Comfort Me Ch. 02

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Cidni strives for a comfortable distance.
3k words
4.41
13.3k
13

Part 2 of the 2 part series

Updated 09/22/2022
Created 09/25/2009
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Serinitee
Serinitee
134 Followers

She opened her eyes three minutes before her alarm clock went off. It never failed. Cidni stretched and reached to turn off her alarm before it could start screaming at her. For the umpteenth time since she'd started her fifth semester of college, she felt cheated because of those three minutes of lost sleep. The sad thing was, she was on break yet again, and still couldn't escape it. Thinking about the events of the night before, Cidni wanted to put the pillow over her head and sleep for more than three minutes. Last night she'd come extremely close to fucking her aunt's husband. How would she ever be able to face him again? She sighed. She'd just do it, that's how.

She groaned. What the hell was wrong with her? Josh had been the very definition of imbibed, had to have been for, him to cry in her presence. What was her excuse? She thought that home wreckers were immoral little girls with no self-esteem, and she was none of that. So what in hell was she?

She contemplated marriage, not the broken version that she'd witnessed last night - to be fair she hadn't been the one to begin that wreckage, though that was no excuse. No, Cidni thought about what her parents had. Maybe all her childhood memories were fluff and after time she would have discovered cracks in their relationship as well, yet, she doubted it. What they'd had seemed ideal, true love with the strength to withstand anything, even death. Commitment, companionship, a real partnership, everything that Cidni herself desired. You couldn't get that from another woman's husband.

With that realization she resolved to prevent anything like last night from ever happening again. She liked Joshua, she cared for him and their relationship, and though they'd had their issues, she cared for her aunt as well. If Lisa and Josh continued to have marital problems it wouldn't be because of her.

Unable to combat her racing mind, Cidni remembered Lisa and Josh's wedding day. They'd postponed it for a year to tie up loose ends and plan the larger ceremony that Lisa had opted for after all and everything had turned out beautifully. She'd had so much hope for the two of them. Shameful enough, she'd even been Lisa's maid of honor (though it was mainly because Lisa didn't have any real friends, their relationship had certainly improved with Josh in the picture). She covered her face with her hands and told herself that she deserved every bit of the sick feeling that had burrowed itself deep into the pit of her stomach.

She slipped out of bed and began to make it up when she heard the shower turn on in the hallway. Just maybe she would be able to escape the house and go on her run without facing him just yet. Finishing the bed, she took off her pajamas and threw on a matching sweat suit, an oversized hoodie, ear muffs and her running shoes. She tied her disheveled hair up into a pony tail and headed downstairs.

When she went into the kitchen to get a bottle of water she saw that Joshua had laid out the white bread, butter, napkins and the toaster and that coffee was brewing. Oh, no he didn't. Cidni put the white bread back and exchanged it for a whole grain blueberry bagel, and then she dug into the refrigerator and found some yogurt and orange juice. She then got some granola and mixed nuts out of the pantry, tossed some into a tiny Tupperware cup and grabbed a banana off the counter before setting his place at the table. He wouldn't be "toast and coffee-- ing" it to work on her watch. She wondered if that was what he normally had for breakfast or if he had a hangover and figured that's all he could stomach. Oh well, he needed real food regardless. She grabbed a post-it note and scribbled "You need fuel! I'm taking my run, have a good day!" and placed it beside his plate before grabbing her jacket and gloves and heading out the door.

Being able to run without an audience was certainly something she'd missed while she was away. No catcalls, pick up lines, or rude stares interrupted her peace of mind as she ran the circuit around the park. Though a few people were there this morning, despite the bitter December cold, it wasn't as overcrowded as campus and everyone around here remained friendly and respectful, even if they were openly curious. The crisp, chilly air lent a measure of clarity to her jumbled mind but she couldn't prevent it from wandering to the events of last night. She felt foolish, and embarrassed, yet just thinking about Josh's touch caused the ghosts of all those sensations to come flooding back. They would get through the awkwardness and sexual tension, and in time, things would return back to normal she vowed, but in her mind, a tiny voice whispered that she was wrong, and that in fact, she liked the change. She pushed the thought away. It would not happen again.

She'd stretched and run a few laps before the familiar, satisfying burn entered her calves and thighs and it didn't take long for her entire body to heat up. Months of running every day had certainly built up her endurance and done wonders to her physique, not to mention her hair, nails, and skin -- though nutrition was a big part of that as well. Finishing off her fourth lap she stopped running, jogged the fifth lap, and walked the sixth. She'd discovered a while back that it was an effective cool down process and it helped her not feel so exhausted after a run. Noticing that some of the park staff had come out to put Christmas greenery on lamp posts and benches, she realized the other thing that had been missing at home. Christmas. Cidni stretched and headed back to her car, she would have to fix that as well.

On the way back home, Cidni chose to stop at the grocery store to pick up a few things that she had noticed were lacking at the house. She was pleased to note, as she was driving, that Maggie's Health Food Store and Grocery had expanded while she was gone. Good. She knew Maggie personally and was happy that her stubborn, no-nonsense personality was reflected in her business acumen as well. Cidni imagined forming some sort of alliance with Maggie when she opened up her new restaurant in town and smiled. Pipe dreams.

She turned into the parking lot and found the furthest space from the store, pulled into it, and grabbed her grocery totes from the back seat. It felt good to put healthy habits into practice, it kept her solid, grounded, and almost distracted her from some of her recent moral indiscretions.

When she entered the store, she was pleased to see Maggie right at the brunt of things, placing a Christmas tree in the display window, but she really hadn't expected anything less of the strong, steadfast woman.

"Cidni! How are you doin' hon?" Cidni received the older woman's bright smile and brisk hug warmly.

"I'm doing well, and you?"

"Oh, I'm doin', and sure can't complain. How's school? Looks like it's treatin' ya well,"

"I do believe it is, though it is a challenge sometimes," Cidni admitted.

"Oh phooey, I know you're not one to back down from one of those," Maggie tished.

"You've got that right Maggie, and I've only got three more semesters to go. I see you've expanded, congratulations!"

"We have indeed, and thanks. Go ahead and have a look-see, pick up all your goods. We'll give you the employee discount, you'll always be part of the family. Matter fact, one of the new girls is out sick, if you wanted some temporary work for a week or two the position's available."

"Well, thank you Maggie, I'll definitely consider it,"

"All right, take care and let me know then,"

"You too Maggie, I will,"

Forty minutes later, fresh produce and quality staples in hand, Cidni stood in the checkout line, perusing a bag of organic, chocolate-covered soy nuts. She was startled out of her concentration when a strong-looking hand reached out and grabbed the bag off the shelf. Looking to see who the hand belonged to, Cidni was pleasantly surprised to see a strikingly handsome man that appeared to be around her age. He had a buttery, chestnut complexion and expressive brown eyes, framed with long, dark eyelashes and thick, black slashes for brows.

"Are those good?" Cidni asked the guy, genuinely wanting to know. He smiled, revealing straight, white teeth. Nice.

"Better than M&Ms." He replied. Cidni laughed.

"I find that hard to believe," she said skeptically. To her astonishment Mr. Handsome opened up the bag and offered her some.

"You...didn't pay for that yet," she said shocked, but now finding it exceedingly difficult to ignore the hilarity of the situation. She saw the youth at the cash register look disapprovingly in their direction until her eyes lit upon the culprit. The teenage girl's expression swiftly changed into avid interest. Mr. Handsome leaned conspiratorially in Cidni's direction and nodded his head, indicating an elderly woman in front of them who was placing a vast number of canned goods on the counter one by one.

"She'd never let me get away without paying," he whispered "I'd have a can of Vienna sausage, sauerkraut, and two cans of beets upside my head before I could even try it," Cidni laughed again.

"Wow, handsome and funny," she mused aloud before reaching into the bag, grabbing a few nuts and placing them in her mouth. They were sensational. Crunchy, chocolatey goodness invaded her mouth and she smiled.

"Those are delicious," she said. He nodded in agreement.

"Tell you what, go ahead and grab you a bag, my treat. You know you want to,"

"Oh, I see, you're Maggie's pusher, I should have known," Cidni grinned.

"Nope, though she's made me several offers, I'm just a nice guy who likes sharing things he loves with beautiful women,"

"Well, put that way, I think you've made me an offer I'd be crazy to refuse," Cidni admitted, pleased that she could still flirt with a good-looking guy after her chaotic experience the night before. It meant she hadn't completely lost her marbles. She grabbed a bag of the soy nuts and gently tossed it to him, admiring the ease with which he caught the flimsy package.

"Thanks," she said.

"My pleasure," he responded.

Mr. Handsome, who turned out to be Nicholas Lancaster whose friends called him "Nico", was kind enough to offer to help her with her bags, being that he'd only gotten the soy nuts and a carton of milk. She accepted his help mainly because she liked his company and he was a welcome distraction from the other man on her mind.

"So, Cidni, I've never seen you around here," he started

"I could say the same of you, Nico. But this is my home town, you're the new arrival here, not me. You forgot to pay me a toll too, but I'll let it slide since you got me such a delicious treat."

"I knew those things would come in handy someday," he chuckled "But yes I guess you could say I'm new in these parts, actually I'm here because my grandmother passed away,"

"I'm so sorry to hear that," Cidni said sincerely.

"Thank you. I really didn't know her very well though, I was six years old the last time I saw her. I seem to have made quite an impression on her though..." he said, falling silent momentarily. "Anyway, my family and I are here to manage her esta - affairs. It's a tedious process." The two of them reached the car and Cidni unlocked her doors and opened one, not thinking to ask who his grandmother was.

"You didn't park far enough from the store did you Cidni?" Nico smiled, waving his arms around the nearly empty parking lot after placing the groceries in her car. Cidni giggled.

"Nope," She watched as Nico shut the back door and opened the door on the driver's side for her, she smiled at him gratefully and slid in her car. Instead of shutting the door, to her surprise he leaned forward.

"You know, I find it difficult to part ways with you Cidni. Would you mind meeting me at the diner down the street for breakfast?"

There were plenty of reasons to say no. He was only in town for a few weeks, she was only in town for a few weeks, and she'd just had an inappropriately passionate encounter with her aunt's husband.

Then again, there were plenty of reasons to say yes. They were only in town for a few weeks, she'd just had an inappropriately passionate encounter with her aunt's husband...and, she was famished. The loud grumbling of her stomach failed to keep that last part a secret.

"May I take that as a yes?" Nico asked, grinning.

"You may," Cidni smiled.

The diner was quaint. The walls had recently been painted and the grease stains on the ceiling had disappeared. Cidni was perceptive enough to notice that the waitress came to their table promptly, that her nails were clean, trimmed, and natural, and that her makeup was minimal. She was also pleased that there was no smoking. She chuckled at the sign that said: "May the only smoking in this place come from a skillet."

"Are you all under new management?" Cidni inquired, glancing at the waitress's name tag - Penny is what it said. Penny gave Nico an appraising look. Cidni couldn't blame her, but it seemed to make Nico a bit uncomfortable.

"We are indeed ma'am. Will this be together or separate?"

"Separate," said Cidni at the same time that NIco said:

"Together," Cidni looked at Nico

"Okay, here are the rules. When I ask, I pay, when you ask, I pay," Nico said in an all-business tone. Cidni pretended to consider this momentarily.

"How about we go dutch?" she countered.

"How about we don't and say we did?" Cidni laughed.

"There's got to be a bit of compromise in you, Nico," she said flirtatiously, tossing him a dimpled smile.

"Cidni, Cidni, Cidni, Penny here doesn't have all day, and she has plenty of customers to attend to," Nico glanced at Penny and then around the room to prove his case. "Let me get the tab today, and I'll let you ask me out again so we can go dutch. I'm only doing this because you have such a pretty smile," Nico drawled.

She glanced at Penny who'd been looking back and forth between the two of them slightly irritated, but amused. Cidni chuckled,

"Oh you're good," she managed and to Penny, "I'd like a small orange juice and a hot tea," Nico settled into his seat, visibly pleased with his win.

"And I'll have a regular orange juice and a coffee, Penny. Thanks,"

"You're very welcome. I'll be right back," was Penny's reply.

The conversation couldn't have been better over a breakfast of hard-boiled eggs, toast and fruit for Cidni, and what she could only think of as "the works" for Nico.

"What you got over there NIco?" She said teasingly.

"Mmmhh, hot cakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, grits, and biscuits," was his satisfied, almost sensual reply, "want some?" he asked waving a piece of bacon her way.

"No thanks, but how very generous of you to try sharing some of that filthy animal with me," she giggled

"What is this Pulp Fiction?" Nico said, looking astonished, "It sure doesn't taste filthy!" He said before munching away. Cidni just shook her head.

Forty-five minutes of constant wit and humor and two clean plates later, Nico motioned for the check.

"Question Cidni, how in the world are you going to have a decent restaurant if you don't serve pork?" Nico asked while waiting for the waitress to respond.

"Oh well, that's just wishful thinking really, but if you want the truth, nobody's going to be thinking about pork once they get ahold of my food," Cidni winked, "but we never did get around to talking about you,"

"Well we'll have plenty of time to do that if you go out dancing with me Friday night," Nico said smoothly,

Cidni's took a breath. She felt like stomping and shouting at fate. Why did the perfect guy have to come strolling along at the very moment that she became messed up in the head?

"You know Nico, you're such a great guy, and any other time in my life I'd be happy to -"

"Cidni, I understand. Neither one of us are going to be sticking around here, but that doesn't mean we can't have a little fun as friends. Let's go dancing Friday - as friends,"

He was right. Besides, with flaming hot feelings for a man who had basically been her guardian since she was seventeen, she needed to be out of that house as much as possible.

"Gosh, will I ever be able to say no to you?"

"Let's hope not," NIco said with a twinkle in his eye.

When Cidni pulled up to the house later that evening she was exhausted, too exhausted to notice the white pickup that was parked nearby. She hadn't been anxious to get back to the house after breakfast, so, thankful for the cooler in her trunk, she placed all the cold groceries in it and took a very long detour.

Joshua's truck was in the driveway, but Lisa's sedan was nowhere to be seen. Cidni wasn't sure if her absence would be a good thing or a bad thing when she walked in and had to deal with this situation. If Lisa had been home she could just pretend nothing ever happened, she would have to. WIth her still being out, Cidni would have to take this opportunity to actually face the situation. She took a deep breath as she unlocked the door.

"Lucy I'm home!" She spouted loudly. It felt good, using a bit of humor and expelling some of the tension. She heard a noise and her eyes followed the sound, which had come from the dining room to her left. Her stomach clenched and chills went up her spine.

"What are you doing here?" She sputtered.

Serinitee
Serinitee
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AnonymousAnonymousover 7 years ago
Fun to read.

The anticipation for the next chapter is killing me. Your build up is great, unlike other stories that may get right to the "dirt" a little too soon. Please write the rest of this story! Thanks.

Azrael_777Azrael_777almost 10 years ago

pretty please finish the story.

chocolatesistachocolatesistaabout 10 years ago
omg

please finish this story

FirediamondFirediamondover 10 years ago
Seriously?

I can't believe there's been no conclusion yet. Please finish!!

AnonymousAnonymousover 11 years ago

Please finish!!

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Comfort Me Previous Part
Comfort Me Series Info

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