I sat and stared at him for a moment. "Oh, Bob, that's really tempting."
Bob and I had worked together at the grocery store for about a year. While I usually worked up front at the cash register or service desk, Bob was usually in back stocking and doing inventory. We talked often, about all kinds of things, and found we had some interests in common. I really started to like Bob, but had been dating someone else for awhile when he approached me on break one day.
"If you say no, I won't bring it up again. You don't have to give me an answer now, or ever. I don't want to pressure you, ok?"
I thought carefully about what Bob had just offered me. "Okay... I'll take some time to think about it. It still seems surreal that we're even talking about this stuff."
Bob had confessed his attraction to me over IM a few nights before, but I didn't know how seriously he lusted for me. A quiet and heated discussion in the break room proved what we felt for each other, but the question in my mind was what about the people we were already with?
It was definitely something to think about. Just one night, just once... I was so eager for the evening's activities that I could hardly keep my mind on the register. I took care of customers on auto-pilot while my mind was dreaming up scenarios, thinking about what Bob's house would be like, what he would be like. Carefully I retraced the words he had written to me online, what he wanted to do with me, and that we would actually have a chance after work. I was excited, nervous, and already feeling a little guilty. I shook my head -- no one would know.
Time flew and customers dwindled. I suddenly found myself standing alone at my register, nothing to do for the last half hour of work. Jenny in the next lane looked just as bored, but I couldn't stand still. I checked at the desk and they agreed; I could help in back with stocking for the last bit of my shift.
I turned in my drawer and wandered back towards Dairy, looking for Bob. I found him in the Dairy cooler restocking milk. I half-heartedly asked if he needed help, or what I should do. He gave me a knee-melting look and said simply, "You'll help me with what I really need later."
Eggs needed to be restocked, so I grabbed a box and went just outside the dairy cooler to a cold bunker and started shuffling them around by date. Bob finished the milk and came out by me, facing the cold shelves of bagels and tortillas. It was very obvious that we couldn't keep our eyes of each other, but there were no customers at the time to complain.
I finished the eggs and hopped up, nearly knocking Bob over. He grabbed me and held me longer than he needed to steady himself. His arms were warm and comfortable, regardless of working in the cooler for awhile. I closed my eyes and sighed.
"It's time to go," he said. Startled, I looked at my watch. Certainly it hadn't taken half an hour to restock eggs? It was close to time, though, and we headed to the front of the store to punch out. I couldn't remember another time that work had gone so fast. Pulling into the driveway of Bob's quaint suburbia home, I felt as though I might vomit from the anticipation. Butterflies had invaded my stomach and I couldn't seem to get them to stop fluttering. Bob noticed my discomfort and asked if I was still okay with this?
I nodded, "Yeah, I really don't think I could back down now. I'm just nervous. I've been looking forward to this..." I trailed off as he shut off the truck and put a warm hand to my cheek. He leaned in and kissed me, softly, on the lips. It killed the pesky butterflies and replaced them with a warm tingling. We got out of the truck and all but raced each other to the front door. Bob gasped as he felt his pockets, and then smiled at me when I looked worried. He pulled his keys out and unlocked the door.