82Hello All! This is a oneshot I wrote for Tantalizing Tuesday on Southern Fan Fiction Review. Sandy has very kindly given me her permission to publish it so enjoy!
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Checkout
It's that day again. It's the highlight of my week.
Most people look forward to Friday because it's the beginning of the weekend. Not me, my day of choice is Tuesday.
Because every Tuesday I get to see him.
Edward.
His name is Edward.
I know this because I have memorised every single bit of him; from his apple green eyes to his eternally messy hair; from his long lean body to his broad shoulders. Not to mention his long fingers, fingers that I have noticed are wedding ring free.
Oh and his voice. On the rare occasion I have heard it, is soft like velvet and deep.
There is of course his uniform, his blue uniform and his name badge that declares he is Edward Cullen.
You see, he's a checkout boy.
Yes, I am that girl. Bella Swan. Single mother and soon-to-be divorcee. Thirty years old and I have a crush on a supermarket checkout boy.
In my defence he is not the average checkout boy. He's more of a checkout man. I reckon he must be at least twenty five. But I don't know the first thing about him. Who is he? Why is he here? He looks too old to be a student making ends meet. I'm sure there must be some fascinating reason why he's stacking shelves and scanning groceries...
After all with the economy as it is, any job is golden these days. I should know. From my brief foray into the job market I know how difficult it is to find anything. To be stuck in a job you hate just because it pays the bills.
I work in one of the most soul destroying jobs out there: a call centre; selling insurance that nobody wants but has to have. The shifts are long, but the money is good. Actually, who am I kidding? The money is far from good, but the extra hours I volunteer for are a bonus. With careful budgeting, frugal shopping and the meagre child support from my ex I manage to keep things afloat.
I work every weekend as my daughter is with her father, and most of the week while she is at school. This doesn't leave much of a window for grocery shopping. So Tuesdays it is. My daughter goes to an out-of-school club, collected by my neighbour when it closes. I get home after she's in bed. I unpack the groceries and collapse.
Edward works every Tuesday. I keep my distance and ogle him from afar. Unless of course he is actually on duty at one of the checkouts, in which case I cast my eyes down and shuffle past awkwardly.
Why I am still so shy at my age is beyond me. I think I am just out of practice having ran off and married my first and only boyfriend straight out of college. I have no experience in the world of men as my brief and humiliating clubbing trips with my girlfriends have proved. It doesn't help that the only men I have been on dates with (yes my friends are meddlers in my love life) have turned out to be creeps.
So Tuesdays are my little treat. I am not stupid enough to think this guy will ever look twice at me. I am just plain old Bella. Hair in a ponytail and just enough makeup to cover the shadows under my eyes. But I can enjoy a little look, right?
A little fantasy?
I wonder what his body is like under that uniform. I imagine his firm chest, a little hair but not too much; imagine running my fingers through it, trailing lower and lower and following them with my tongue. I imagine pulling on his unruly hair, running my tongue over those kissable red lips of his.
I think about this a lot. Let's just say I go through a lot of batteries...
This particular Tuesday has not been a good day. I'm beyond tired and the monotony of my job is really starting to get me down. Add some non-desirable but useful overtime to the mix and it just adds to the droop in my shoulders. I survive the day and head to the supermarket to get my groceries.
As I enter the store my heart gives a little jolt. It is later than usual, but maybe he will still be on duty. Please?
I trundle up and down the aisles gathering everything on my list and trudge towards the checkout. No sign of him anywhere. Damn. I feel my shoulders slump further as I shove my meagre collection of groceries through the checkout trying to squash down my disappointment.
Never mind Bella. After all, there will always be next week.
As I am pushing my trolley outside towards my car my foot catches in a pothole. It's like one of those movies. I clutch tight to my trolley but it slips from my grasp as my ankle turns painfully. I stumble, maybe due to tiredness, maybe due to my inherent clumsiness, who knows, but I am about to go flat on my ass.
I should go flat on my ass.
"SHIT!" I curse loudly. Before I hit the ground I am caught and supported by two firm hands; the further string of curse words frozen on my lips.
"Sssh," a velvet voice murmurs in my ear. "I've got you"
Oh great. A pervert. He is probably going to try to feel me up, or worse. This car park is very dark.
Why the bloody hell did I go shopping so late at night?
Dammit though, for a pervert he sure does smell good. I struggle within his grasp, trying to right myself.
"Sssh, sweetheart," he murmurs in my ear again, his voice vaguely familiar. "Don't hurt yourself."
He lifts me onto my feet and as I move a wave of pain shoots up through my ankle and I nearly crumble. I turn to face him.
Edward.
It really is him, looking at me worriedly, with a hint of a kindly smile on his face.
"I...I..." I stammer awkwardly, unsure where to look.
I have never been this close to him before. Those green eyes are dangerous; they have such a powerful, all consuming effect on me. I want to drown in them.
"SSh it's okay...Isabella."
Isabella?
How the fuck does he know my name?
"It's on your credit card," he announces.
Shit I must have said that out loud.
"Eh? What?" I try to speak but can only manage vague words.
"Your name. It's on your credit card. I remembered it. I'm not a stalker, honest," he rambles, ending with a nervous laugh.
"Oh, okay."
"Listen, are you going to be okay? It's very late and I'm worried about you getting home safely."
Edward's eyes are full of concern.
"I'll be fine, always am," I insist, nodding.
I turn away from him, reaching for some dignity and try to walk back to my car, but fail miserably when I realise how painful my ankle is. Hell I can't even walk on it without cursing. I start to stumble away awkwardly when...
The ground disappears and I am swept up in two strong arms.
Edward is now very, very close.
"I'll take care of you," he murmurs in my ear. "Let me take care of you,"
I don't know if it is the tiredness or the sheer shock of the situation but I let him carry me. Before I know it I am sitting in his car, my groceries in the boot and we are on our way home to my place. Edward has dismissed every one of my protests. My car will remain in the car park until the morning; he even had a word with one of the staff who reassured me it would be safe there. I need to figure out how to collect it in the morning, but I push that from my brain for now. I'll deal with it later.
This feels beyond awkward. Edward's car is very smart. Nothing like my old heap. It's clean for starters. Sleek and silver with a leather interior. My clothes are damp from the rain and my almost fall. I hope I don't leave any dirty marks behind.
I give Edward directions to my home, a small two-bedroom house in a quiet part of town. It's not fancy; not exactly the slums either.
The first few moments of the journey pass in silence before Edward breaks the ice.
"So...Isabella...what brings you here so late?"
"I worked some extra hours."
Of course this isn't enough. Edward wants to know exactly where I work and what I do there. I fill him in about my depressing job. He is sympathetic. He tells me he has spent time working in a call centre himself and knows how miserable it is. We talk briefly about how hopeless the economy is at the moment. When he asks why I am in this situation it all comes flooding out.
I tell him everything. This dark car is like some sort of truth drug. I don't have to look him in the eye so I spill my guts. I tell him how my "perfect" marriage ended in my husband leaving me for another woman and how I ended up working a dead-end job to keep a roof over our heads. Yes, our heads. I tell him all about Lauren, my five year old daughter who still cries at night for her father.
There, it's all out. This is the time for the awkward silence to kick in. Instead something else happens.
Edward takes my hand in his and gives it a reassuring squeeze, before stroking my palm gently.
"I'm so sorry, Isabella, that's rough. Really rough."
I take a deep breath and summon up some inner courage.
"So what about you, Edward. What's your life story?"
He tells me the answer to the question that has been on my mind ever since I clapped eyes on him: why he is stuck working in a supermarket. It seems he has a tale of woe too. Turns out he's something in computers and the company he worked for went under in the recession. Like me he has found job hunting hard and accepted the first offer he received. He is worse off than me though – he had to give up his apartment and move back in with his parents. He managed to keep his car but is crippled by the hire purchase payments.
I shudder inwardly. At least I have managed to keep my home. My ex is far from generous – in fact he pays the bare minimum, but we have a roof over our heads and haven't been reduced to some grotty flat in a deprived area.
I realise we are similar souls, both refusing to sit back and accept the hand we have been dealt, instead we try our hardest to make the best of things. The more I learn about Edward, the more I like him. I kick myself inwardly. This is just a ride home, Bella. Don't be getting any ideas.
In next to no time we pull up at my door. I am just starting to relax and enjoy my time with him, and now it is over.
"Keys," Edward demands, holding out his hand, palm upturned.
"What?"
Really I have to stop being so inept. He is going to think I am mentally incompetent.
"C'mon, give me your keys. Let me help you get your groceries unloaded."
Again under his spell I hand my keys over. I can't believe I am actually doing this. Thank heavens Lauren is sleeping over at Mrs Cope's tonight. If I am taking leave of my senses and letting a strange man into my house, she really shouldn't be here.
Edward is very businesslike. He has my groceries unpacked in no time while I am deposited in a chair and ordered not to move. He even fetches ice for my ankle.
"That's it, all done," Edward announces as he pops his head around the door.
This is it. He is leaving. This bizarre encounter is coming to an end.
"Umm thank you...so much," I mumble, eyes cast on the floor unable to look at him. I can feel the blush on my cheeks from this gorgeous man, standing here in my humble home.
He touches me.
It isn't much, just a gentle caress on my cheek but the electricity from that simple light brush of the fingers makes me tremble. There is gentle pull as he lifts my chin so I have to look at him. My eyes meet his burning ones and there is no going back.
"Do you have any idea...?" He breathes and shakes his head slowly.
I stare at him dumbfounded
The electricity between us heightens. I can smell him, feel him. His eyes flicker to my lips. I can't do this, can I? He is a stranger. I've only ever been with two men in my life. I can't do this.
Can I?
A little voice in my head tells me to go for it. A pervy little voice that reminds me just how long ago it has been since I had intimate relations with anyone, and that I might never get this chance again. The object of all my fantasies is right here under my nose and he isn't pushing me away or running in horror.
So I close my eyes, take a deep breath and go for it.
I lean closer and press my lips to his. They feel warm, and soft and taste every bit as delicious as I thought they would.
I brace myself for the sting of rejection, but it never comes. Instead his hands grip my hair and pull me closer. Those delicious lips of his move hungrily with mine. My tentative kisses give way to more eager ones as I lose myself in him.
His taste.
His feel.
It's been so long since I was kissed like this. Not since the beginning of my marriage maybe. No, scrap that. I have never been kissed like this.
These kisses are giving me tingles all over from the tip of my toes upwards. When his tongue pushes eagerly at my lower lip I find myself opening up to him completely.
He grunts and it's the sexiest thing I've ever heard. Until now he has been leaning over me awkwardly trying to keep his weight off me, but as my tongue meets his it is his undoing. He shoves his legs between mine, still careful of my ankle but no longer tentative.
I lean back against the sofa as I shove my hands in his hair, pulling, needing him closer. He comes willingly as he pushes me backwards onto the cushions. My hands roam over him as his lips make a hot trail down my jaw to my ear.
"Oh Isabella..." he whispers in my ear, breathing hard.
Oh my! That voice pools like liquid honey in my ear. His lips trail down my neck to the edge of my shirt. He sucks on my skin and my body turns to jelly.
I am done for. This man can do whatever he wants to me and I am powerless to stop him.
My hands grow bolder trailing over the shoulders that are as broad as I thought, down his back, scratching lightly as I feel the firm muscle flexing underneath. This makes him groan against my skin.
So I do it again and my hands reach his waist. I grab at him greedily. His perfect backside is at my fingertips so I give it a squeeze.
Oh God! I am shameless!
Edward doesn't seem to mind. He flexes his hips and pushes forward as I squeeze, so I do it again, harder this time.
He growls. Deep in his chest. Such a sexy, masculine sound. It makes me quiver with want.
Who am I kidding? What is making me quiver is what just pressed into me. What is hard and throbbing against me right now. And it is big.
No scrub that. Huge.
Oh My God.
He wants me. This gorgeous man really, really wants me. He pushes into me again and my head falls back as I gasp out loud. This spurs him on further. His teeth scrape against the skin of my neck.
Oh this is so hot. All my wildest fantasies never felt as good as this does.
I need more of him. My hands dip under his shirt and I run my fingers up his naked back.
This elicits another groan, but he pulls back.
Damn.
I see the look in his eyes. They are blazing. He pulls his shirt off over his head and throws it to the floor.
This is happening. This is really happening.
I'm going to have sex with him.
He pulls on my hands lifting me up as he slowly peels my shirt off. His eyes drink me in, locked on my exposed skin. Then with a small push I am falling back and he is on top of me again, lips devouring my bare skin in a frenzy. I feel the heat of his bare chest brushing mine.
I let my fingers explore. All over his naked back and shoulders, every inch. My bra is unclasped and tossed to the floor, then one of my aching nipples is in his mouth and all logical thought sails out the window.
He sucks hard, exploring my other breast with his hand. I writhe under his ministrations. After he has sucked both of my nipples thoroughly and I have been reduced to a panting mess he sits back and takes my hand.
"Bedroom?"
How can I say no?
I am trapped in his spell as he stands then scoops me into his arms and carries me upstairs.
He flings me back on my bed before climbing on, sliding on top of me, lips every bit as eager as before. It is only moments before he is undoing my trousers and dropping them to the floor. He leans over me, hooking his fingers into my knickers as he slowly, teasingly slides them lower and lower, until I am naked and wanton before him.
Thank heavens for my girlfriends who insisted on treating me to that spa day. I feel so much more comfortable knowing everything is tidy down there. Edward is transfixed as he slowly slides a finger inside me.
He groans loudly as he feels the effect he has had on me. I'm drenched. My hips move of their own accord bucking against him. Oh god those long fingers are so skilled as they move within me.
This isn't going to take long. I'm shamefully close to coming just from a few touches.
Edward glances up from between my breasts as he senses I am on the edge.
"Go on Angel...let go," he murmurs.
So I do. My orgasm crashes over me and my body twitches and shudders as I pulse around his fingers. He lets me ride it out before standing up and removing his trousers and underwear.
Then I see it... his magnificent cock, in all its glory. It truly is a thing of beauty. Long and thick and already slick at the tip.
I want it. I want him.
He strokes it gently as he gazes over me before moving closer and whispering in my ear.
"Do you have a condom?"
My heart lurches. Oh no. If I haven't, then I can't have him.
I remember the stash of condoms Rose and Alice pushed on me when we went clubbing, celebrating my first night as a single woman.
Now where did I put them? I rummage through the bedside drawer desperately before finally finding my prize. I brandish it triumphantly, like a trophy.
Edward chuckles as he takes it from my shaky fingers and slides it on.
This is it. We really are going to do this.
"Are you sure?" he asks, panting in my ear.
Oh God. Like I could say no.
"Yes. Please," I plead as I grab him and pull him closer.
With a sigh and a moan he slowly eases himself inside me. He has to go slowly.
It has been a while and to be honest, it is almost painful.
Almost.
Once he's all the way in and he fills me it feels delicious. He stills, head resting on my shoulder, breathing hard.
He looks up and his eyes meet mine as he slowly starts to move. Long languid strokes at first; every time he pulls back I want him to return instantly. I raise my legs, wanting him deeper, closer, unable to get enough.
Our movements become frenzied, faster and harder as passion overtakes us. He sucks on my neck again and I moan loudly.
"Oh God, don't stop!" I groan.
"Oh, I'm not stopping sweetheart," he growls as he lifts my legs higher, over his shoulders.
He really starts to move, pounding into me with total abandon.
It has never, EVER, been like this. We are like animals, grunting and groaning and thrashing. He rolls us over and lays back, gazing up in wonder as I sit above him. He guides my hips, helping with our movements. It feels amazing, staring down at this glorious man beneath me, my fingers scratching at his chest, which is just as I hoped, firm with just the right amount of hair.
I rock steadily above him, our passion mounting again as he growls beneath me, his hips thrusting up hard to meet mine.
"Oh fuck...Isabella...so good."
He rolls us over once more and hammers into me. The force of his thrusts and the angle of his hips send the most incredible sensations into me. I am coming, hard, for the second time as his pounds spiral out of control. He pushes into me once, twice, three times before collapsing on top of me, face burrowing into my neck.
We lay there for a few moments, as our racing hearts come back down to earth, before he gazes up at me, somewhat sheepishly.
"Hi," he murmurs.
"Hello."
We both chuckle and he kisses me tenderly before getting up to dispose of the condom. I roll over on my side, uncertain what to do now. Will he dress and leave?
My subconscious rears her ugly head.
You got what you wanted Bella, wasn't this what you were fantasizing about all this time?
Sated from two mind blowing orgasms, my eyes grow heavy. I am briefly aware of a warm body draping itself around me before I fall into a deep sleep.
~o0o~
Sun streams through my window as I slowly wake. The events of the previous night flood through my brain and I sit bolt upright as I realise.
I'm not alone.
Edward stayed.
He's still fast asleep. He stayed all night. As I rub my eyes I mentally run through everything that happened, including the round two that happened in the early hours.
I gaze down at the gorgeous man sleeping next to me, his lips pouty in sleep, long dark eyelashes fanning his cheeks.
He is so beautiful. I don't want to leave his side.
So I wiggle back into his arms, which instinctively wrap tight around me. I press my face into his warm chest and close my eyes to shut the world out for a bit longer.
I know reality will close in soon. I need to collect my daughter and my car and face another day but at least I will have the memory of last night to get me through.
I fall into a deep sleep in his arms.
Life can wait.
A/N
Thank you for reading. Did you like Checkoutward? Want to see more of him? Let me know. I may continue this once I finish FMLW which will update soon, I promise.
Huge thanks to my prereaders love2read30, shinyvolvolurver and monamour and my wonderful beta team EMCxo and Jaustenlover. Couldn't have done it without you.
Laters Taters
HKP