the blinds to take a peek. Surprise over took him once more as Autumn had stepped into his domain. He pulled back, letting the blinds closed and looked at Frank before taking a peek again. "You know her?"

"Yes. Is something wrong with her?" Jake replied, his eyes focused on her. Why exactly had she come? She did not have books with her so obviously she had no knew arachnid arrivals. Could she have actually come to talk to him. His abdomen tightened with anticipation... filled with anxiety and delight with sumo-wrestled one another for dominance. So far both were equally controlling his emotions. How should he approach her? What should he do? What should he say?

"No, I jut saw something off about her. She's looking for someone, it seems but the way she came in caught my eye so I wanted to let you know." Daniels nodded his head, a silent signal to Frank that his presence was no longer needed. Jake drew himself back again and quietly stood, ensuring that his clothes were in order. The question lingered why she had come? She didn't like spiders so obviously she was not here to shop. Perhaps... some fish? That would be Jakes angle in, keep the conversation light to start with. As easy as possible.

He stepped out, passing around Mindy's register and right up to Autumn. He lightly tapped her shoulder, "Excuse me miss. Is there anything I can help you with." He held a genuine smile across his lips, his eyes reading of none of the bad that had occurred hours before, just the good. The flicker in them remember the kiss itself, not what was said afterward. "Are you looking for a new pet, possibly a fish?" He used a finger to tuck some of her hair that had gotten in her eyes to just behind her ear. "Perhaps... you're looking for something else or someone?" He noticed the eyes of his three... nosy employees watching from various spots in the store, "How about we go into my office and get some privacy?" Lightly he guided her, his hand on the small of her back, towards the office. He motioned to Mindy that no one disturb him, and shut the door. Ok the office was not much to look at but it did give the privacy the duo would need.

Before Autumn could say anything, do anything, Daniels had her pressed against the side of his desk. His hands reach down, grasped her thighs, lifting the woman and setting her on the top of the desk. His lips pressed against hers, his mouth warm and dominate searched her owns. With just as much vigor as he had earlier but with a heightened emotional tone, one hand gripped her thigh and jerked her forward, pressing her body against his own while the other found its place on the middle of her back, 'Please...' was the only thing he thought.

[autumn]

Autumn jumped in shock at the tap on her shoulder and then shrunk visibly with embarrassment as she recognized the voice that spoke to her. She turned and looked up at him, at once hating and loving the smile on his face while he talked to her as though nothing had happened between them, as if he hadn't just made her cry for almost six hours. Not that he knew about the crying, or ever would if she had any say in the matter. "Am I looking for a fish?" She asked, her attitude evident in her voice. "Am I looking for a fish? You know what maybe I am looking for a fish, a nice piranha. After you sell it to me could you jump in it's tank and let it eat you alive?" How dare he talk to her like nothing had happened...and touch her nochalantly, no more than pushing her hair back, and make her quiver in all the special places she'd always heard about before.

"I was not!" She practically shouted, her voice high-pitched because of the lie she was telling. Autumn had most definately been looking for him, but she couldn't have told him why if he'd asked. She started to open her mouth to protest them going anywhere private, but his hand lightly on her back started the tingles running through her again and she couldn't do anything except walk numbly into his office.

The door had barely closed before Autumn found herself shoved against the desk, she felt his hands on her thighs and gasped in surprise as he lifted her up onto it. His lips crashed against her own in a kiss that was as wild and untamed as Jake made her feel. She was slid forward, every inch of her body pressed against some slice of his own, her heart pounding with the ferocity of this kiss. She could feel his heat everywhere and found herself responding immediately and without concious thought.

Her legs wrapped around his waist, pulling him even further into her embrace as her arms wrapped around his neck. She raised herself so that he wasn't leaning down to kiss her, pressing her chest against his through the action. Her tongue slipped into his mouth and she moaned softly at the sweet taste of him that she hadn't gotten enough of the last time they'd been in this position. Her hands slid down his chest, fumbling with his shirt so she could slide them underneath and feel his bare skin. She pulled her lips away, but just enough to softly moan his name, before she kissed him eagerly again.

[jakedaniels]

Her touch against his flesh was all the more arousing and Jake allowed himself the constant grinding against her that his body wanted. His pants had suddenly grown uncomfortable as heat swelled in his body and when Autumn moaned his name, Daniels hands slid up her body and cupped her breast. His tongued met her own in a messy slurried exchange of fluids that was all the more intense. Autumn bit down on Jakes lower lip, clamping so he could not draw back. Her hands continued to rush around his flesh, pressing and exploring every facet there was to his torso. Again he slid himself against her before finally using his weight to lay Autumn upon her back. Daniels pulled himself onto the desk, her legs still wrapped around his. How long the desk could support both was a mystery though it showed now signs of stress nor strain.

His mouth found the lower part of her neck once more as his hand squeezed her breast firmly. His body jerked against her own once more and he let out a low grunt, almost a near growl. His left arm supported his wait above him, though his head remained lowered and once again, his lips met Autumns. This kiss, this spark ignited a flurry of passion which culminated into a series of events that seem to all occur at once. His right hand unhooked her bra, moving the cup so as to have free access to the breast. Slowly Daniels pulled her shirt up, putting her chest into his full view. He grunted her name, ground against her body once more before paying attention to the breast and its most sensitive area with harsh kisses, light nips and yet all the while being completely supportive to the needs, to the cravings her body screamed for, just as his own did.

As his tongue played with her, his eyes locked onto her own, sharing a momentary gaze of animalistic needs. Daniels was in control though it appeared he was driven by one thing. After another harsh kiss to the breast, he brought his lips up to her own. He wanted her. Now. But was the pet store the best place to to do this? The office in a pet store? No. This was not where Jake wanted to do this. It would be done right. "Autumn." he grunted against her, his hand cupping her breast once more, "...my place. Not here." His sentences were sparse, grunted and force. His body objected, wanting it here and now but Daniels had to get home. He would want his first time with Autumn to be memorable and not in the 'I had sex in a pet store.' memorable.

[autumn]

When his hand connected with her breast Autumn let out a deep moan, not like the soft breathy ones from before, this one was pure pleasure and quickly turned to a purr. She'd never done this before but her body seemed to have a mind of it's own when he touched her. Why hadn't anyone ever explained to her what this could be like? She could have been doing this years ago, at the home. Her teeth came down, sucking lightly on his lower lip, her tongue sweeping across it before delving deep into his mouth again. He ground himself against her again and again, heightening both of their pleasures.

Her hands slid around to his back as he pushed her back onto the desk. She could feel him pressing against her, could feel herself tingling in need for him. His harsh grabs intensified the wild feel of this whole encounter and Autumn's heart raced as his mouth connected with the sensitive skin at her neck. His quick thrust against her, and intense growl made her arch her back in anticipation. Their mouths met again in sweet sparking passion. She felt her bra get loose and then his hand on her bare breast, causing her nails to dig into the skin stretched taught over the hard muscles of his back.

Autumn gasped as she felt cold air hit her stomach and then her breasts as he exposed her to the empty office and his wandering eyes and mouth. Her back arched again as his mouth found her breast's peak and he thrust against her again. When his eyes locked with her's, Autumn felt warmth rush between her legs. "Oh Jake..." Her voice wavered as he played with her more. Their lips met again and Autumn's nails dug in once more, trying to get as close to him as possible.

Her name, grunted from his lips, sounded so sweet, but part of her pulled away, expecting another quick clean rejection. But she quickly returned to her previous state when she realized that he did want her, but was being sweet enough to hold off until they could be somewhere more...private. Autumn pushed him up and followed him, pressing her lips to his feverishly. "Yes." It was all she could say, it scared her how much she wanted this but she was tired of running away from the things she wanted. "Yes Jake." She refastened her bra with one hand while she pulled his face back to her own with the other. When she was done straightening herself out she pushed him away long enough to get off the desk and then she wrapped herself around him again, kissing him hard, her teeth pulling at his lower lip again. "If we can make it that far." Her breathing was heavy and she forced herself to stop. "I don't think I can wait...my place.....closer...two blocks..." Each fragment was punctuated by a kiss.