Subway Girl Ch. 09

I have had the privilege of working with Gaius Petronius as an editor since chapter 6. He has a very sharp eye, yet sometime I miss his corrections of my typos. I am extremely grateful to him for not only correcting, but teaching this feral writer, all the while reminding me to be true to myself.

And because some of you have asked, this story is about half way done.

*****

Don and Lenny were both standing on the sidewalk at the jobsite when I got there at 8:20 a.m. There was a refrigerator on a dolly and they were obviously waiting for me to help get it upstairs. Don started yelling as soon as he saw me, "What the hell? Didn't I just tell you not to be late and the very next day you're late! What the fuck? Was I talkin' outta' the side of my neck or somethin'? Guys are gonna' be lookin' at you and you're comin' in late like this?" Don stopped to wipe his sweaty brow with a bandana. It was already hot and humid. "What if I was payin' guys standin' around waitin' on you! We can't have this, Ray! This is bullshit!"

"I'm sorry, Don. It won't happen again," I answered calmly.

"What?" Don looked at me totally confused, so I went on, "Sorry I let you down."

Don continued to stare at me in bewilderment, and then he started yelling again, "Oh, so I'm the bad guy? You're the one who's fuckin' late and I'm made out to be the asshole?"

"No, not at all. I was totally in the wrong," I again answered calmly, hoping this conversation would be over soon so I could get to work.

Don shook his head and told me just to help get the fridge up the stairs. The three of us manhandled it up two flights of stairs and by the time we got it up and into the tiny kitchen, we were all sweating. Don told me to hook the water line to the ice maker and I heard him and Lenny mumbling in the other room. It wasn't just the humidity causing me to sweat.

When I finished the fridge, I went hunting for Don to find out what he wanted me to do next. He was standing next to the truck talking on the phone and held up a finger signaling me to wait a minute. When he hung up he looked me up and down and said, "Look, Ray, you're a nice kid. That's the problem. Too nice. Next week we're gonna' have a few new guys startin' up and you can't act like that."

"I won't be late again. I'm sorry, Don."

"Dammit, Ray, don't you get it? That's exactly what I'm talkin' about right there. Quit bein' so god damned polite or the guys are gonna' eat you up. This is a construction site! You're already too young and too green to be in charge. They hear you talkin' like that and they're gonna' call you a kiss ass or a pussy and they're gonna' take advantage of you. Next time I bust your balls, I want you to stand up to me. I'm gonna' give you shit for bein' late cuz that's my job, but I know you ain't usually late! So gimme' shit right back! Don't you get it? A man's gotta' right to rant and rave, but if I really have a problem with you we'll be havin' a private conversation."

"So you want me to argue with you?" I asked, totally confused. That was the kind of thing that would get me backhanded by my dad. I spent my whole life learning how to de-fuse an angry man and now I was being told to do the opposite.

"Hell yeah! I mean, don't be late again, but if you are, stand up to me. Tell me you ain't usually late, give me hell right back. It's just what guys do. Now if you're late all the time, we're gonna' have a problem, but that's different."

"Okay, Don, I'll try."

"No, Ray. Don't try. Do. Save that sweet talk for your girlfriend."

I almost said, "Yes sir," out of habit and caught myself just in time. "Alright then, can I get back to work?"

"Yeah, you're on paint duty today, and remember -"

I cut him off, "This ain't the gawd damned Tawj Mahawl," I said, with my best New York accent.

* * * * *

I was really glad to be painting because I could do it alone, see my progress, and think. There was so much on my mind that my thoughts were bumping into each other. Frustration, anxiety, and bliss, were all fighting for dominance. I tried to reminisce about my night and even my morning with Alicia. She looked so sexy sitting on her kitchen counter in her tank top and panties. Damn, she looked good in the morning! And then there was the matter of her telling me she overeats and throws up. In a way, it made me feel a lot closer to her, like she wasn't perfect - she was vulnerable - but I worried that she'd keep doing it. Then there was being late and getting bitched out and being told to man up. I thought about that a lot. I didn't really know if I wanted to be in charge of other guys. Maybe I'd rather just paint with my headphones on. Then I thought about Alicia some more, about how sweet and sexy she is and how I can't wait to see her again. Then I worried about the new guys not respecting me.

I decided to listen to some music that she had put on my phone. Most of it was stuff I picked out, some R & B, and I got in the groove of painting. Then one of those hillbilly songs Alicia gave me came on and I practiced restraint by not pressing "next." The music was really fast and I noticed I picked up the pace of my painting, a lot actually. The music reminded me of a movie on fast forward and I was really moving without that slow bass beat I was used to. I'd have to tell Alicia I found her music useful. I wanted to call her, but knew she was at work by now and I'm not supposed to be on the phone either.

Lenny came back to the apartment carrying a new sink for the bathroom and said, "Good, you're almost done. We can get this sink in today and be done here. So how come you was late? You party too hard last night?"

"Naw, man, that's not it. I kinda' got into something with my girlfriend this morning."

"Well, the way you've been grinnin', you must have had some good make-up sex."

I didn't answer and tried to stop grinning. Lenny shook his head and he held the sink in place while I hooked it up. I went back to painting and was all done by four and the guys were already gone to the new jobsite. I called Don and told him I finished and he said to lock up the place and where to meet him tomorrow. Finally, I could talk to Alicia.

I sat outside on the building's stoop and texted her, "Hey Dream-Girl, can you talk?"

I waited for a few minutes until she texted back, "I've been thinking about you all day! I'm outside my professor's office. I'll call you as soon as I'm out."

It seemed even hotter than it did at noon, the air was so still and full of humidity. The pedestrian traffic seemed to be on a slower speed and everyone looked irritated. I was a little bit concerned about how Alicia did on her test and why she was talking to her professor, but the first part of her text said she was thinking about me too. I joined the slow parade, but zipped through them quickly and strategically so I could get home and shower. At home I did a series of push ups and sit ups, and then ate three peanut butter and jelly sandwiches before hopping into the shower. I was sitting down with a book when my phone finally rang.

"Hey," I said. "How are you? is everything okay?"

"Well, yes and no," Alicia answered. "I got my test back today and I got a 92."

"Oh, that's good, right? An A?"

"Well, not really. Remember I got a B last time and I needed to get a 95 to keep my A in the class. I went and met with my professor to see what I need to do and if there is any extra credit or anything."

"And?"

"He doesn't give any extra credit and now I need a 97 on the final. That's nearly impossible, Ray, but he gave me some good tips on what to focus on for the final exam, so I'm glad I talked to him."

"Dang, a 97? That's a lot of pressure." I felt myself tensing up.

"I know. But I can do it. I have to do it. How was your day? Were you late?"

"Yeah, and my boss gave me shit, which I expected, but the funny thing is he then gave me shit for not standing up to him."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I guess I need to learn how guys interact in the construction world. I'm only used to working with my dad and then at my last job, we worked in this office building and the boss was a really mellow guy and, I don't know... Don's talking about putting me in charge of some new guys."

"Wow, really? That's great! You just barely started there and you're already getting a promotion?"

"Yeah, I guess you could call it that, but it isn't because I'm that anything special. He got really busy and doesn't have any choice. I don't know if he has much faith in me and I'm not so sure either."

"Yes, but he has a lot of experience and must know what he's doing. I'm sure he could hire a supervisor if he didn't see something in you. I'm really proud of you, Ray."

"Really?" That felt like the nicest thing she could say to me. I was dying to crawl through the phone and kiss her right then so I said, "I wish I was there right now. I'd kiss your pretty mouth and throw you down on that futon."

"I'd like that," she giggled. "I've been thinking about you all day! My coworker teased me for smiling so much."

"Really? I got busted for smiling too."

"Aww, when do I get to see you again?"

"Well, you tell me. You're the busy girl, I'm free and easy."

Alicia laughed and said, "Well, it is already kind of late and I am going to need to study tonight, but tomorrow I am meeting my study group after work at the library. I was kind of hoping you could meet me there and maybe ride the subway home and maybe stay at my place if you wanted?"

"Can we get some Pho on the way to the subway again?"

"Oh my god, you are the best," she laughed. "But, Ray, I'm going to have to study at the library!" She emphasized the word "study." "And you'll get to meet my group. But we won't be done until about seven or seven-thirty."

"That works for me. I'm going to let you go study right now, Dream-Girl."

"Okay, one more thing. I did look up the yellow and red rose. Do you know what that really means?"

"Yes I do."

"I was hoping so," she said, and paused for a few seconds. "Goodnight, Ray. Dream about me, okay?"

I laughed and told her I dream about her all day long and said goodnight.

* * * * *

The next day, Don gave us our new "DT Construction" t-shirts. He met me at the loft-conversion site and I was excited to see it. The building had seven floors with these old metal framed windows with cranks on them that went from the floor to the ceiling. Don said it had brick walls we were going to get to, but right now they were covered in drywall. The first thing he wanted to do was clear out the second floor. It used to be a clothing factory and there were all these old industrial sewing machines that we needed to de-install and take to the metal yard to scrap. He said a delivery was coming and he wanted to leave me there so I could sign for the materials. I could start taking the sewing machines apart and piling the parts next to the door while I waited. Lenny and I could load them in the truck later.

Then he handed me my first paycheck. It had not calculated what I would make in a week because I wasn't sure what the taxes would be, but it seemed pretty good. Now that I had a general idea, I needed to calculate how much it would be per month and figure out if I can afford to stay in my apartment alone. If I need a roommate, I would move into someone else's place with a private room. I also needed to open a bank account so I could quit giving the check cashing place part of my money. I folded my paycheck up and put it in my wallet and said out loud, "Congratulations, Joe-citizen."

I spent hours working alone, disassembling the sewing machines and building up the pile of parts. Two guys came with a big delivery of boxes: wood, drywall, and pvc pipe. I told them to put it all on the first floor in the space Don had shown me. Then I counted the materials and signed their paperwork. They were missing one box, so I told the guys and they wrote "back order" and initialed it, then gave me a copy. I texted Don to let him know that everything arrived and one thing was back ordered, and he told me to keep working on clearing the factory floor as long as I wanted. I didn't want to seem like I wanted to leave early so I stayed one hour late and got a ton of work done, then I took the subway home for a quick shower, made some peanut butter sandwiches to eat on the go, and headed over to the library to meet Alicia.

She had texted me earlier to say they decided to meet at the St. Agnes branch, which was good news only because it was closer to both our apartments and I could walk there. It has a bunch of little side rooms with glass walls for groups to meet and I knew she'd be in one of those. I did see Alicia in a room with two guys and two other girls and a bunch of books and papers spread out on a table. I didn't know if I should interrupt, so I texted her, but she didn't answer. I tried walking by the room twice, but she didn't seem to notice me. I positioned myself off to the side where she (and maybe one of the girls) could see me and started doing a funny dance. Alicia still didn't notice me, but some lady in the library commented, "Nice moves" as she walked by.

I decided to just sit down with a book where she would see me if she came out. I got into reading, and after a short while felt hands on my shoulders from behind and looked up to see Alicia. "I saw your sexy dance. It was so hard not to laugh."

"You think my dancing is funny?" I reached up and pulled her head in for a kiss.

"Um, no, I actually could tell you are a mighty fine dancer, but I think yours skills should be witnessed outside a library."

"You should see me salsa."

"Oh my god, you can salsa dance?"

"I'm Puerto Rican! You don't think my mom would leave this earth without making sure her boy can salsa, do you?"

"I want you to teach me! Tonight! Lessons start at my place, as soon as we finish this chapter we are on."

Damn. She obviously wasn't done studying. "How much longer?"

"We aren't even close to done, but the library closes at seven. I told my group I had to go to the bathroom, but I better get back in there." It was 6:40 p.m. and I was happy to hang out and read.

I was in line at the counter to check out the book I had started when I saw Alicia's group emerge from the study room. When they approached, Alicia introduced me to Monica, Caleb, Brianna, and Joey and I shook hands with the guys. The group seemed friendly enough, but Monica looked me up and down and said, "So, you work construction?" I thought I saw a slight roll of her eyes. She was a pretty Asian girl holding a stack of books in front of her chest. I answered, "Yes," and she said, "Hmmm," gave a slight shoulder shrug, and started looking at her phone.

She and the others said good bye and Alicia got in line with me. "What are you getting?" She asked, eyeing the book in my hand.

"It's called 'The Power of the Dog' and it's a western. I'm getting away from Manhattan and headin' out west."

We walked back to Alicia's place through the thick fog of humidity. I insisted on carrying Alicia's book bag and she made too big of a deal about it, going on about what a gentleman I was, but really, I just thought how if I notice a couple walking and she is carrying something and he isn't, I always assume the guy is a complete ass.

By the time we got to her place, we both were covered in sweat with wet spots down the back of our shirts. Alicia said she wanted to take a shower and asked with a demure grin if I wanted to join her. Hell yeah, I did. The first thought that crossed my mind was: "Wow, two showers in one day!" In the past year I often went weeks without a shower. The second thought? I was going to be showering with my sexy Dream-Girl! I sure would not have predicted either of these events just a few weeks ago. It was impossible to contain my excitement, which made Alicia giggle as we both shed our clothes in her ultra-feminine bathroom.

She turned on the water and tested it with her hand, then stepped into the shower and held out her hand for me to join her. As soon as I did, we embraced and began kissing, as if getting clean had nothing to do with why we were there. The warm water running down my skin, Alicia wrapped in my arms - I was in heaven. Water was running down our bodies and even entering our mouths as we intermittently opened them for our kisses. My hands roamed her backside and she pushed me back slightly and picked up a plastic bottle of very sweet smelling soap. She poured some onto my chest with a smile on her face, then set the bottle down and began using her hands to spread the soap all over me, which made it bubble and foam. I pressed into her and covered her body with soapy foam as well so that I could have my turn rubbing the soap all over her sexy wet body. I paid particular attention to her chest.

"I'm pretty sure I have the cleanest tits in New York City right now," she laughed, and I answered,

"Let me make sure you have the cleanest butt to match." I squeezed some soap onto my hands and rubbed them together before massaging her lower back and butt with the soap, enjoying the slippery feeling as my hands glided easily over her skin. Alicia was rubbing her chest into mine as I soaped her entire back and bottom and then I slipped a hand to the front and between her legs. She gasped and then gently bit my shoulder, as she lifted one leg to give me better access. She put her foot on the soap dish and I held onto her firmly with one arm around her waist so she wouldn't slip, as I slid a finger into her and curled it. "Mmmmm," she moaned, "Condoms?"

"Yes, but not yet," I answered. I felt no urgency to rush things along. I wanted to enjoy the wet smoothness of our soapy bodies rubbing together, and the warm flow of the water streaming around us. Alicia dropped her soapy hand down to grasp my hardness and made double-sure that we were, in fact, the cleanest couple in all of Manhattan. Now I was losing my patience and wanted to enter her in the shower, so I told her to stay put while I stepped out to retrieve a condom from my pants lying on the bathroom floor.

When I stepped back in, Alicia took the condom out of my hand, tore open the package, and rolled the condom onto me. She was pretty good at that, I thought. Then I winced at the awareness that she had done this before, but caught my negative spiral before it slipped too far. She is twenty-four and I should be glad that she knows how to use a condom. At that very moment she turned around and rubbed her sweet bottom into me, and there was no room in my mind for bad thoughts. I was overwhelmed when she presented herself in this position, her butt against my groin and her whole front side exposed for my hands to roam.

I entered her from behind as Alicia bent slightly to accommodate me. She planted one foot back on the soap dish and held herself steady with one hand on the wall. I placed my hands on both of her hips and kissed her shoulder as we moved in rhythm together. Alicia lifted her free hand and brought it to the side of my neck. As a result, her back arched, her foot slipped, and she almost fell, but I steadied her and we both laughed in relief. "Would you mind terribly if we moved to the futon?" she asked, and of course I didn't mind. We each grabbed a towel, and wrapping them around ourselves, not really taking the time to dry, we practically ran to the futon, where Alicia laid her towel down, and then laid her wet body down on the towel.

I smiled and paused to admire her beautiful body. She had her knees bent and I couldn't resist burying my face between her squeaky clean legs which caused her to squeal, but I didn't spend much time there. I kissed my way up to her mouth and slid back into her sweetness from the front side. Alicia drew me close and planted her lips at my ear, where she began whispering, telling me how much she liked what I was doing. She wrapped her legs around me and was moaning my name softly as I made love to her as gently and slowly as my current mood demanded, until she became more aggressive. I could feel her fingernails digging into my butt cheeks and I didn't mind at all, as she also started bucking her hips. This required a different tempo that I could not possibly sustain for long, but didn't need to as she murmured the obvious in my ear, that she had reached her climax, sending me over the crest of my own until I collapsed on top of her.