Virgin Next Door

The customers didn’t seem to mind and kept him in small talk. Sometimes, he even came out with a bat.

Again, no fear was shown.

At lunchtime, one of Mr. Graves’s sons came to tend the register while he went out to lunch, and she grabbed her bag, choosing the opportunity to get to her appointment at the bank. This one she had no choice to keep, even if Eli called her.

This was all business and it had to come before pleasure.

She only hoped the bank didn’t keep her waiting. The last thing she needed was for it to run on and risk losing her new job.

When no one was looking, she took a bite of her sandwich she’d stowed away in her bag.

“Miss Adams,” a man dressed in a very expensive suit said.

“Hello.” She quickly swallowed her mouthful of sandwich, hurting her throat as she did so. Great, this was supposed to show her being responsible and he caught her eating in a no-eating zone.

“I’m Roger David.” He held his hand out and she took it, shaking it. “Follow me.”

He walked toward his office, closing the door behind him. “What can I help you with today?”

Opening up her bag, she pulled out her paperwork. “I was hoping to have a reduction and an extension for my monthly mortgage.”

He took the paperwork, typed on his computer, and chuckled. “I’m sorry, Miss Adams, but you no longer have a mortgage.”

“What? No, that can’t be right. I have one. I know I’m supposed to pay. I don’t understand.”

“Your mortgage was paid in full yesterday.”

“That’s not possible,” she said.

“It is.” He turned his computer around for her to see. “Look, paid in full.” He clicked on his mouse and she saw her mortgage was paid in full.

“I didn’t do this. Can you tell me who did this?” she asked.

Don’t panic.

It’s fine.

Everything will be fine.

It’s just a tiny mistake. Nothing to worry about.

“Eli Bruce.”

“What?”

“The payment was made by an Eli Bruce.”

She sat back, unable to believe it. “You’re sure?”

“I am very sure. You have no reason to worry about your mortgage. All details will be mailed to you. I’m sure they will be with you within the next seven to ten days.”

She nodded and got to her feet. She shook his hand and walked back to the store, a little … shocked.

This wasn’t what she wanted.

Don’t be ungrateful.

Was it ungrateful, though? She’d not asked for him to pay her mortgage. She could pay.

Mr. Graves didn’t seem to notice any change within her when she returned. He was talking about his fries and the cheese he had over them. He believed there were bugs in the cheese.

She tuned him out, finished working for the day, and walked home.

Letting herself inside her home, she wrapped her arms around herself. Was this really her home? She hadn’t bought it.

After a couple of minutes of standing in the hallway, a knock sounded at her door.

She knew who it was without even looking.

Opening the door, she looked at Eli.

“Hey, beautiful. Katie’s at a friend’s house, and I figured you and I could enjoy a date night.”

“I’m not a whore,” she said.

Stepping away from the door, she walked into the kitchen. She didn’t own any hard liquor but at that moment, she wanted a drink, a stiff one.

Instead, she opened the fridge and took out a beer. It wasn’t going to help her mood.

“Are you going to tell me what that is all about?” he asked.

“Are you going to tell me why you paid for my house?” She took a long drink of her beer.

“You know?”

“How did you even know how to pay for my house? Why would you do that? Is that what you need to clear your conscience or something? You took my virginity so now you’re paying for the privilege so you don’t feel bad?” She wanted to shut up. She sounded mean, and this wasn’t her.

“You think I paid to fuck you?”

“Didn’t you? Is that what paying for my place is doing?” she asked, glaring at him. This was all a little too much. She shook her head. “I didn’t ask you to do that.”

“No, you’re just going to struggle to make ends meet. I saw your calculations, Ann. I should have consulted you before paying for it, but you were going to lose everything. Working different jobs to make ends meet. You think I don’t know what that’s like? My parents did that until I made enough money to pay for their house.”

“I’m not your parents. I’m not even your girlfriend. I’m a girl you fuck when your daughter is away. Damn it. I don’t want to argue with you. I hate this.” She wasn’t the kind of woman to make conflict but she felt really weird about him paying for her house.

“Ann, I did it so you didn’t have to leave. You’re a good woman. A hard-working one. I can see that.”