The Pizza Place Romance Pt. 01

The humid summer air hits her like a heavy blanket to the face. Mallory practically runs, at least as fast as her short legs allow, to her car, not wanting to give her boss the satisfaction of seeing her cry. Her vision blurs with the threatening tears.

Someone calls her name, but she's not sure whether they're trying to get her attention or just telling her goodnight. She doesn't dare pause, ready to get the hell out of there as soon as she can, and raises a hand in acknowledgment without looking back.

In the safety of her car, Mallory lights a cigarette and loses the fight to her tears. She already has the little Nissan Sentra in reverse when she hears a tap on her window. Afraid to look, thinking it may be her boss, Jeff, she cracks the window without looking.

"You ok?" she's surprised to hear her co-worker's voice, Brandon, the delivery guy.

Mallory's full-on crying already and turns to him so he can see she's upset. She isn't sure why she does it. Why should he care?

"Not really," she replies, looking forward again.

"I heard what Jeff said. That was really shitty," he says simply.

Mallory nods in agreement, not sure what else to say.

"You wanna talk about it?" Brandon offers after a pause.

"I don't know, Brandon," she sighs.

The truth was, any other time, she loved having any opportunity to talk to him. But she was upset. And she really didn't like the idea of blubbering in front of him. Mallory just wants to go home and have a drink and a hot shower, not necessarily in that order.

"Come on," he persists. "Come sit in my car. The coast is clear."

For whatever reason, she puts her car back in park and turns the engine off. She takes one final puff of her cigarette and puts it out in the butt can in her car. Taking a deep, steadying breath, she opens her door and gets out.

Mallory finds herself dangerously close to Brandon when she turns away from locking her door. They're the only ones left in the parking lot. Still. Locking your doors was never a bad habit, was it? She catches herself staring into those beautiful blue eyes of his, which are still oddly illuminated in the dim light.

Brandon opens the door for her, catching her off guard, before climbing in on the driver's side.

Maybe it's just because she doesn't want to cry in front of him, of all people, but Mallory notices her tears are already slowing.

"I'm really sorry about what Jeff said. He's a real asshole sometimes," Brandon angles his body slightly towards hers.

"Sometimes? I think he's been an asshole to me ever since I started working here. I don't understand what he has against me. And why are you apologizing? You're not the one who said it."

"I know, but still. That was harsh even for him...It does seem like he has it out for you," he agreed.

One of her bosses, Jeff, always seemed to find something to bitch about when it came to Mallory. He perpetually seemed irritated with her. It had been like that the 6 months she'd been working at The Pizza Parlour. And she had no idea why. Mallory kept her nose down, worked hard, always kept busy. She was never one to stand around and chit-chat at work. She was there to make money, not socialize.

That night, she could understand why Jeff would be irritated. But it was still no excuse for some of the nasty things he said about her. The fact that they weren't even to her face was worse, somehow.

He'd been ranting to Michelle, his wife and the other owner, about Mallory in the kitchen. The cash register was off by $30. It happened sometimes, especially if they were busy. Obviously, someone had punched something in wrong at some point in the night. It was a Saturday night in the summer. They were busy. Mallory wasn't even the only one who had rung people up that night. But, she had run the cash register the most, therefore, Jeff assumed it was her who had fucked something up.

"She's too stupid to even run a cash register! Why did you even hire her?" Mallory heard Jeff raving, none too quietly, to Michelle as she passed by the kitchen door to grab her purse from the employees' area. She paused and listened, against her better judgment.

"Literally anyone else could do a better job. Hell, you could probably train a monkey to do her job!"

"Don't let him get to you," Brandon's smooth baritone voice brings Mallory back to the present moment.

"He's not worth your time. And you're not stupid...Otherwise, I wouldn't talk to you," he tries to joke with a small smile, one of his dimples showing.

"Thanks, I think?" Mallory finally laughs, feeling herself start to calm down. A nervousness starts eating at her, though. There's a long pause before either of them speaks, both looking out the windshield in separate directions.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" she turns to Brandon, coming right out with it.

Brandon had always seemed a bit standoffish at work, though they'd been working together since Mallory had started, him starting a few months before her. She could occasionally get him involved in small conversations, more than his norm of one or two sentences. And, admittedly, she sometimes subtly flirted with him too.

Mallory couldn't resist. Brandon's brilliant blue eyes that twinkled whenever he smiled and shaggy, light brown hair that was a little too long to be "stylish" did it for her. She'd had a crush on him since the day she started. He hardly ever rose to her flirty comments, though. And the few times he did, he always looked embarrassed or remorseful after the fact. She didn't know what that was all about, but she always ended up feeling silly for even trying to flirt with him afterward and would barely talk to him for days.

"What do you mean? We talk at work," Brandon asks innocently.

"Yah, but," Mallory shrugs. "It's more of a 'just being polite' on your part most of the time."

There was a pause.

"Is that what you think?" he asks quietly.

She nods slowly.

"I don't mean to come off that way." Mallory wonders why he looks nervous all of a sudden, but carries on.

"It's alright. As long as you don't say nasty things about me behind my back like some people," she rolls her eyes.

"I would never say bad things about you," Brandon says a little indignantly.

"I think you're awesome."

Mallory wonders if she looks as shocked as she feels by his revelation.

"Really?" If her face didn't show it, her voice certainly did.

"Yah," he looks away. His voice has gone quiet again.

"Anyway, seems like you're feeling better," his change of subject is obvious.

"I didn't want you driving upset like that. Seemed like a bad idea. I won't keep you anymore, though. Don't want your husband worrying about you."

Wait. Does he really not know? Mallory wonders.

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that," she replies flippantly.

"Tim and I split up over 3 months ago...I thought you knew?"

She catches Brandon's eyes go wide briefly before regaining his composure.

"No," he shakes his head. "Not at all. I'm sorry."

"Sorry you didn't know or sorry we broke up?" she teases.

"Both, I guess," he laughs.

Is he blushing?

"I'm sure you probably want to go hang out with your friends or a girl, though," Mallory was testing the waters. How could she not after seeing the way he reacted to the news of her and her husband splitting up?

"Nah. Not this weekend," Brandon replies casually.

"They're all up in Bentonville partying with some of our old college friends. And no girlfriend for me."

"What?! Why not? With those dimples and blue eyes? I figured girls would be falling all over you." Mallory knew she was really pushing her luck now. She felt silly, too, for saying "girls" like she was a lot older than him or something. She and Brandon were only a year apart in age. Which meant absolutely nothing at 24 and 25.

Her question clearly makes him nervous. Brandon shrugs and smiles awkwardly.

A thought suddenly crosses her mind and makes her heart sink. Maybe it's the real reason he always seems distant. She has to know and blurts her thoughts.

"Wait. Are you gay? It's totally cool if you are. I won't tell anyone if you're, like, trying to keep it a secret. Just saying. My brother is gay, so it's not really a big deal to me. Just curious."

"No! No," Brandon laughs, shaking his head. He pauses.

"Do you really want to know the truth?"

Mallory nods, waiting for him to continue.

He takes a deep breath.

"There's a girl I've had a..thing for...for months. But she's already taken. Or, at least she was."

The air hangs thick as the mood changes in the car from Brandon's confession.

"Was taken? Why don't you go for her now then?" Mallory asks cautiously. Her heartbeat speeds up.

"I just found out recently." He was so serious now. And when had his voice dropped?

"How recently?" Mallory practically whispers, knowing that no matter what he says next, it will change everything between them.

"Just a few minutes ago recently," Brandon bridges the gap between them and kisses her tenderly. Not that the space was that far. They had been slowly drifting toward one another without realizing it.

Fireworks explode behind her eyes as his lips meet hers. They're as warm as she imagined and softer than she expected. She feels like a teenager all over again as time ticks by. Mallory wasn't sure if 5 minutes or 50 had passed. Her body is in danger of liquifying into a puddle if he keeps running his fingers sensually through her long brown hair. When had he taken her ponytail out anyway?

Brandon's kisses become hungrier after a while, his tongue jousting with her own. She could feel the need behind his kiss, the gentle caress of his hand against her cheek. It had been a long time since she had felt passion at all, from someone else or from within her, for that matter. A sense of longing filled her as he reluctantly pulled away. They stare at each other silently for a long moment.

"What are you thinking?" Brandon asks.

"That I've been dying to know what your mouth tastes like for a while," she blushes, but answers honestly.

As if to prove a point, in case she forgot in the last few seconds, he kisses her again.

"I want to touch you," he whispers in her ear.

"I want you to touch me," she replies breathily.

He strokes Mallory's face, seeming to study it, before kissing her deeply again. A few minutes pass before she feels one of his hands slide down her torso and up her shirt, exploring her flat stomach his first stop. It wasn't long before she felt his other hand join the first. The moan escapes her mouth into his as Brandon's thumbs play across the thin bra fabric covering her nipples. Despite the heat building inside the car, a shiver runs up her spine when he nibbles on her bottom lip.

Mallory's nerves are overloaded in the best way, feeling his warm hands knead gently all over her upper body. She reciprocates and runs her hands over his sturdy chest. Her only regret is not feeling the skin beneath his work shirt.

Another time, she hopes.

Brandon's groping becomes slightly more urgent. His hands make their way to her hips, then her inner thighs. Small groans of pleasure well up from his throat as she rubs the outside of his shorts.

She wants him to touch more of her badly now. But Mallory knows the pesky jean shorts she has on are too tight to grant him any access. She pauses from her own rubbing to unbutton and slide them down just far enough to make her point. Brandon notices and takes it as the invitation that it is. He earns bonus points for being a gentleman and asking first, though.

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes," she replies without hesitation.

Their kissing commences as he glides a hand inside her underwear. Her moans become more frequent as he teases her opening, sliding his middle finger along her already moist slit. Mallory wants so badly to feel him inside of her.

After a few minutes of enjoying him making her pussy even wetter, she returns the favor and slides a hand up one leg of his shorts...And is surprised by what she finds. Brandon is a lot longer than she expected and isn't even all the way hard. He pulls his khaki shorts down to give her more access.

"Mallory," he whispers lustily, tilting his head back as she strokes him. Her tiny hand makes his member seem that much bigger. A few minutes later and his dick is fighting to be free of the confines of his boxers. She stops stroking and looks him dead in the eye.

"I want you."

They both seem to forget they are in the middle of a parking lot. Each of them takes their own underwear off. Mallory's eyes go wide now that she has a better look at his penis. It's easily 8 inches and she feels herself get even wetter just thinking about it being inside of her.

"I think I've got a condom in my wallet," Brandon leans over to search his shorts. She shakes her head.

"No need. I'm on birth control." He immediately stops his search and leans over her, laying her seat back as he does. Just as he's about to enter her, Mallory places a hand on his chest.

"Will you go slow at first? I'm not exactly used to, uh, your length," she's almost embarrassed to ask.

"Of course," he speaks softly, looking her in the eyes. Mallory spreads her knees and lifts her ass as far as she can to accommodate him. She had forgotten how awkward car sex was and briefly wondered if Brandon had ever done it in a car before. Nervous anticipation builds as he rubs the head of his penis against her slick opening before gently pushing in.

"Oh," she moans quietly, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Are you ok?" he pauses, looking slightly concerned.

"Yes. Don't stop. You feel so good," Mallory bites her lip.

Brandon coaxes her inner walls to budge slowly. Thanks to his care, she adjusts to his size quickly.

He feels fucking amazing, she thinks, closing her eyes and relishing the feel of him and having spots hit inside of her that weren't used to being hit.

He works inside of her slowly in long, gentle strokes at first. Whether it was to make sure she was ok or because he was savoring the moment too, Mallory wasn't sure. But the growing pleasure within makes her impatient after a while. She digs her heels into his tight ass, spurring him to go deeper. He gives her what she wants and picks up the tempo, but neither of them are frenzied. There seems to be a mutual understanding. It's their first time together. Go slow. But, the car isn't exactly a comfy place to fornicate and it isn't too long before Mallory feels her climax building.

"Cum in me, Brandon. Please cum in me," her fingers cling to his shoulders. She doesn't have to plead, though. He's already close to blowing his load.

"Not until you get there," he speaks softly in her ear. She trembles beneath him.

He opts to take the lengthy, hard strokes she seems to like the best so far.

"Oh, God. Yes. Just like that. Oh, oh, oh!" Mallory's moans fill the car until her inner muscles spasm out of control around his member, sending him over the edge too. Brandon groans softly as he explodes inside of her, her pussy milking every last drop from him. Small giggles tinkle in his ears as their breathing slows and they come down from their high. Brandon tilts his head questioningly.

"I could feel you," she looks him deep in the eyes with her own dazzling dark blue ones.

He raises an eyebrow, still lost.

"When you, ya know," she nods down and makes her eyes big. He finally catches on to what she is getting at and smiles. It was cute that she was being so shy all of a sudden after what they just did. He kisses her gently.

"I'm guessing you're not used to that either?"

"No. I liked it, though," she smiled before he kissed her again, finally pulling his softening penis from her.

Mallory sighs, closing her legs.

"What's wrong?" Brandon asks as he pulls on his underwear and shorts again.

"I can't believe we just did that. HERE." Reality starts setting in. She gets dressed too.

"I can't believe I didn't know you were getting a divorce sooner," he leans over and kisses her deeply again.

"Me neither. Plus I didn't think you cared," she shrugs.

He feels a stab in his chest and remembers something from earlier.

"The way I seemed before, or how you thought I seemed...I only acted that way because you were married. That's why I never flirted back. Why I may have seemed distant. I was just trying to behave myself. It wasn't that I didn't care. The trouble was, I cared TOO much." He stroked the side of her face. They stare a moment.

"I never knew, Brandon."

"That was the point. I wasn't going to get involved with a married woman."

"You know I'm still technically married, right?"

He lowered his eyes at her.

"Yah, but it's different. You're not planning on getting back together, are you?"

"God no! Just waiting on the divorce to finalize at this point."

"Well. There ya go. That makes it different. Plus, it means I might actually have a chance with you," he strokes more hair away from her face.

"You definitely have a chance with me," Mallory replies softly, taking his hand in hers.

Another long pause fills the car.

"So."

"So."

"Now what?"

"I'd invite you back to my place, but, you know," Brandon tucked a loose piece of hair behind her ear.

She did know. He still lived with his parents, trying to save up money for his own place. In fact, Brandon had two jobs to reach that goal faster. Mallory didn't know the logistics of it, but knew he worked at some nerdy tech place during the day. In his case, "nerdy" was a term of endearment. She'd heard him talk about that job enough to know that he loved it. And although she wasn't very tech-savvy, it was cute the way he lit up whenever he mentioned some project at his other job. It wasn't just his work that made him a little nerdy in her eyes. Even his love of Star Wars was endearing to her for some reason.

Mallory had two jobs too, though hers was out of necessity. She was the only one living in her apartment now. It was hard to keep up with rent and utilities on her own. Lately, she'd felt like all she did was work just to keep a roof over her head.

At least Brandon had a decent day job. She worked at a coffee shop, which she enjoyed, but it wasn't exactly a job most people strive for. She hadn't gone to college after high school. Instead, she got married to Tim right away. Thinking about that mistake too much was enough to put her in a bad mood. The thought of going to community college still crossed her mind on occasion.

"You can come over to my place, if you want. Tim's gone. He moved out months ago. Gets a bit lonely, to be honest. Not that I miss him. Just hard to adjust to. I've lived with him since we graduated high school. I'm used to having someone around," she shrugged.

"I'd love to keep you company," kisses her temple and checks the time.

"I better text my parents. Let them know I'll be out late," he started typing a text message furiously. "They won't think anything of it. I stay out late a lot on weekends with my friends. Plus, you know, I'm 25 years old," they laugh. "It's more of a common courtesy, not responsibility. I don't have a curfew or anything," they laugh again.

"Want to follow me?" she asks, hand on the door handle.

"See you there," he smiles.

Her knees feel weak as she stands and hopes he doesn't notice one of them give out the few short steps to her car.

She feels his cum leaking out of her on the short drive back to her apartment. She shakes her head with a small smile, wondering how the hell things could change so drastically in just an hour. Just an hour. How had they gone from talking to his semen leaving a sizable wet spot in her panties in just an hour?

Mallory's anxiety builds in the short time it takes to show Brandon around her apartment. It's weird enough having someone else there. She doesn't have many visitors. Half of her friends are still party animals, loving the single life, and the other half are married and having babies. Then there was the fact, of course, that Brandon, of all people, was her current company. Sure, she had daydreamed about him fucking her right there in her own bedroom a time or two. But the thought had never crossed Mallory's mind that he might actually be in her space for real someday. The surrealness of it makes her head swim.