Lake Pleasant, New York is a sleepy little town in the southern area of the Adirondacks, and while the living is laid back and - well, pleasant - there are few options for grocery shopping that don't involve a considerable drive to reach, and that's where Cobb's General Store comes in to play.
Cobb's offers a wide variety of products and while you don't get the selection or the prices of a chain supermarket, when all you need is a loaf of bread or a quart of milk, it's perfect for the locals as well as campers and hikers passing through.
The owner of the store, Leo Cobb, was known as a bit of a character, but for those who paid attention they knew him for something else. He was a ladies man, this despite being short, balding and not all that handsome. There used to be a Mrs. Cobb but she went away not long ago to Arizona, for health reasons it was said.
Mental health was probably the most precise reason Lucy Cobb departed for her sister's place in Sun City, because she went a bit crazy finding all sorts of females in the store room with her man. Women of all shapes and sizes seemed to be drawn to the impish store owner, with the only requirement seeming to be that they were young.
Not young as in jail bait stuff, but Leo was drawn to women much younger than his 57 years. 30 was pushing the limit, and 20 was a lot better as far as Leo was concerned. Like he was fond of telling one of his few confidants, "If I wanted to have sex with a dumpy 50 year old I'd still be married."
So Leo played around very discretely, and for whatever reason he didn't need to do the chasing because apparently the word got around that in the charming little man's case you didn't judge a book by its cover.
*****
May was a quiet time for Cobb's General Store because whatever tourists there were wouldn't be around until June or later, so Leo Cobb had a lot of time to spend thinking, and as always what he thought about was the opposite sex.
Spring fever must have been setting in because Leo had even flirted a bit with an older lady who came in for a soda and directions, rubbing his crotch discretely into the edge of the counter while the middle-aged biddy chirped, "What a quaint little grocery you have here."
"I've got something that isn't too quaint or little for you," Leo mumbled as she left the store.
"The men don't know but the little girls understand," claimed the guy singing the song that was the background music Leo had on, and while he had no idea who The Doors were, he had grown fond of this particular tune on an eight track tape some customer had dropped in his little parking lot.
Leo was humming along with that song, only signing along with that particular line because that was the only part of it he knew, that and the title of the song, Back Door Man. The old fellow considered it his theme song and knew if these Doors guys ever stopped by the store he'd buy them sodas in appreciation.
"You understand, don't you little girl?" Leo sighed as he looked outside where a skinny redhead was parking her bike on the rack, and as he looked at the ginger's skimpy attire he gave thanks that warm weather was approaching.
Leo Cobb wasn't surprised that the redhead had returned because the store owner had suggested she come back, telling the young woman whose name was Bonnie Ryan that while he wasn't really looking to hire anybody for the summer he would consider it.
The freckle-faced girl had asked him for a job last year as well, but she wasn't qualified for the job then. Bonnie Ryan became qualified last month when she came in with a girlfriend of hers and bought 2 quarts of beer, producing a folded up Learner's Permit for proof that she was 18, and that was good enough for Leo.
Having this cutie working with him would have been dangerous when she was 17, but now she was a woman and a sweet innocent one at last, Leo mused as she looked at the girl heading towards the door.
Bonnie was certainly not dressed for a job interview, wearing skimpy shorts and a different halter top than yesterday but one that also hid little but revealed a bunch of freckles on her arms and shoulders. She wasn't wearing a bra today either, but she didn't need one as far as Leo was concerned because not only were her breasts small, they stuck straight out like cones and needed no support.
Bonnie might be shy but she knew what she had and how to use it, and Leo was aware that even though he tried hard to be discreet by now word had to have gotten around about his track record over the last couple of decades. That impressive number of young ladies could not possibly all be quiet about him.
The bell on the door jingled when it opened and in strode Bonnie Ryan, without her chunky friend today, chewing gum and toying with her stringy red hair as she approached the counter of the otherwise empty store. What kind of business would hire this hippie girl, Leo wondered to himself, but he knew the answer to that question.
"Hi Mr. Cobb," Bonnie chirped with a smile. "I'm back."
"So you are," Leo replied, grinning as the teen pulled her hair back from her shoulder. "I see you're still letting your freedom flag fly."
"What?" Bonnie asked, pretending not to know what the old man was talking about at first, but then lifted her arm again and looked her her unshaven armpit where a very modest spray of red hair sprouted from the center of the pale hollow. "Oh yeah. Remember I told you I would shave my pits if I got the job?"
"Yes, and I told you that wouldn't be necessary," Mr. Cobb responded.
They had talked about this subject yesterday after Leo had noticed the teen's little show of rebellion under her arms, one she said was inspired by her and her friends going to a drive-in in the "big City" last spring and seeing the movie Woodstock, and it was then that their little clique decided that Lake Pleasant needed some hippies because the area was so square and years behind the latest trends.
"It looks nice on you," Leo told her. "Just a few bright red hairs that glow because your skin is so pale. It's cute. Nothing against your friend there - the chubby one with the big breasts?
"Ruthie Cohen?"
"I guess - she seems like a nice kid but she was kinda..."
"Scary?" Bonnie asked with a giggle. "I know. My Mom says Ruthie is hairier than a man. That doesn't make her hate my armpit hair any less though. Her and my Dad both think I'm gross and think I'll scare boys away."
"You should tell them that you don't want to attract boys. You want to attract men," Leo said.
"So, can I work here?" Bonnie asked hopefully.
"I don't have a lot that needs to be done, to be honest honey, even though I would love to have you around to keep me company," Leo admitted. "About all I have to offer you is a few hours a week stocking shelves."
"I can do that," Bonnie chirped, but just then the bell on the door rang and one of Leo's regulars came in.
"Hello Mrs. Taylor," the proprietor said in welcome, but the aging widow merely nodded and gave Leo's job applicant a rather nasty look before heading towards the deli counter where the owner met her.
"Quarter pound of hard salami Mr. Cobb," the woman said over the counter. "Slice it thin."
"Can do," Leo replied, and as the woman took a little cart and walked down the aisle to get a few things, Bonnie came back and watched the slicing from the side.
"Would I get to do that?" Bonnie asked as Leo sliced.
"No, there won't be any customers in the store when you're working."
"Oh. Just wondering. That's sure a big salami," Bonnie said with a grin.
"That it is. I doubt whether a skinny little lady like you could handle it," Leo countered.
"I dunno, but I'm not afraid to try," Bonnie replied, licking her lips as the owner wrapped the cold cuts and brought them to the counter where Mrs. Taylor was waiting, and after the customer left Leo turned his attention to his new employee.
"It would be Sunday evening from around 6 to 10 or so," Leo told her. "I pay you under the counter so we're talking $20 or so."
"That's good. It will give me money for gas and junk," Bonnie responded. "Um, I think the older sister of a friend of mine had this job one summer. About five years ago? Amber Mason?"
"The name doesn't ring a bell."
"She was short. Maybe five foot tall?"
