Free Story Friday!-Clean Up on Aisle Two

Hello Everyone!
I hope you’re have a truly fabulous Friday! When I visited on Maddie Taylor’s blog on Wedensday I shared I once chipped my front teeth on a grocery kart in today’s story, Clean Up on Aisle Two you’ll see how. The ill fated grocery store trip in the very beginning really happened to me when I was in college. There was no cute guy but my roommate told me she would never go to that store again and as far as I know she never did; at least not with me! Anyway I hope you enjoy the story. Happy Reading!
Morganna

It had been a long day for Erin, she was tired and not really in the mood for grocery shopping. Unfortunately she was in the mood for eating. Which pretty much made the shopping a necessity.

She pulled her bright blue bug into quickly into a lucky parking find on the front row. Erin glared in the review mirror when a sharp angry honk sounded behind her.

Fluffing her long brown hair she got out of the car and looked towards the driver of the Beemer.

The man glared at her as he rolled down the window; “I was waiting for that spot young lady.”

“Ohh …well sorry …I didn’t see you waiting. Ooops!” she said with her patented smile and a small shrug before flouncing off to go into the store.

Jack’s frown deepened as he pulled into another spot further down the row. “Little brat!” he muttered under his breath as he pocketed the keys and walked past the bright blue car.

He looked up just in time to see the little minx trip over the curb on her way in. She looked around nervously to see if anyone had seen her almost fall then gave another little shrug and went inside.

Once inside he found her on the canned vegetable aisle frowning down at a can of green beans.

“Did they do something to offend you?”

She blinked foggily and then looked up at him with brilliant green eyes, “What?”

“They’re green,” Jack said a little lamely, as those beautiful eyes shocked him in the solar plexus.

“Well of course they’re green. They’re GREEN beans.”

He felt his face flush, “I meant your eyes. You have beautiful eyes.”

Erin looked nervously around the store. Great a stalker! “You just keep your opinions to yourself Bub!”

“I didn’t mean to scare you. I was actually coming to give you a piece of my mind and I lost my train of thought for a moment.”

“I think you’d better keep all the pieces of your mind. You need em!”

With that statement she backed up the long aisle looking at him suspiciously; which was why she didn’t notice the pyramid display of canned beets.

She gasped as the canned beets crashed down loudly from the top of the pyramid to fall randomly all down and around the narrow floors of aisle two.

Jack gaped for a moment before moving to help pick up cans. Erin knew better than to stand near the scene of the crime and moved quickly to the end of the row before turning to stare back at where Jack was picking up cans.

Just as the store manager came around the back of the aisle she laughed and nodded her head towards the man picking up cans. “Clumsy isn’t he?”

The store manager harrumphed and began picking up cans, “Really Sir. You must be more careful.”

“I didn’t …” Jack sighed giving up. The little minx had gotten him again. He’d never met a woman that made his palm itch so quickly.

The manager laughed. “I just said that so she would think she got away with it. If I called her on it every time she knocked over a display she’d be too embarrassed to shop here. It is the only store in town.”

Jack blinked, were all people in small towns this strange?

Erin relieved to be away from the disaster unscathed continued with her shopping. She kind of felt bad about blaming the canned good fiasco on the stranger. He’d actually been pretty cute and in a small town of Mineola Texas, cute unattached men that you didn’t play in the kiddie pool with were hard to come by. And this cute unattached male thought she had pretty eyes.

She mulled the cute stranger over in her mind as she moved towards the Halloween candy displays. It was never too early to buy candy.

Her eyes caught on a bag of miniature Reese’s cups high on a shelf, completely missing the tombstone display at her feet.

She caught the tombstone at her shins and went flying across it.

“Oooomphff!”

Luckily she landed against a hard chest instead of on the floor. Large hands grasped her arms as she got her balance.

“Green eyes do you ever watch where you’re going? Or is it a depth perception problem? I’m not sure they should let you loose in a car.”

Erin righted herself and fixed him with a stern glare, “Yes I’m FINE …thanks for asking.”

Jack chuckled as he watched her throw a random bag of candy into her cart and head for frozen foods. “What the hell?” he said to himself as he turned his cart to follow her; this was the most entertainment he’d had since he’d moved to this little town.

Erin studied the array of frozen pizza available with a sigh of longing. No pizza for me she thought with a pat to her rounded bottom.

Jack nearly choked when she patted her lovely derrière. It had been an object of some thought ever since the moment she’d stolen his parking place.

She turned at the choking sound and sniffed delicately, “Really some people.”

It was as she reached for a lean cuisine that disaster struck. A little sharp thing on the shelf scraped her hand.

“Son of a bitch!” she yelled as she bent to clutch her hand to her midsection. Unfortunately the basket stopped her downward progress when she hit her teeth on one of its bars. She immediately sprang up a hand to her mouth.

Hearing the clank of her teeth against the metal cart bar, Jack moved to her side. “Are you okay?”

Erin felt the front of her teeth. There was a small half circle that she knew would fit perfectly around the bar of the cart right in the center of her two front teeth. “I chipped my teeth!”

Jack looked at the perfect semi circle, “Oh dear, you really should be more careful and watch what you’re doing Green Eyes.”

She straightened to her full five foot three inches and glared at him, “It was your fault!”

“My fault?”

“Yes if you hadn’t been following me through the store making me nervous it never would have happened! I should sue!”

A bark of laughter was her only answer to that, “Go ahead and try Green Eyes. From what the manager said this was just a normal part of shopping for you.”

A scarlet blush stole up her cheeks. “You …you …Big Oaf!”

He couldn’t help but grin as he watched her stalk away from him. Jack could afford to give her some space since he knew he’d be seeing her again soon.

***

Erin muttered irritably the next morning all way to the dentist’s office. She’d wanted an early appointment but 7:30? That was ridiculous!

She pulled into the spot closest to the door without noticing the sign in front of it that clearly read, “Dr. Roberts only, all others will be towed.”

With a sigh she marched through the doors and signed in before sitting down with the latest Good Housekeeping as she waited.

“Erin the doctor will see you now. Sorry for the delay he was running a little late,” Sherry the dental hygienist led her back to room four and fastened the requisite bib around her neck. “What seems to be the problem?”

“I chipped my teeth yesterday. See?” Erin gave the hygienist a wide grin clearly displaying the half circle in her front teeth.

“How on earth did you manage that Erin?”

“Don’t even ask,” Erin advised with a sigh. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

“Are you kidding?” Sherry asked with a laugh. “Honey I’ve known you since the fifth grade, I’d believe anything you told me.”

In response Erin simply stuck her tongue out at her friend.

“Just sit tight toots, he’ll be right in.”

Erin closed her eyes as she waited and thought about the handsome man from the store the day before. If he weren’t so obnoxious he might have been considered charming.

“Good morning Green Eyes. I saw you took my parking spot again.”

She sat straight up in the chair a horrified look in her eyes, “You!”

“Yes me.”

“You’re not Dr. Roberts!”

“Oh but I AM Dr. Roberts. Dr. Jack Roberts. Uncle Sam decided it was time to retire and I was tired of giving everyone a Hollywood smile so I moved out here to take over his practice.”

“Do you always drum up business by causing unsuspecting women to break their teeth?” She asked with a furious little scowl as she sat back in the dental chair arms crossed over her chest.

Jack leaned down and pressed his nose to hers, “You know good and well I did not cause you to chip your teeth young lady. I’d also suggest you put a lid on that sassy mouth of yours before I’m tempted to do something about it.”

Erin gasped as her tummy suddenly flipped, “I …er…”

“I…er…is right. Behave yourself and let’s get your teeth fixed.” He said as he leaned down with a dental mirror, “Open wide.”

It surprised Erin almost as much as it did Jack when she simply opened her mouth without another word.

He made short work of the relatively easy task of filing the edges of her teeth back into a more normal shape. Jack took one last look and gave a nod of satisfaction, “There you’re smile ready once again.”

“Thank you doctor,” Erin said softly not able to make herself look him in the eye.

“Now about our other little problem…”

That brought her eyes to his in a hurry, “Other problem?” her voice came out in a nervous squeak.

He gave her a slow sexy grin that made her toes curl, “Yes our other problem. How about I pick you up for dinner at seven?”

“Seven?” she nervously parroted as she brought a hand up to her hair upsetting the tray of dental utensils at her side and sending them flying. “Oh Nooooo!”

Jack gave a weary sigh as he bent to pick them up, “I really do think we’re gonna have to make you an eye appointment Green Eyes.”

***

Erin was ready fifteen minutes early for her date with the handsome dentist. She was giddy with excitement, here was a man that already knew of her penchant for mishaps and he still wanted her!

So excited was she that when she heard his car outside she rushed out to greet him. Erin walked out the front door with a big smile of welcome on her face.

Jack whistled, she was lovely in her short red polka dot dress and patent leather shoes. The smile that lit her face put a warm sparkle in those gorgeous emerald eyes of hers.

Then she started down the front steps and her new shoes hit a slick spot. Erin’s feet went out from under her and she landed with a hard splat on her bottom, her right shoe flying off her foot and sailing towards Jack’s head.

Jack caught the spiraling missile an instant before it rearranged a nose that during his lifetime he’d grown quite attached to seeing in the mirror.

She bounced down all three of the steps to land at his feet.

Erin looked up at him with a trembling chin as her eyes began to mist over. “I don’t think glasses will help,” she said miserably.

“Don’t cry Green Eyes, everything is going to work out fine. You’ll see,” he said wiping away the lone tear that was tracking its way down her cheek and lifting her to stand.

“It will?”

“I promise,” he said delivering a swift kiss to the tip of her nose before ushering her into the car.

“You’re not going to run for the hills screaming?” Erin asked with a smile as she sank down into the plush leather seats of the luxury car.

“Nah, dating you promises to be far too interesting. Besides, I have good insurance.”

She laughed in spite of her embarrassment surprised to find herself relaxing with the enigmatic man.

“Did you hurt yourself when you fell?”

“Only my pride. Fortunately I have ample padding, I don’t think anything could hurt me back here,” she said with a wry grin as she gave a little pat to her hip.

If she thought his answering “Mmmm …” strange, she didn’t comment. The drive to the restaurant was filled with charming anecdotes from his childhood and her laughter.

After a marvelous dinner Jack stopped by his office on the way to Erin’s, “Wait right here I’ll be back in two shakes.”

Erin sat in the car for about ten minutes before she began wondering where Jack was, she decided to go in and investigate.

She had just locked and shut the car door when she realized her mistake. The soft strains of Olivia Newton-John drifted up to her from behind the closed car window.

“Noooooo!!” This couldn’t be happening; the date was going so well. She leaned in to the window with her hands framing her face; her shoulders slumped as she caught sight of the keys still tightly lodged in the ignition. The soft vibration of the purring motor seemed to mock her as she lightly banged her head against the glass. “Those keys …those damn keys.”

“Green Eyes?”

Erin spun around with her heart in her throat, “I …I was going to come in and get you but I forgot. It was an accident.”

Jack frowned in puzzlement. “Forgot what?”

“The keys. Iaccidentlylockedyourkeysinthecaranditsstillrunning.”

Jack blinked, “You locked the keys in the car with it running? Didn’t you hear the radio?”

“I said it was an accident!” she said beginning to get a little huffy. It wasn’t like she’d done it on purpose!

“Watch the tone young lady; I’m just trying to understand how this happened.”

“I told you how it happened! I accidentally locked the keys in the car!” Erin yelled, knowing she was being bitchy but not quite able to help herself.

“With it running,” he stated matter of factly.

“Oh did I leave that part out this time? Forgive me! I locked the damn keys in the car with it running! I’m an idiot! Is that better Mr. Oh-So-Perfect-Toothpastesmile-Dentist-Man?”

“Erin that’s enough!”

“You’re right it is enough! Have a good night!” she yelled as she turned and marched towards the curb.

“Come back here young lady!”

She simply made a rude gesture behind her back and looked up to see a familiar battered blue pick-up lumbering by. Erin waved it down, “Hey Lester can you give me a lift home?”

“Erin don’t you dare!” Jack yelled as he started towards the stopped truck.

She quickly hopped in and closed the door just managing to push the lock into place as Jack reached for the door handle.

“Open this door!”

Erin ignored him and looked expectantly at a very shocked Lester, “Please Lester …don’t ask questions …just take me home.”

Lester shrugged put the truck in gear and left a startled Jack standing on the curb staring after them. She’d always been a strange girl so he decided he was better off not knowing what kind of mischief she’d been up to tonight. Wouldn’t that make him an accessory?

***

Erin answered the door to the furious knocking. She was ready for him. How dare he try to make her feel guilty! It was an accident! It’s not as if she’d planned to lock his keys in the car.

Gone was the short seductive dress, in its place were tatty sweatpants and an old T-shirt with the words, “If I Throw a Stick, Will You Go Away?” boldly emblazoned across the chest.

Jack took in her defiant stance as the door swung open and came to the conclusion that the time for talking was past.

“What do you want?” she asked in her most belligerent tone.

He bent slightly at the waist and tossed her across his left shoulder, hooking the door with his foot to pull it closed.

“Hey! Put me down you big Bully!”

“Gladly,” he said as he sat down, taking her from across his shoulder and flinging her over his lap bottoms up almost in one fluid move.

“What the hell? No way Jose’! You can’t!” she yelped as her sweatpants and panties were jerked to mid-thigh.

“Hide and watch little girl,” Jack smiled grimly and brought his palm down on her left buttock with a resounding smack.

“OWWWW!”

He gave a similar swat to the right side and then pulled her in close as his hand began to fall in a consistent rhythm.

Erin squirmed and kicked and hollered to no avail. The spanking continued bringing her bottom from white to pink to crimson, as he left no area unscathed.

Jack said nothing as he spanked her, waiting instead for her to fill in the blanks. Finally with a soft sob she did.

“I’m sorry…,” she said with a miserable little sniff.

“Sorry for what?” he asked with his hand resting on her burning backside.

“For the way I acted. I shouldn’t have been so rude and I know it was wrong to leave that way. I was just so frustrated and embarrassed.”

“Frustrated with whom?”

“With myself…”

“Did I do anything to deserve your behavior?”

“Noo … OWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!” she gasped kicking anew as he suddenly shifted her forward and began to deliver several sharp slaps to the tender area where her hips and thighs met.

Jack finished with a flurry of rapid smacks that had her howling then lifted her to sit gingerly on his knee. Placing one finger beneath her chin he forced her to meet his gaze, “It is not acceptable for you to take out your frustration and embarrassment on other people young lady. If I have to speak to you about it again you will get a taste of my belt.”

Erin blinked; surprised at the flutter in her tummy that was not altogether unpleasant in response to his words, “Yes sir.”

He smiled and pulled her close for a kiss. The kiss was long, deep and thorough. It left them both gasping for air and craving more of the same.

“Another thing young lady, no more stealing peoples parking spaces. I won’t have people saying my lady is parking space thief.”

Erin’s eyes lit up as she leaned into him, “Your lady?”

“You bet.”

A small thread of worry made her frown as she played lightly with one of his shirt buttons. “You don’t mind that I’m such an awful klutz?”

He laughed and kissed her on the tip of her nose, “Honey I don’t care how many grocery displays you knock down or how often you trip as long as I’m the one running damage control and you keep your sweet disposition.”

“Really?”

“Really. I told you, I’ve got good insurance.”