Just Bent

Chapter Eight

Kaye was still standing at the front counter, but this time her head was bowed, brown eyes wondering over the words of her book. I saw her lips moving before she bit the bottom one, frowning in concentration. Her short, dark hair hung around her face, strands brushing against her nose and cheeks before she reached up to tuck them behind her ear. Her upturned nose sat on top of plump lips and perfectly rounded chin. Plainly, put she was beautiful-

"My grandfather didn't save your ass from juvie so you could stand around and stare at me." I had no come back to that.

She looked up at me through her lashes, letting her words cut into me. Feeling thoroughly dismissed and completely embarrassed I turned towards the disassembled shelving units and hoisted them over my shoulder, heading towards the stairs that lead to the loft.

"At least you have the decency to blush," she muttered turning back to her book as I passed.

It was 10:30 AM before the looks could draw my attention from the earbuds I had put in and the heavy aching that was beginning to form in my biceps and triceps.

I looked from my bending and carrying routine to find a pair of older ladies casting me disdainful looks around the Vitamins isle.

The hair stood on the back of my neck and the steady beat of my heart actually felt like it had stopped and that the organ itself had plummeted down into the pit of my intestines. It took me a minute to restart my body, unease my limbs and unlock my joints and turn my back to them. Concentrating on lifting with my legs, feeling the energy thrum in my calves and then my glutes as I stood with the metal shelve frames over my shoulder, I took a moment to steady myself before I walked away.

From then on, the entire day, I was watched. By 2 I was sure that people were coming into the store just to stare at me. Did they have nothing better to do this afternoon?

Anger and embarrassment warred inside of me. I was helpless against these people. They were determined to make me a spectacle, voyeuristically taking my anonymity from me- Or did I do that? Hadn't I taken it from myself? I knew. I knew better then anyone what kind of stir my behaviour would make. People had been waiting to see him in me for years.

At 2:15 I climbed the winding stairs to the loft once again, setting a new pair of shelves against the wall. Straightening up I reached for my shoulder, feeling the grooves imprinted from the metal digging into my skin, and massaged my fingers into the ache.

Glancing over the side of the railing I saw Kaye talking with a lady that had been particularly nosy. From the moment she'd stepped foot into the store she'd followed me around like I was about to steal something.

Positioning the shelf parallel to the ones I'd already set up I undid the zip ties holding it all together with the box cutter I'd found. Setting the base up, I reached for the screw driver. I shouldn't look, I shouldn't give these people the satisfaction of knowing that there perusal bothered me. But I couldn't help it, something masochist inside of me needed to know who was looking, hear what they were whispering. So I looked back over the railing. The women were gone and Kaye was watching me. We had not spoken since she'd told me off earlier, and now as we caught each other's gaze and held it, I saw her earlier hostility was gone, her expression neutral. But her eyes... her eyes spoke in a way words never could, and I realized then that she could see me. It was the most unnerving feeling.

When the sun was sitting low in the sky, I was finally finished assembling the shelves along the back and far wall. I pulled the apron off as I defended the stairwell, and walked over to Kaye.

"Hi, I'm finished for today" I said dragging in a breath.She looked me over from head to toe, and then nodded.

"Ok, let me tell grandpa." Leaving the counter for the first time since I'd come, she walked to the back room. She knocked quickly, and then stuck her head inside gripping the frame beside her.