Its times like these that I wish I had a dryer.
Standing here in an abandoned Laundromat, on probably one of the hottest summer nights in Texas, isn't how I expected to spend my precious free time. Then again, I didn't expect my all too reliable Kenmore dryer to fuck up. Short circuit...go figure.
Now, as I'm staring at the hypnotizing whirl of colors in the Dexter Stack-On dryer, I'm wishing it would hurry the hell up. I want to go home and spend the rest of my weekend on something more exciting before I have to get up at six the following Monday morning.
The fluorescent lights overhead buzz and flicker while the dryer whirs and does its job. It's so hot. I can even feel the sweat beading on my neck, dampening the cuff of my t-shirt. The air conditioning long since burned out, I assume.
Morbidity sets in as I think about whether or not burning alive would be better than freezing to death. I snort. Probably not. I mean, with freezing to death, everything goes numb so there's no pain. Burning alive, however, would hurt like a bitch. Skin from flesh, flesh from bone...Jesus, I need to get out of here!
As I contemplate this, I suddenly realize that I'm not alone. The door swings open and a man steps through, seizing my gaze for a moment before he returns to the task of maneuvering his basket inside.
My inner 'creeper alarm' doesn't go off so I feel compelled to flash him a smile. You know those signals, the ones that tell you if he'll strangle you where you stand or if he's just an average Joe? But let me tell you, there was nothing
average
about him, and yet,
everything
was average about him. From his plain grey t-shirt that hugged his muscular upper body down to the sweatpants that hung low on his hips and finally, to the generic white tennis shoes that meant business. Those shoes don't mess
around
.
I don't realize I'm staring until he purposely clears his throat and I look at it. Not at him, but his throat. Smooth skin, Adam's apple and as my eyes travel upward, his neck along with half his face is stubbed with dark, tidy hair that matched the ruffled hair atop his head. A manly man, this one...simply delectable.
I finally lift my gaze to his and his eyes truly captivated me. Cheesy? Yes, but I digress. The deep green orbs reflected a fine emerald hue and I would bet on it that if I was closer I could spot specks of gold. His bemused expression and raised eyebrow make me chuckle. He smiles.
It's so
hot
.
I turn my head back to the whirl of clothes, but I am unaffected by them now. I am mesmerized, drawn to him. I
want
him.
Hyperaware of his presence now, I keep my eyes fixed on my clothes. He loads a washer with his laundry and the appropriate detergent. Lowering the lid of the machine, he flips a knob to start it and turns to me.
He gives me his name as if it's common etiquette to introduce oneself to a stranger in an empty Laundromat.
I shiver when I hear that husky southern burr. God must've known my weakness. I can feel my nipples tighten against my shirt, my nether regions becoming damp with desire. I nod to him with a shy smirk and return my attention to the dryer. There must be something wrong with me tonight; getting turned on by the mere sight of a stranger...a mysterious and insanely sexy stranger. When had I become so wanton?
But, he doesn't let it drop. He presses for my name and I chuckle softly and turn to him. Once I deliver it he nods and we both return to gazing at the dryers.
I feel him peeking out of the corner of his eye at me, and I don't understand what he's looking at until I finally glance down. I am taken aback by how hard my nipples are blazing through my flimsy t-shirt. Fuck, I forgot to wear a bra. Fuck, how long have they been doing that?! Hell, I wasn't about to give him a show. Defiantly, I cross my arms over my chest, flinching at the friction I inadvertently applied to my sensitive nipples and look at him pointedly. He turned away with a grin, knowing as well as I that the current blistering temperature in the room had nothing to do with my peaking buds.
I glare at nothing in particular.
I didn't want to be attracted to this man. I didn't want to imagine what he would look like naked and slamming into me, his face contorted in intense pleasure...I didn't want to be turned on by that very thought!
I shifted my weight nervously onto my other foot and felt his eyes on me. I turn my head towards him, captured by his gaze yet again. This time, he brazenly toured my body, probably undressing me with his eyes and licked his lips. Apparently he liked what he saw, for when his eyes returned to mine, they were darker and swirling with lust.
Growing uneasy and with weakening restraint, I finally accept the truth. It was obvious to both of us that we wanted each other, but the hurdle of being in a public place was too big for me to overcome. Although I have to admit that the idea excited me greatly, I'm not so uninhibited. Never was. Then again,
he
doesn't know that...
The dryer beeped its conclusion and I wrench my eyes away from his to glare at it. I heard him chuckle under his breath and I smiled in response, focusing on his mouth. My gaze sought full lips that looked rough due to the bordering facial hair and were curved into a genuine smile.