This story includes non-consensual sex. If that bothers you, please skip this.
Desperado, song by Glenn Frey and Don Henley of The Eagles
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Kent
It was a slightly gloomy spring day, just a bit chilly and overcast. Kent wandered down the strip mall, not that he wanted to buy anything, but he was tired of sitting alone in his apartment. He didn't have a TV, since there was little or nothing he wanted to watch. He read his books, or maybe went down to the clubhouse of the apartments to play pool. He was by no means a pool shark, but he could play adequately.
There was a private party in the clubhouse today though, so he couldn't do that. During the week, he'd normally be at his job, but this was Saturday. Kent worked as an accountant at a CPA firm. That left him near the bottom of the totem pole. At the top were the partners, then the non-partner CPAs, then the CPA candidates who hadn't passed the test yet. Being just a staff accountant, he was only slightly above the support staff.
Kent had no girlfriend. He'd always been a bit shy around women, particularly the pretty ones. He found himself tongue-tied, and when he could manage to speak to a woman, apart from business, he always seemed to say something to blow up his chances. Sad, but it seemed to happen so often that Kent often didn't even bother to try any longer.
At any rate, Kent wandered down by the shops, usually not even bothering to go inside. He'd look in the windows, but never saw much to catch his eye. As he walked some rain began to fall. He looked out and could see a wall of rain, moving down the street. As miserable as he felt, he didn't want to get soaked, not when it was already chilly, so he ducked in the nearest shop.
The shop was kind of an unusual one, which sold little hand-made knick-knacks made by local crafts people. Most of it was stuff that Kent thought was total junk. As he walked through the store, trying to wait out the rain, his eye was caught by some little crocheted elephants. Essentially they were covers for a small container of cleanser, but were cute in their own way.
They were two-tone with a base color and a lighter accent. The elephant seemed to sit on its butt with four little puff balls of yarn for feet, with a darker outer section and a lighter inner one. They had larger floppy two tone ears and a trunk alternating between the two colors with a white pipe cleaner to give shape to the trunk.
As he looked at them, a clerk in the shop came up to him. She was about 5'2" and 110 pounds, slender but with a nice shape and smallish breasts. She had a cute face and brown hair not quite to her shoulders. Her hair was tucked behind her ear on the right side and she had a flower behind her ear. She had a sweet smile as she walked up to Kent. She wore jeans that weren't too tight, with a pink blouse and some nice flats.
"Can I help you with anything?" She asked.
"I... um... was... uh... just browsing."
"Those elephants are kind of cute, aren't they?"
"There's lots of cute things around here."
She brightened even further and did a sexy but embarrassed squirm. "So what else caught your attention?"
"What or who?"
"You tell me."
"I see you have a flower behind your ear. I read that in the South Pacific, a woman would have a flower behind one ear to say she had a boyfriend, or behind the other to say they were looking for one."
"Interesting. Which ear was which?"
"I can't recall."
"I just have the flower because I like the way it looks."
"It looks very nice - you look very nice."
"Thank you."
"I... well... my name is Kent."
"I'm Elizabeth, but most people call me Liz."
"Is that what you like being called?"
"It'll do, for now."
Kent looked around the shop. Liz seemed to be the only clerk, and Kent was the only customer in the place. He wasn't sure what he should do. He knew what he'd like to do, but he'd been shot down so many times that he was hesitant to put himself out there again. Liz could be flirting with him, but it might just be someone trying to make a sale on a slow day.
"The... um... elephants?"
"They are cute, and they aren't too expensive. There's a retired lady who makes them for a little extra cash."
"I do kind of like them."
"Is there anything else here you see that you like?
Kent looked at Liz, looking straight into her eyes, and found himself almost lost in those eyes. Of course there was something else he liked - he liked Liz, but that might not be what she meant. Kent thought about Liz - thought about his lips touching hers. He actually leaned very slightly forward, and saw Liz's eyes get very big. Kent blushed and pulled back, looking away as he did.
When he looked back that way, Liz was looking down and looking a little embarrassed. Kent wasn't sure if he was wrong to move like he was going to kiss her, or whether he was wrong to stop. Either way, he had screwed up, yet again. He was confused and ashamed and grabbed two elephants off the shelf, one grey with white accents, and the other blue with powder blue accents.
"I... um... I'd like these."
Liz looked at Kent, with a sad expression, turned and led him to the cash register. She rang up the two elephants, and started to bag them. Kent took the blue one and handed it to Liz.
"I'd... like you to have this - from me."
"Really? Okay. Thank you."