Orders for the second day were to show up at his work at five, dressed up like a model again. It was hot for an autumn day when I stepped off the bus, as I had a couple weeks earlier. I walked through the parking lot wearing three inch heels and a tight, form-fitting dress. This one was navy blue with white trim, and exposed my arms, cleavage, and legs below the knee. I'd done my hair and makeup and was looking pretty fantastic as I walked into the comic book shop.
It had been a little awkward the first time because I'd been obviously out of place. That was just as true this time, but magnified because I didn't know what Mike was going to do or say. Nerds filled the aisles and it was surprisingly busy. To no great surprise, I was the only female in the place, so I stood out as much as I could as I walked between Dragonball figurines and Yu-Gi-Oh cards.
Mike sat behind the counter, just as he had been when I'd first laid eyes on him. He looked like a burly mountain sitting on his stool, his rounded shoulders slumped forward and his brawny, fat arms pressing into the countertop. He wore his black-framed nerd specs and his black beard was as shaggy and unkempt as ever. He noticed me but didn't react much. Only his thick eyebrows bounced up in recognition, while his coworkers and customers were giving me no less than an awkward stare.
"Hey." I didn't know what tone to take with him. I just assumed it would be better to err on the side of brevity.
"Hey. You're looking good." I didn't smile too much when he complimented me, unsure if he wanted me to appear as his girlfriend or his call girl.
"Thanks."
"We're going to my place again. Aron's gone tonight."
"Oh...thank god." It was a little joke but Mike didn't offer me even a smirk.
"I'm giving you my key and some cash. Go buy me a flat of beer and wait at home for me. I'll be done at six."
He handed me his key and another hundred. I took it without question and started to envision how the evening might proceed. While I lingered at the counter, running my eyes across his expansive body, a familiar face appeared near by us with a box full of comics. I made eye contact and pointed to him while my memory struggled with the name.
"Craig! Right?"
He nodded with a smirk, giving me a look over from head to toe.
"Yeah. Felicia...how're things?"
Craig was the owner of the shop Mike worked at. I'd met him the same time as Mike. Apparently Mike had been working there for longer than Craig had and knew more about the comics. When the old owner had wanted to sell, Craig had been quick to jump on it and he'd been grandfathered into the business. Mike complained about Craig a bit, but he hadn't had the entrepreneurial instinct to take the opportunity for himself, so he was stuck being the second banana.
Craig and I shot the shit for a bit before I noticed that Mike wasn't saying anything. As much as I wanted to play the girlfriend role and get chummy with Mike's friends and coworkers, I didn't want to linger too long.
"Okay, well, I'm gonna run. I'll see you around."
I bid farewell to Craig but didn't say anything to Mike. I knew he didn't need to hear me confirm anything. I would follow his instructions and we both knew that.
I walked outside and headed across the street to the liquor store at the mall. It was really quite hot out, like the final throes of summer coming in Autumn. The hot weather suited my revealing outfit well. I caught stares as I entered the liquor store through the mall. Mike wanted a flat of PBR, so I picked that up and grabbed some Smirnoff ice for myself. I had them bag it up for me and then I had the arduous task of walking back to Mike's place carrying thirty full cans, while wearing three inch heels, under the late summer sun. My shoulders were killing me by the time I got to Mike's but I figured it was at least a good trap workout.
When I arrived, Aron wasn't home. Hopefully Mike was correct when he said it would just be the two of us, though I wondered how much he even cared about that. I put the beer away in the fridge and enjoyed the new feeling of being alone in his apartment. It was interesting to be in that space without Mike's big body as a distraction. I was able to take my time and explore.
I peeked into Aron's room and noticed some pictures of family and friends. Mike's room had nothing of the sort. I wondered what his family was like, and if I'd get to meet them or not. He parents, sisters, and an uncle who all lived in the city, though I didn't know much about them.
I had almost an hour until Mike would be off, so I reckoned I should shower. It was really hot out so I figured I might as well be as fresh as I could be. As the water ran over my naked body I thought about what Mike had done to me the night before: the teasing, the bondage, the degradation. I asked myself if it would be the same, and if so, how long I'd be able to withstand that playful abuse. I finished the shower without a clear answer.
After the shower I didn't see a point in putting my clothes back on, so I just suited up in my lavender bra and panties and walked around apartment some more. Mike still wasn't home, so I started cleaning. Aron and Mike's apartment wasn't that bad, but it was typical bachelor-messy. There was mildew and films and stains and crumbs everywhere. I cleaned around the kitchen and bathroom sinks mostly, scrubbed the toilet, and wiped down the kitchen counter. I stared at the broken cupboard that Mike had battered me into, just a few days prior. I chuckled at the wooden door hanging off its busted hinge, and wondered what else we might break.
It was after six but Mike wasn't home yet. He told me that he took the bus sometimes, but I guess he'd decided to walk because he was taking his sweet time. Being bored and ancy, I began organizing the fridge to kill more time. By the time the front door opened, I had expertly organized all the spare condiments into their own categories. As much as I wanted to see Mike, I almost didn't want to stop; the thrill of organizing was that great.
"Hey big man." I popped up from my knees in front of the fridge and leaned into the counter to face him. Clearly he had walked home, because Mike was sweating profusely. His grey t shirt was stained dark below the pits and his brow and temples were beaded with sweat. It had been pretty hot out when I'd walked home, but clearly Mike's bulk amplified the effect.
"Hmm, look at you. Purple panties."
I slid my hands around my body playfully and lifted the cups of my bosom.
"Umm...they're lavender." I spoke with sass to correct him.
"Whatever. Get over here."
I walked around the counter to stand before him at the little hallway by the front door. I posed, letting him look me over. He appraised me with a nod but no smile.
"Hands against the wall and bend over," he ordered. The role playing had begun.
I obeyed, planting my palms against the wall next to the bathroom. I spread my legs into an A and stuck my butt out. Mike leaned against the wall and loomed over me, his six foot eight, near eight hundred pound body making me feel like a kid in the presence of an authoritative adult figure. I could feel the heat emanating from his big body; he still breathed heavily from the walk home.
