Losing His Shirt

by Linda Fausnet

  “No, no. Not then.” I paused and thought about telling him what had happened.

  “It’s okay. You can tell me,” he said, clearly sensing my hesitation. I was touched to see how concerned he was.

  I drew in a deep breath. “It was when I was a kid. We had an eviction notice on the door for a while, and then one day I came home from school and all our stuff had been thrown out on the front lawn. It was pouring down rain. We didn’t have much, but what little we had was destroyed. I was eleven years old.”

  “Jesus,” he said.

  “Yeah.” That was the saddest and most frightening day of my life. I remember coming home and finding my mother on the front porch crying. Thank God for my grandparents, who let us crash with them for a while.

  Johnny let go of my hand and said angrily, “I can’t believe people are allowed to do that. They can’t just throw a whole family out on the streets!”

  I stared at him. He really was clueless. “Johnny, what do you think your father does for a living?”

  I could tell by the look on his face he had never given it much thought.

  “Your dad is a lawyer for one of the biggest banks in the country. He might not be the one physically tossing people out on the streets, but he helps the banks to do it. Where do you think all your money comes from?”

  Johnny looked so sad that empathy welled up in me again. His whole life had been upended when his dad’s money was taken from him, and now he was forced to take a cold, hard look at his life. In the long run, it was probably best for Johnny that this happened. Still, it must have been very painful. He reminded me of when Ebenezer Scrooge finally got a good look at what he had done in life, all the people he’d hurt, and how he’d valued money over everyone and everything.

  “You’re right,” Johnny said finally.

  “I don’t want to see that happen to you, Johnny. Now, what can I help you with?”

  He smiled gratefully. “Well, I guess I need to at least figure out what bills I need to pay and what to take care of first, you know, once I finally get a job.”

  “Okay. I would say start with your electric bill and water bill. If they cut off the cable, so be it, but you can’t go without lights, heat, and water,” I said firmly. He nodded, and seemed relieved that I knew what to do.

  “Well, how do I— I mean, I always had somebody take care of the bills for me. I think they got paid electronically.”

  I forced myself not to roll my eyes. I couldn’t help but be annoyed at this spoiled man-child, who didn’t even know how to pay a bill. He seemed unattractive to me again; there was nothing sexy about a helpless, weak man. He knew how to pay for booze and women, I would bet.

  “Yes. Don’t worry about anything you got in the mail, because you can pay your bills online. I have all your information, like usernames and passwords, in a file on the cloud. Just go to Google Drive and type in the same username and password you use to get into the Affluent Accents Accessories stuff.”

  “Ah. Well …” Johnny said uncomfortably. He put his hand on the back of his neck, and I swore I saw him blush.

  My anger flared up again. “Goddammit. I knew you never did any work from home! You don’t even know how to get into the work documents, do you?”

  Johnny wordlessly shook his head. He must have known he had no excuses, so he didn’t offer any.

  I let out an annoyed breath. “The username is AAA123, and the password is af, capital X, and the numbers 978.”

  Johnny pulled out his cellphone and opened some kind of app where he could record notes. “Sorry. What was it again?”

  I repeated the information, and said, “The document for your bills is under the folder called Rosemary, subfolder JohnnyCreelpersonal, and …” I had to put my hand over my mouth to stifle a giggle.

  “What?” Johnny asked, eying me curiously.

  “The file with your bills is…well, it’s Creep666.”

  Johnny actually laughed at that. “Are you serious?”

  I laughed with him. “Yes. I’m sorry, Johnny, it’s just … that folder had the kind of crap that usually kept me at work late. I spent most of my days just trying to keep up with work stuff, so I had to stay after to get all your personal stuff taken care of.”

  “Yeah, I get it. I mean, you know, now I get it.”

  I felt bad for twisting the knife, but I just had to ask. “Did it really never occur to you that I had a life outside of work? That I didn’t exist just to serve your needs?”

  Johnny gazed intently into my eyes and said, softly, “No.”

  His honesty was comforting. He wasn’t offering any excuses, just a quiet admission of guilt.

  “I think that’s what finally made me snap,” I told him. “I was so busy and had so much going on. Christmas is such a crazy time, with so many orders coming in, that I could barely keep up. And the day I quit? Well, that was the same day I had an audition for Millie after work. I was stressing out all day about what I was gonna say to you if you asked me to stay late, because I really couldn’t. I knew you would insist. I knew you wouldn’t care.”

  Johnny nodded, and it was perfect. That was what I needed from him right now. Just to listen to my feelings as I let out all my frustration. He wasn’t defending himself anymore. He finally understood.

  “I mean, we were all stressed out and working so hard and you never noticed. You never said we were doing a good job or that you appreciated us. You just kept piling on more work. You’d breeze in, throw your weight around and give out a few orders, then go off on your merry way to mess around for the rest of the day.”

  Johnny nodded. “No wonder everybody hated me.”

  I thought I hated Johnny Creel, but right then I wanted to give him a hug. “We didn’t hate you, Johnny. We resented you. And Cody is such a sweet boy and he works hard. He’s so shy. I just couldn’t let you tear him down in front of everyone.”

  Johnny smiled, and he looked at me tenderly. “That was really nice of you to defend him like you did. All the time that I treated you like shit you held your tongue, but the minute I ragged on somebody else you were right there to speak up.”

  “I can’t help it. I have a soft spot for that kid.”

  “Well, he sure had a hard one for you,” Johnny said so unexpectedly that I burst out laughing. Good thing I hadn’t been drinking my Diet Coke, or I would have done a spit-take all over him.

  “Johnny!” I said through my laughter.

  He laughed too, and just like that he was back to looking ruggedly handsome again. “Well, it’s true! Kid couldn’t stop staring at your …” he waved his hands at my general chest area.

  I shot him a wry look and he admitted, “I did that too, didn’t I?”

  I nodded.

  Johnny wrinkled his nose. “I can’t believe I was that kind of gross, creeper boss. I’m sorry, Rosemary. I couldn’t help it. You’re an incredibly beautiful woman.”

  “Thank you, Johnny,” I said. It didn’t feel creepy or gross now. His words seemed gentle, even affectionate. “Okay, so you need to take a look at all the bills listed there and take care of any ones you can, starting with the electricity. I would lend you money if I could, Johnny, but I’m barely getting by myself.”

  “I know,” Johnny said sorrowfully. “And here I am imposing on you more.”

  “It’s okay. I’m glad I could help. So you’ll deal with the bills and you’re gonna find a job—any job—ASAP, right?”

  “Yeah.” Johnny looked worried.

  “Remember, you don’t have to keep the job forever. It can be a placeholder until you find something better, but you’ve got to get some money coming in.”

  Johnny nodded. He glanced at my empty plate, and then said, “Well, I better let you go. I’m sorry to have kept you out so late.”

  “It’s okay,” I told him with a smile. I stood up and reached for my tray, but Johnny grabbed it before I could. I watched as he walked over to the trash can and bussed our trays. Funny, it was such a simple gesture,
but it was so unlike the Johnny Creel I knew. Not like my old boss who practically threw his muffin wrapper at me and dumped his dirty coffee mug and spoon on my desk.

  We walked back to the Metro and Johnny shielded me from the rain again. It was so sweet; his little gestures seemed so genuine. I didn’t feel like he was just buttering me up so he could borrow money, or so I would help him with his bills. It felt like he really wanted to take care of me, somehow.

  We got to the Metro and prepared to go our separate ways. I stopped once we got inside the station, finally out of the rain. I dug through my purse for something to write on. I found a Walmart receipt and a pen.

  “Here. Take my phone number and give me a call if you have any questions about your bills or whatever. Oh, and I’ll write down my email address, too. You can send me a draft copy of your résumé if you want. I recently had to update mine, you know,” I told him with a smile. I hoped I wasn’t giving him the wrong idea by giving him my phone number, but I wanted him to be able to reach me if he needed anything. I doubted his snobby, rich friends would be much help. Johnny was probably too proud to ask them anyway.

  “Thank you so much,” Johnny said, looking relieved as he took the piece of paper from me. “It would be great if you could look over my résumé. I’m sure I’ve done it all wrong.”

  “I can definitely help you with that. I used to help Tony look over résumés for new hires, so I can tell you what managers are looking for.”

  “Great!” Johnny said.

  “Well, I’ll see you around maybe,” I told him as I turned toward the Metro turnstiles.

  “Wait, ummm Rosemary?”

  I glanced over and saw that he looked nervous again. He also looked embarrassed. “I … uh …. remember, I don’t have …”

  Johnny gestured weakly toward the Metro machine, and I remembered he still needed some cash to get home. I could practically feel his humiliation at having to ask for money and it hurt my heart. Not long ago I would have killed to be in a position like this—to be the one with power over Johnny Creel. Now that it was happening, it was awful. Johnny was sweet and kind to me today, and I hated to see him so embarrassed.

  “Oh, I course! I nearly forgot,” I said lightly, wishing there was something I could do or say to make him more comfortable. “Lemme see your card.”

  Johnny sheepishly fished his Metro card out of his wallet and handed it to me without making eye contact. I walked over to the machine so I could load some money on it. I used my credit card since I was getting low on cash. I tried to block him from seeing how much I was putting on his card, but he peered over my shoulder and saw me put twenty dollars on it.

  “Rosemary, that’s too much! All I need is a few bucks to get home.”

  “It’s okay, Johnny. Really.” I finished the transaction and handed him back his card. “You can owe me one, okay? Give yourself time to get back on your feet first.”

  Johnny nodded wearily, and I had the strongest urge to give him a hug. I doubted that would be appropriate, so I resisted.

  He still looked embarrassed, so I added, “And remember. I have the right to call in a favor any time I please.”

  Johnny smiled, and said seductively, “Oh, I’ll do anything you want, Rosemary.”

  I laughed, and he did, too. He seemed relieved that I wasn’t offended. A few weeks ago, I might have slapped him for saying something like that to me. Now he seemed charming instead of sleazy.

  We walked through the turnstiles to get to our trains. I glanced at the escalators, and said, “I gotta go up that way to catch the red line.”

  Johnny nodded. He reached over, took my hand, and brought it to his lips. He kissed the back of it and then gazed into my eyes and said, “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate all of your help. I wouldn’t have blamed you one bit if you’d never spoken to me again. Thank you so much, Rosemary.”

  He let go of my hand and I gazed at him in wonder. “Now that’s something I never thought I would see. Johnny Creel, the gentleman.”

  I smiled at him, then turned and headed toward the escalator.

  Chapter 11

  I took a seat on the Metro, my heart still hammering in my chest. I couldn’t believe how sweet and gracious Rosemary had been to me tonight. If I wasn’t head over nuts about her before, being with her all evening made me realize what an amazing woman she really was. A part of me had wondered if I’d just been captivated by her glamour and beauty on the night of her performance, but now I knew my feelings for her were justified. And real. Rosemary Sutton was the most beautiful, dynamic, and generous woman I had ever met in my life.

  Now all I had to do was figure out a way to win her heart.

  The good news was she didn’t hate me anymore. The bad news was now she pitied me. I’d have to get my shit together, and fast. Show her I could get a job, pay my bills, and do all the other things normal men do. I resolved to get started first thing in the morning. I’d punch up my résumé, and then I’d send it to Rosemary for review. That way I could show her how serious I was about getting a job, and it would give me an excuse to email her.

  Until now, I had no desire to try to make it without my dad’s money. Now I had all the motivation I needed. Rosemary, with her sweet yet sultry green eyes, that rich, dark red hair, and that gorgeous body of hers. My cock stiffened in my pants and I knew what I would be doing the second I got home and into bed. Now that I had just seen Rosemary in person in all her loveliness, I had lots of fresh images in my head for my spank bank.

  My mind wandered back over the evening and how wonderful it had been to spend time with Rosemary. I hoped she hadn’t noticed how nervous I was. I knew I had to be stronger, more confident, the next time I saw her. I knew she didn’t miss the arrogant kind of confidence I used to have. Truth be told, neither did I. That confidence was based on somebody else’s accomplishments. My dad’s. I couldn’t believe the way I used to walk around thinking I was so much better than everybody else. Looking at myself now, without Daddy’s money, I was like a lost little lamb. I cringed, thinking that’s how Rosemary thought of me. After all, she’d found me in a puddle of goo on the floor of the Metro.

  You’re not smarter than us, you’re not better than us, you’re just lucky!

  I sighed. At least Rosemary had the satisfaction of knowing she was right about me. And yet, she’d been nothing but kind, instead of dancing an I-told-you-so jig right in my face. In fact, she had called me a “gentleman,” and seemed genuinely impressed when I shielded her from the rain and kissed her hand. I liked being like that, too. It felt good being unselfish for once, and seeing Rosemary smile certainly made it worthwhile.

  It made me crazy to think of all the money I’d wasted on girls who meant no more to me than a good fuck for the night. The way I’d toss them five hundred bucks at the end of the night just to make them go away. Now that I had a woman I really cared for, I couldn’t do anything like that for her. I reminded myself that Rosemary Sutton was nothing like those other girls. She wasn’t impressed by money anyway, so maybe I still had a chance with her.

  Once I got home, I got settled into bed as quickly as I could. Jerking off to thoughts of Rosemary wouldn’t be quite so depressing tonight, since now there was a remote chance I could actually be with her for real someday. I closed my eyes, and imagined getting her into my favorite sexual position. I thought about taking her from behind, ramming into her while she held on to the dresser for dear life. I stroked myself, the sensation even more powerful and pleasurable than last night. My fantasies were so much more vivid now after having just seen Rosemary in person. I pictured her gripping the hard wood of my desk as she cried out with pleasure.

  Johnny! Johnny, oh God, Johnny! Yes! Yes. YES!

  I’d never heard a woman actually cry out “yes” outside of pornos, but this was my fantasy after all. I imagined what Rosemary would look like when I gave her an orgasm, throwing her head back, as she screamed my name, gripping the desk, as she had multiple orgasms. Just comi
ng and coming and coming.

  I moaned out loud as I rubbed my cock, and I knew I was close. But I didn’t want to finish myself off until I got to my favorite fantasy of all. I pictured Rosemary dropping to her knees and taking my whole length into her mouth. I imagined her teasing and licking and sucking my cock, all the while gazing up at me seductively with those unbelievably sexy green eyes.

  I groaned aloud as my entire body shook with a powerful orgasm. The pleasurable vibrations were so strong, I began to wonder if it was possible for a guy to have multiple orgasms.

  I let out a deep breath as my whole body relaxed. I closed my eyes, feeling more at peace than I had since I lost my money. For the first time in weeks, I felt like I had a purpose. A reason to get out of bed in the morning.

  I was never the cuddle-after-sex type before. Now, I found myself imagining what it would feel like to hold Rosemary close after making love to her.

  Wow. That was another thing I had never imagined myself doing. Making love to a woman, as opposed to banging, fucking, or whatever other charming words I used to use.

  I loved the idea of holding Rosemary close and having her fall asleep in my arms. I drifted off to sleep thinking about it.

  *****

  It was my first day on the job, and I wanted to kill myself by noon.

  I’d been so excited to finally land a position, but now I was regretting it big time. Still, with that eviction notice still on my front door, what choice did I really have?

  I got a job as a used car salesman, which is every bit as dreamy as it sounds. At least Len’s Luxury Automotive sold luxury-brand cars like Lexus, Audi, and Porsche. Not as fancy as my old Lamborghini, but it beat the shit out of selling old Hondas and Chryslers. As miserable as I was, Rosemary was proud of me. I hadn’t seen her since that night at the Metro, but we’d been emailing back and forth. So far it had been strictly business. We talked about my résumé and job searching and stuff. Then, when I got the job, she’d sent me a sweet congratulatory message.

  My first morning was training, which was skull-crushingly boring. I had to sit at Len’s computer all day and learn the system. I was starving by 11:30, but he kept droning on about sales and contracts and extended warranties. I felt trapped, like I was in prison or something. Was I going to have to ask permission to go to lunch?