It had been another rough shift. Whatever could have gone wrong did so with no concern for my feelings. If not for the overnight temperature plunging to a crisp ninety-four degrees inside the plant, the entire shift would have been a total nightmare. I needed a cold one, or twelve. I’d always been partial to even numbers, anyway.
As I entered the store, I realized I’d been there before, about two or three months back. Behind the counter was the same pretty Latina as on my first visit. It started coming back to me. We had some sort of argument, ending in a rather pleasant standoff. Just as before, she was oblivious to my entering the store.
What was her name, Mary? No. Shit. I didn’t want to be a total dick and not remember her name. She already had preconceptions about us beasts called men, lumping us all into one sordid entity. No need in me confirming any. Mercy, that’s it, that’s her name. No, Mercedes. I remember now, it’s Mercedes, Mercy, for short.
I grabbed a twelve pack and some sort of frozen dinner I’d probably regret later in the day. A couple of bags of chips, and I was ready to tempt fate once again and face the girl behind the counter.
“How’ve you been Mercy, sorry, Mercedes?”
“You were right the first time, it’s Mercy.”
She bagged my items as she rang them up, never looking at me, and still burning with angst, anger, and attitude.
“Really? You told me it was Mercedes the last time we talked.”
“Look asshole, I…, oh, shit. Trey!”
The look of surprise on her face appeared truly apologetic for her assault on my attempt at small talk. I felt even worse about myself for not immediately remembering the store or her name, especially after she recalled me upon sight. It was patently clear I had blocked out the whole incident, knowing I could and should have handled it better. I felt like absolute shit, ashamed of my previous actions.
“Mercy, I want to apologize for the last time I was here. It shouldn’t have happened. I’m sorry.”
“Sorry for what, fucking me? Was it that bad?”
“No, that’s not what I meant. Honestly, it was very nice being with you. It just shouldn’t have happened the way it did. You pissed me off, and I guess I wanted to teach you a lesson for accusing me of something I hadn’t done. Accusation is something I don’t take very well. I am, truly sorry, Mercy.”
“Don’t sweat it, Trey. I was being a total bitch. I’m always being a bitch. No harm, no foul, okay? Besides, I thought it was nice too.”
“Seriously? Thank you, Mercy.”
“Why are you always out this late, work?”
“Yeah, I work nights over at the steel mill. Nothing very rewarding, but it’s a paycheck. How long are you here for?”
“About three years, give or take. It’s my grandfather’s store.”
“No, I mean your shift. How much longer tonight?”
“Oh, um, about fifteen minutes, actually. The morning girl should be here any minute.”
“Can I give you a ride home?”
“Why, why would you do that?”
“Well, when you’re not verbally castrating me, I find I enjoy talking to you. I think I’d like to get to know you.”
“I’m sorry. I’ve had my guard up since I was eleven and it’s difficult to let down sometimes.”
“Eleven, why? Forget I asked that, it’s none of my business. I apologize.”
“It’s alright, Trey. Eleven was when I started to, um, grow, let’s say. Boys can be relentless, and cruel.”
“I see. Yeah, you’re right, they certainly can be, and way too many never lose those traits as they mature.”
“Ah, here’s Theresa now. The morning girl, and yes, I accept.”
Talking to Mercy, I noticed things I hadn’t on our rather stormy first meeting. Her eyes were a dark, chocolatey brown accented by high cheekbones just below. Mercy’s nose gave her a sexy profile with sharp lines and tip to match. Her long brown hair had a wonderful sheen and bounced as she moved about. Taking better notice of her beauty, I lost track of what we were talking about.
“I’m sorry, accept?”
“A ride, if the offer still holds.”
“Oh, yes, of course. Sorry, it was a long shift tonight, and my brain’s a little fried.”
I waited outside while Mercy talked with the morning cashier for a few moments. Joining me, we headed over to my car across the street.
“Hey, cool car. Sixty-eight?”
“Oh, thanks. No, it’s a sixty-nine. Needs a little work, but as long as it gets me from A to B without a blood transfusion in between, I’m hanging on to it.”
We sat in my car talking a while. With her defenses lowered, Mercy was very pleasant to talk to. I curiously wanted to know more about her. It was easy to see she was a beautiful person who’d hidden herself behind a thick facade. One built of bricks, molded from the extra harsh damages life seems to hand some people.
“Where do you need to go, Mercy?”
She sat silent for a second, as though she couldn’t decide.
“Do you live nearby?”
“Yes, I do, a couple blocks over, down by the old arboretum.”
“Would you mind if we went there, I’m not ready to go home yet. It just isn’t one of my favorite places to be these days.”
“Uh, yeah, if you’re sure?”
“I am. Guess I should explain a little.”
“No need to, Mercy. Believe me, I’ve been there myself.”
“I’d like to. You’ve been kind to me despite my being an asshole in return.”
“Okay, it’s up to you, I’d be happy to listen.”
“It’s nothing, really. I just don’t like my family very much anymore. My grandfather is drunk most of the time, soused out of his head on rum. I don’t think he’s been in the store more than twice in the last year.”
“Is that why you run it for him?”
“Oh no, I don’t run it, I just work the overnight. My mom runs it and thinks I should feel privileged for the experience. Since my stepdad left a few years ago, she’s been a complete cunt to me, blaming me for his leaving. Silly ol’ me didn’t realize she expected her own daughter to put out to him every night, just to keep peace in the family.”
“Oh wow, Mercy, that is just awful. I’m so…”
“Please, don’t say you’re sorry. I know it’s meant well, but it doesn’t do a thing for me. Thanks for letting me spill a little, I don’t get to very often.”
“No problem. Hey, what do you say we run through the Golden Arches and get a bag of whatever it is they make this time of night? I can poison myself with this frozen shit some other time.”
“Yeah, okay. I am hungry, I don’t think I’ve eaten all day.”
We picked up a few burgers and fries, then went to my apartment to eat and crack open a beer or two. We sat eating, talking, and laughing. I was still grimy from work, desperately in need of a shower, but I didn’t want to leave my guest alone just yet. Not that I didn’t trust her, it just appeared she was happy having someone around to listen, and wasn’t down on her or wanting something from her.
Finishing her food, Mercy grabbed another beer for each of us, carrying hers as she wandered around my apartment, scanning the odd assortment of pictures and collectables I’d accumulated over the years.
“Did you draw these pencil sketches?” She asked.
“No, those were drawn by, um, an old friend. Long time ago.”
“An old girlfriend, perhaps?”
“Yeah, no, um, yeah, she was. For a time anyway.”
“Was she a professional artist, these are beautiful?”
“She easily could be if she wanted to, but it was more of a hobby. Something for fun, ya know? She always said if she started taking money for her art, that would make it a job, stripping her of all the enjoyment she got from drawing. She’d much rather give them away to those who really appreciated them.”
“No family?”
“Sorry?”
“There are no family pictures. Don’t you have any family?”
“No, none that ever made me feel like I was a member, anyway. They stay in their yard and I stay in mine. Fortunately, our yards are on opposite ends of the country.”
“Sorry, didn’t mean to pry. I’m just a little curious about you, that’s all. You’re not like most of the guys I’ve known. To tell you the truth, you’re not like any of them.”
“It’s fine, Mercy. Ask what you want. Listen, make yourself at home. Stretch out if you like. I really need to shower off all this sweat and grime from work. Maybe I’ll feel human again. I’ll be right back and we can talk some more.”
The conversation became a little uncomfortable, and I figured a shower would give me time to regroup and prepare for any more questions Mercy might’ve had. She had opened up to me, and I didn’t want to shut down any of her questions just because I was uneasy. The problem was, I couldn’t stand my family and hated even talking about them.
I washed twice just to be thorough, then stood under the spray, letting my mind wander as the hot water cascaded over me, melting away the tension.
I was off in a daydream when the shower door opened, startling me.
“You certainly look human.”
Clearing my eyes, I saw Mercy standing in the open door, completely nude.
“Mercy!” I said. A little surprised.
“Got room for one more?”
“Yeah, sure. Please, come in.”
I helped her in, shutting the door behind her. She stared into my eyes, kissing me briefly before turning to the water and wetting her hair. Without need of encouragement, I soaped a sponge and began washing her back and shoulders, noting every curve of her body. She wasn’t skinny, and she wasn’t thick. She was somewhere in between and quite beautiful.
Mercy rinsed the shampoo from her hair as I reached around, soaping her tummy and firm globes. She lifted her arms, letting me wash under them, kissing her neck as I went. Leaning back against me, Mercy sighed as I made sure she was spic-and-span from head to toe. A dab of gel in her hand, Mercy reached between us and began stroking me slowly, rubbing my sudsy hard-on across her smooth ass, then stroking the head up and down her snug crevice.
I turned her head, pulling her mouth to mine, kissing her softly, nibbling and sucking her plump bottom lip. Mercy faced me, wrapping her arms around my neck, giving me soft sensual kisses that lingered on forever. Her nipples stood erect, poking me. My second favorite sensation in the world. The first being the feel of a woman’s thick bush grazing my skin as she crawls over me.
Our passion increased but remained unhurried, as our last encounter had been for fear of discovery. Sure that we were free of soap, Mercy stepped behind me and leaned against the wall, pushing her ass outward.
“As I remember, you like me in this position, don’t you, Trey?”
“Yes, yes I do indeed, but I’m pretty sure I’d like you in any position.”
While kissing her willowy neck, my hands each found a fleshy cheek to massage and squeeze. Spreading them, I teased her wet, rosy bud, making Mercy gasp at what seemed to be a new sensation for her. I busied my other hand, reaching around and cupping her smooth, puffy mound, rubbing her succulent lips, and picturing them trapped between my lips once again. As I fingered her, front and rear, Mercy panted in my ear, begging for my mouth to be anywhere between her legs.
“Please, Trey, I want to feel your mouth on me again. You drove me crazy last time. Please, touch me with your tongue.”
I knelt behind her, spreading her open to my probing tongue, tickling her tight, pink anus. Mercy gasped, clutching at the wall as I stiffened my tongue, penetrating her savory passage.
“Yes, Trey, yes! Oh holy shit, yes! I’m yours for the night, Baby. Do what you want, have me any way you like.”
I couldn’t get her delectable lips out of my mind. As much as we both enjoyed my tongue gratifying her anal rim, I had to have those meaty folds in my mouth to suck and nibble.
The scent of Mercy’s arousal filled the thick, steamy air, burning into my senses. I scooted back, allowing her to bend further, exposing her gorgeous wet slit to my ravenous appetite.
I pressed my face between her thighs, drawing her scent deep into my lungs as a swipe of my tongue scooped her trickling honey into my hungry mouth. Mercy’s breast heaved from the oral sensations on her most private charms, shuddering with each subsequent stroke of my tongue.
“Shit, Trey. Your tongue does things to me I’ve never felt before. God, that’s so fucking good!”
Eager for my quarry, I turned Mercy toward me, draping her leg over my shoulder. She braced herself against the wall as I covered her delightful pussy with my mouth, licking every crease and crevice. Mercy squealed, pulling back her hood as I teased and tickled her erect clit, sending shivers up and down her back.
“Damn, Trey, that’s so fucking good, Baby. Nobody’s ever taken their time with me like this. Fuck, that’s delicious!”
Mercy’s claim of neglect stuck in my head, fueling me to pleasure her as best I could. It also jolted me with a wave of lingering guilt over the way our previous meeting played out.
Teasing her sensitive nub between my lips, I wriggled a finger inside her, then another, fucking her hot little pussy.
“Jeezus fuck, Trey, I’m cumming, Baby! Damn, that feels so, good!”
Mercy screamed and shrieked, banging her ass against the wall as her body jerked in wave after wave of orgasm. I kept up my efforts as best I could, bringing her to yet another quick orgasm as her legs shook and shuddered, her breath becoming quite erratic.
Recovering some, Mercy pleaded for a proper, more horizontal coupling.
“Please, Trey, fuck me! I love your mouth on me, but I need you to take me to bed and fuck me good.”
Neither of us bothered drying, sure we’d soon be dripping with sweat, in need of another shower.
Leading Mercy to my bedroom, she sat on the side of the bed and grabbed my ass, pulling my stiff cock to her open lips.
“I was cheated last time. I never got to taste this gorgeous fuck-stick of yours.”
“Well, by all means then, let’s correct any past oversight.”
Mercy giggled, cupping my balls, and began licking my shaft from base to tip, then back down again. She teased and taunted my strained erection with flicks of her tongue before sucking my balls one at a time, rolling them in her mouth with an expert tongue.
“Wow, those are a mouthful. Lets see how your mast fits in my throat.”
After lightly sucking and teasing the head, Mercy’s soft lips slid down my stiff shaft, inch by inch. Bobbing and sucking her way to the base, swirling her tongue over the sensitive underside, and driving me absolutely crazy.
For all her disdain towards men, Mercy proved well versed in the oral arts of the penis. I couldn’t take much more of her talents or I’d blow before giving her what she pleaded for. It was possibly her plan all along, as I would most likely last longer in a follow-up round of hard fucking.
“Shit, Mercy, I’m gonna blow, Sweetheart. You’ve quite a mouth there!”
Mercy looked into my eyes, giggling with pride, vibrating my cock in her throat. I must have twitched when she giggled, giving her the idea to hum in a low tone. She held me in her throat as I exploded with little warning. She grunted and moaned, slowly stroking me in her mouth and taking every drop into her silky throat.
“Holy shit, Merc, that was fucking amazing!”
“Glad you liked it. That’s a very nice cock you have there. I could get used to sucking that thing. I hope I didn’t tire you too much, though. My pussy’s dripping and feeling neglected. Any ideas?”
“Give me a sec. I’m usually pretty good at stuff like this. Wait, I’ve got it. How about you get on your knees and elbows, and I’ll get behind you?”
“Sounds interesting. Then what?”
“Then, I’ll pound that lovely, neglected pussy of yours in a good ol’ fashioned doggie fuck.”
“Oh my, aren’t we quite the thinker? I say let’s go for it. Pound my horny fucking cunt, you sexy man, you.”
Her playfulness told me she had completely dropped her guard, if only for a little while. I bent over, taking Mercy’s face in my hands, kissing her, and forcing my tongue into her waiting mouth. She responded, clutching my chin in one hand, and stoking me back to hardness with the other. The latter took little time, as her fragrant arousal had me halfway there already.
Mercy knelt on the edge of the bed with her ass in the air, and laying her head on folded arms. I stood behind her, gliding my cock-head along her slit, playing in her rich nectar. Mercy gasped with every stroke. Given her response, I teased her a bit more, firmly slapping my cock upwards against her swollen clit, prompting yelps and whimpers.
“You sure like to tease a girl, don’t you, Trey?”
“Just the sexy ones that appreciate an honest man’s efforts.”
“That I do, and right now I’d appreciate your fat meat-stick stretching my snatch. Please, Trey, fuck me, make me scream!”
I placed my cock between Mercy’s soaked lips, grabbing her hips. I pulled her to me as I pushed into her with one quick thrust. Mercy grunted, feeling me hit her cervix, and ramming her repeatedly with little, well, mercy. She met my every thrust, slamming her ass against me with savagely, and grunting like a rutting she-beast.
“That’s it, Baby, wreck my fucking cunt! Jeezus, I love your sex play!”
Mercy’s cries fueled me on, knowing I was giving her what she wanted and deserved.
“Shit, your pussy’s on fire, Merc. I’m gonna blow, Sweetheart, where would you like it?”
“Inside me, Trey! I wanna feel your cock unload, deep inside.”
Close to orgasm, I grabbed handfuls of Mercy’s lovely brown locks, taking her reins as I drove into her. Her pace doubled in speed and force, urging me to pull her hair harder as I fucked her to submission.
“Yes, Baby, yes! Take the reins, fuck my cunt! Make it yours, Trey. Take this bitch for your own!”
In unison, Mercy and I locked together. Her pussy clamped around me as I emptied into her, still humping with every shot of cum I poured into her fiery depths. Mercy’s screams dissolved into low, guttural moans as she rode her orgasm, milking me for every drop.
Spent and soft, my cock slipped from Mercy’s warm grip as she collapsed forward onto the bed. I did the same, laying alongside her, and rolling over to stare blindly at the blurred spinning of the ceiling fan.
Her responses told me so, but I still silently hoped my efforts this time more than made up for my treatment of her the last time. I wasn’t exactly abusive, but I couldn’t help but think what I did was bordering on what she had experienced too many times before.
We laid quietly, almost dozing off, when Mercy suddenly blurted out.
“Jeezus, Trey!”
“Crap! You just scared the shit out of me. What’s wrong?”
“Sorry, I just feel like; like I should thank you, or something.”
“For what, I don’t understand.”
I noticed her eyes welling as she continued, her lips quivering.
“No one’s ever treated me like you have tonight. I thought this kind of sex only existed in books or movies. You actually did things just for me, and not for your satisfaction alone.”
“That’s the way it should be, Mercy. Give as much or more than you get.”
“Not in any neighborhood I’ve ever lived in. The guys always act like the women should give them whatever they want with nothing in return. By the way, call me Merc, I like that. I don’t exactly care for Mercedes, and everybody else calls me Mercy.”
“Sounds like its time to find a better neighborhood. You’re a sweet girl and you deserve better.”
“I’d like to, but I’m stuck where I’m at right now. The store doesn’t pay enough to live anywhere better.”
“Let me think on it awhile, maybe there’s something I can do to help.”
“Tell me, Trey. How is it; that a ruggedly handsome, sweet as honey, man like yourself, hasn’t been snatched off the street by some beautiful, wealthy woman by now?”
At that point, I was unsure of what Mercy read into our being together, if anything at all. She needed to know it wasn’t in my ability to be much more than what she’d already seen. I liked her, and I didn’t want to hurt her by letting her think I had more to give.
“Because I’m no good at it, Mercy.”
“I beg to differ. Did you not pay attention to the last two-and-a-half hours? I’m not just talking about the sex. I’m talking about all of it. The talking, sharing, your kindness towards me. You’re a good man, Trey. I know, because I haven’t come across very many, not like you.”
“What I mean is, I’m not wired to keep all of that going for the long-term. I’ve lived my entire life as a loner, even when I was at home. Being the black sheep, I always had to fend for myself. I’m better off by myself, but I’m still human, and have that basic need for the occasional physical and emotional connection.”
“So you’d rather have, like, fuck buddies?”
“No; I’m not wired for that either. I find it rather cold, honestly. No, I have a few women friends that are more or less the same as me. Though their reasons may be different, they also prefer to be alone, yet occasionally needing to be with someone they can connect with on a personal level, and not just through body parts.”
“Does living like that make you happy?”
“Let’s say happier. Happier than when I was trying to maintain long-term relationships. I’m not sure what true happiness is, anyway. All I know is I hurt some wonderful women trying to be what I was incapable of, and wasted a lot of time for us both.”
“Are you at your limit of friends yet?”
“Well, you can never have too many of the right kinds of friends, so no, not yet. You never know who you’ll connect with or where.”
“Yeah, could even be in a Quick Mart at two in the morning.”
“Yeah, my thoughts exactly.”
Mercy rolled on to her side facing away. I followed, wrapping an arm around her. We laid close to one another, drifting into a deep sleep after a few satisfying hours of simply being human.
I woke to bright sunshine and Mercy climbing out of bed. It must have been around eight or nine in the morning.
“Morning, Trey. I need to get going, Hon.”
“Morning, Merc. You gonna catch any shit for not coming home after your shift?”
“I shouldn’t, really. I’m twenty-fucking-five, but I’m sure it’ll happen, anyway. Mom’ll bitch and moan, and I’ll pretend I give a fuck, as always. Hey, do you mind if I grab a shower before I go? I’d rather not walk in smelling like a night of great sex.”
“No, of course not. Towels are in the hall closet. You want something to eat when you get out, I’ve got eggs, bread and coffee.”
“Maybe just coffee, thanks, Trey.”
While Mercy was in the shower, I racked my brain for a way I could help her change her situation. She needed to get away from her family and out on her own. Then it hit me, my old friend Roger!
The coffee had just finished brewing when Mercy emerged from her shower, fresh as a new sunflower and glowing like sunshine.
“Feel better now?”
“After last night, I already felt great. I just didn’t need to go home smelling like the handsome man I spent the night with. Otherwise, I would’ve worn you all day long.”
“Aww! Hey, coffee’s done. I’ll let you fix it the way you like. There’re travel mugs if you want to take it with you. I can get it back another time.”
“Another time, Trey?”
“If you’d like, I know I would, Merc.”
“Yes, I would too.”
“Are you sure you don’t want something to eat, I’m not a terrible cook. I mean, hell, I’m still alive.”
“No, but thanks, I really should go.”
“Want a lift?”
“Thanks, but I’ve got a lot to think about and the walk home will give me the time.”
“Alrighty then, can’t say I didn’t offer.”
“I appreciate it, though. Thank you.”
“My pleasure, Merc. Oh, before you go, take this. That’s my number at the bottom. The other one is a very good friend of mine, Roger Just. He’s a good guy, and I trust him completely.”
“Okay?”
“Are you at all familiar with the Crown Heights area?”
“Yeah, there are a few shops I like to go to over there. I love that neighborhood. Why do you ask, and why your friend’s number?”
“Roger owns ‘Just Books’ on the corner of Warburton and Ninth. He recently finished expanding into the building next door, doubling his floor space. Now it’s become more than he can handle by himself, especially when the place gets packed, and it often does.”
“Oh, I know. That’s one shop I like to frequent when I’m over there.”
“Really? Well, great. Anyway, he is looking to hire someone to share the load, so I called him while you were in the shower, and told him about you, and he said to send you over.”
“Are you kidding, you did that for me. Why?”
“Are you, kidding, we’re friends, aren’t we?”
“Oh my God, I can’t believe this. You are too much, Trey. Wait, I don’t know how I’d get over there every day. That’s quite a way from where I live.”
“Not necessarily so. We might just have that covered too.”
“How so?”
“There’s a small, fully furnished loft apartment above the store that’s open at the moment. Roger said if you were interested, you two could discuss the details when you came about the job.”
“Shit, this is unbelievable. You are absolutely amazing. How can I ever thank you?”
“No need, Merc. I just want to see you happy and enjoying life.”
“My, God. I really hate to leave now, but I have to.”
“It’s okay, Merc. I need to get a little more sleep before work, anyway. You go on, you’ve got big plans to make.”
Mercy wrapped her arms tightly around my neck, giving me the best ‘bye for now’ kiss I’d ever received.
“Bye, Trey. Thanks for the ride.”
“Bye, Merc. Anytime!”
As Always, Any And All Constructive Comments Are Welcome!