"Listen, Derek, do me a favor, huh? Go get laid," Kevin growled, sifting through the papers on his desk, searching for the memo he wanted.
"What?" Derek stared at his brother, wondering where that comment had come from. He'd been complaining about the latest delay in their summer shoe shipment and Kevin had been listening--or so he thought, anyway.
"You've been a real pain since you left Paula," Kevin explained, opening a drawer in the desk, still searching for the memo, "I know finding Paula giving her boss a quickie on your couch wasn't pleasant, but the rest of us didn't do anything. We don't deserve this torture. It's been almost a month now."
"Pain? Torture?" Derek repeated, stunned.
Finally Kevin looked up and saw the hurt look on his brother's face, softening. Being three years younger didn't mean he always had to aggravate his big brother. "Listen, Derek, forget I said anything, okay?"
"No. I want an explanation," Derek insisted, putting his hands on the edge of Kevin's desk and leaning over. "Torture?"
"No one can do anything right anymore," Kevin said softly, "You're running on empty, bro. You're not sleeping or eating. You're always here. You're always complaining. Take some time off. Find a way to get past this or at least find a hot woman to fuck a few times and relieve your frustration."
"I didn't realize that my work habits were creating problems," Derek said, his voice sharp but not hiding the hurt that was still written clearly on his face.
"Go home. Sleep. Eat. Whatever," Kevin got to his feet and put his hand on Derek's arm. He met Derek's eyes squarely. "You need something, Derek. I'm really worried about you. Mom even called here today because Kitty's been complaining about you. Take some time and find what you need."
"Fine." Derek felt dizzy for a moment, then saw that Kevin had noticed. "I'll take a week or so, get rested, relax," he finally conceded, "Will that do?"
"I don't want to see you here until at least a week from tomorrow--Understood?" Kevin glared at Derek until his brother nodded. Kevin watched Derek turn and walk out of the office before going back to his memo search, muttering about lack of organization.
--.--.--.--.--.--.--.--.--
Derek intended to go home, really, but as he walked towards the parking garage entrance, he caught sight of this incredible red-head in women's lingerie. That's what he needed, he decided, a hot naked woman writhing underneath him. He turned towards lingerie.
As he came up behind her, she picked up a dark blue bra and held it up as if considering it. "Nice choice," he said softly. She swung around with a gasp, her free hand on her heart.
"What did you say?" she demanded, her eyes wide but sparking with irritation. "Hello..." She waved a hand in front of his face. Derek was staring, surprised, caught up in the fact that her eyes were the same midnight blue as the satin and lace bra.
He started, then seemed to focus on her. "I said nice choice," he repeated, then cleared his throat of the sudden roughness, "It's a really nice bra."
"Who are you?" she asked, her voice betraying not only her irritation, but a trace of nerves. Derek heard it and held up his hands in surrender.
"Just an appreciative shopper," he answered. No wedding ring he noticed as his eyes wandered over her and nodded to himself. Just what he needed...
"Kind of a weak pick up line, don't you think?" she snapped, turning back and sliding hangers on the rack until she found a matching lace thong.
Pick up line? That lack of sleep must be catching up with him, he thought. "It was just a comment, not a proposition," he explained, his own voice a little irritated. Was everyone in a bad mood today? Or was he wearing a sign that said 'kick me'?
"Men don't comment on a woman's underwear without it being a proposition," she replied, moving to another rack and picking up a cream colored all lace demi-bra. "I will grant you that with some men it's just habit and so it comes out rather half-hearted. Usually it's because they've been married to the same boring woman for twenty odd years and they're not really shopping anyway."
Derek was staring at her, annoyed and yet intrigued and kind of turned on by her easy manner. "You've studied this?" he murmured, handing her a thong to match the cream bra.
"Experience." Her voice was short and to the point as she considered the panties he'd given her. "I work with teenagers all day and God knows sex it the main thing on their minds. You just get used to reading the signs and know when it's a habit and when it's really meant."
Work with teenagers? A teacher? He tried to remember if he'd had a teacher that looked like this woman. He didn't think so--he was pretty sure he'd remember one. He fought back a laugh when he considered her teaching a room full of adolescent males. Of course sex would be high on the list of daydreams when this delicious woman was standing in front of you for hours on end. Then the rest of her words filtered through.
"You think I'm trying to pick you up out of habit?" he said, incredulously.
"You said you weren't trying to pick me up," she reminded him. She turned towards the dress department, well aware he was following her with a baffled look on his face. She hid a smirk as she approached a rack of dresses.
"Well, no, I'm not, but..." he stumbled a bit, "It's not like...Hell." He'd better stop while he was ahead. He looked at her closely when he thought he saw a smile. She was teasing him--well what did you know, flirting in the lingerie department, he thought, feeling his body start to heat.
"After all," she continued, picking up a silvery shiny cocktail dress before looking at him, "I can't imagine a man who looks like you has to resort to picking up women in a clothing store." She went back to considering the dress.
Couched in her compliment was a depressing truth. He was resorting to picking up women in a clothing store. Granted, it was a store he and his brother owned, but still. Maybe it was time to start his own flirting, show her he could pick up women wherever he wanted. "Maybe I like to get a preview of what I might find under her plain cotton blouse and khaki skirt," he murmured, letting his eyes wander up and down her body again. He had a feeling there was a lot going on under that sedate outfit--especially with the items she was shopping for.
She put the silver dress back and moved on to another rack. "Why bother with a preview when you'll tear it off so fast you won't even see it?" she asked, fingering a short velvet dress in a deep green.
"I'm not really the tearing kind of guy," he said, offering her a slinky dress the color of her eyes. She took it with a small smile. "I like to go nice and slow, like savoring a gourmet meal or a really fine wine."
"That's what they all say," she laughed lightly, picking up a light blue silk dress and holding against her body.
The sound of her laugh sent blood rushing to his loins, making him suddenly hard. In his mind he could hear that smoky laugh as he slid a hand up her bare thigh to her sweet ass. "What kind of man do you like?" he asked suddenly, focused intently on her answer.
She bit her lip, something that made him want to groan--he wanted to bite her lip. She tucked the light blue silk over her arm with the dark blue one he'd picked out. "I guess I want someone who's interested in me," she answered finally, wandering deeper into the racks, "Who likes to be sensual and intense sometimes, but who also likes to play. Someone who sometimes wants me so much that he can't hold back."
I do. The thought popped into his head, followed closely by a panicked denial. He just wanted hot sex with a willing woman. Not a relationship. He'd done that with Paula and then found that she was interested in more than just him--in fact, she was interested in pretty much anyone with a dick. It wasn't just the time that Kevin knew about, the time he'd caught her with her boss. There had been others, but he didn't find out about until them after he'd caught her in the act.
"Listen, it's been nice talking to you, but I'm going to try these on, then head home," she said, suddenly appearing in front of him again, smiling, "As of 1 hour ago, I'm officially on spring break."