Bobby was on the yearbook staff and one of the jobs he had was contacting local merchants to see if they would purchase an ad in the yearbook. After school one day, he stopped in at a small shop that sold clothing and other items made of leather and fur to see if they might want to buy an ad in the yearbook.
The woman behind standing behind the counter in the shop was slim, not very pretty, and had straight shoulder-length blonde hair. Although she wasn't attractive, Bobby did notice that the woman had an incredibly good body, though, and the quality of it was revealed by her snug-fitting clothes - a pair of painted on jeans and an equally tight tank top.
The woman had her head down and appeared to be concentrating on something she was sewing. She didn't look up when the young man walked in, even though a bell hanging on the door jingled.
Bobby didn't want to disturb the woman, so he wandered around the shop, looking over the variety of items on display, while he waited for her to finish what she was working on.
Finally, the blonde stopped sewing, cut a dangling thread, looked up and smiled weakly at the young man. "Hi," she said softly. "Can I help you?"
Bobby smiled at her. "I...I was just wondering if..." He realized there were tears in the woman' eyes. He could see them dripping onto the object lying on the counter she had been working on when he came in. Then the woman's shoulders began shaking and she stood there, sobbing quietly.
Bobby wasn't sure what to do. He took a deep breath. "Are...are you all right?" he asked.
The woman finally got herself under control, shrugged, and gave him another weak smile. "I...I'm sorry. I...I shouldn't be acting like this..." she said hesitantly, "I...I'm OK."
"What are you working on?" Bobby asked. He'd always wondered what working with fur and leather was like.
"I...I'm making a vest," the woman replied.
"Would you mind if I watched while you work on it?" Bobby said, "I'd kinda like to see how you do it. I've always been interested in working with leather and fur. It looks like it could be kinda neat, you know? I've never really been able to make stuff."
"I...I don't mind if you watch," the woman said, "I really do need to get this order done. I...I promised it for tomorrow." She walked around the counter, went to the door, locked it, and hung a "Closed" sign in the window. "I was going to close early today, anyhow," she told Bobby, "Business has been slow today, anyhow." She picked up the article she'd been working on.
"What kind of skin is that?" Bobby asked.
"Calfskin," she replied.
"I was wondering," he said, "don't you get a lot of grief from animal rights people?"
The woman shrugged. "I like working with fur," she said. "I only deal with people who use humane methods of producing fur, you know?"
"Oh," Bobby said. He knew nothing about the fur business. He sat down next to a pile of soft, silky furs and stroked them absently as they talked. "So," he said, "What were you so upset about when I came in?"
"It...it isn't important," the woman replied, she sewed a seam on the garment with her sewing machine.
"It was upsetting enough to make you cry," Bobby said.
"Well..." The woman took a deep breath and, even though she didn't know the young man, she found herself telling him what was bothering her. Once she started talking, she couldn't stop. Her fiancé dumped her and she felt very alone. By the time she finished the story, she was sobbing again and tears were cascading down her cheeks.
Bobby, who was now sorry he'd asked her about what was bothering her, felt an urge to take the crying woman in his arms, hold her, and make the bad feelings go away. He felt guilty because he had upset her all over again and was sorry he'd gotten her talking. He stood up, walked over to her and put his hand on her shoulder. "Look, I'm sorry I asked you about that stuff," he said softly. "I shouldn't have bugged you to tell me all that. Things will be all right. They really will."
"Oh God!" the woman sobbed. "I feel so awful!"
Bobby was surprised when she turned, moved against him and buried her head against his chest. He put his arms around her and, as she nestled her face into the crook of his neck, he felt her silken hair tickling him, making his skin tingle. He rubbed her back as she cried softly. Finally, her sobbing grew softer and, eventually, she quieted.
The woman took a deep breath, leaned back, and looked at him.
Bobby smiled at her hopefully. "Things really will be OK," he said. "You just have to give yourself time."
"Thank you," she said. "You're very nice." She kissed him softly on the lips. Then she pulled back and looked at him again, her eyes filled with questions. Without saying a word, she kissed him again, but this time the kiss was neither soft nor short.
Unprepared for the feelings the second kiss awakened, Bobby could do little other than tighten his arms around the woman's fine, firm body and return the kiss.
The woman, still in Bobby's arms, leaned back and looked at him again. Her face was flushed, she looked confused, and her chest was moving in and out wonderfully as she gasped for breath.
Bobby, knowing somehow, that she wouldn't stop him, lifted his hand, cupped it around the back of her head, and pulled her face toward him again. Once more, their lips joined. Embers of desire which had been lit by their earlier kisses flared wildly in the young man's body when their lips met the third time. Those flames flared brighter when the woman's tongue slipped into his mouth. The young man returned the lingual caress while exquisite sensations continued to rock him. He felt her embrace tighten.
