As Justin Reed ran up to the counter, he let out a sigh of relief at the sight of the pharmacist. "Oh, man. Thought you were gonna be closed."
The pharmacist looked up from paperwork she had behind the counter and glanced at the clock. "You made it just in time, Justin. It's eight fifty-nine. Was just about to close."
Her head tilted at an angle as her blue eyes narrowed. "But I'm never closed for you."
Justin Reed grinned, feeling a little flushed. He wondered if the hint of innuendo in that remark had been the work of his imagination. "Thanks, Heather. I don't know why it bugs me so much that you know me by name."
Heather Fillmore smirked as she leaned on the counter. The neck of her blouse dropped down lower to expose a hint of cleavage. "What, you think just because you're a buffed-out personal trainer, you shouldn't need medication? Asthma does not discriminate."
Justin Reed just laughed. He worked as a personal trainer at the Grand Avenue Fitness club, where he taught weightlifting, aerobics, and karate three days a week. He prided himself on his health. He hadn't had so much as a cold in five years. That's why his asthma had always been a sore spot, even if it hadn't held him back from doing what he wanted to do.
Heather's soft lips curved into a frown. "But didn't you refill your Halinex last week?"
"Uh, yeah, I actually have a different prescription to fill tonight." He handed her the prescription from his doctor.
She studied it for a moment, and he took the time to admire her for across the counter. He had always found her really sexy. She was smart, funny, and well educated. One time he had worn one of his Blaxmith T-shirts to the pharmacy, and that had triggered a long discussion about the group's last CD.
Besides her mind, Justin admired her body as well. She had long, blond hair that she kept in a tight ponytail and wore glasses that did nothing to hide her ice-blue eyes. She was a larger woman, which was more his type. Her leaning forward gave him a perfect view of the curves of her breasts before they vanished into shadow under her blouse. But the way her blouse strained over her chest gave him an idea of the plentiful flesh that lay underneath. Her long white coat and the high counter hid the rest of her body from view, but he could imagine by her width that she had generous hips to match. He had often wished that he could get a better look at her than across the counter. He thought about peeling away those stern white clothes and revealing the woman underneath.
So why hadn't he asked her out? That was a question he had often asked himself. For one thing, it seemed kind of odd to go there. "Hi, I need a refill on my Halinex. Yes, I've taken it before. Yes, I know I have to avoid alcohol within one hour of taking it. By the way, want to go out sometime?"
But Justin also had to admit that he was shy by nature. That was one reason he had gotten into working out to boost his self-esteem. It had helped with his confidence, but the old fears remained. His buddies often mocked the fact that many women seemed attracted to him, but he didn't have the guts to ask them out. Even though Justin was muscular and strong on the outside, on the inside he was still the scrawny little geek the girls all laughed at. As a result, Justin was alone a lot more than he'd like.
Heather was one of those women that intimidated him. Maybe it was the glasses and the white coat or maybe it was the counter or maybe it was her voluptuous body. Or maybe it was the fact that she had the power to give him his medications, to control his health in a way. But he had to admit that very power turned him on as well.
--
Heather spent longer than she needed to read the prescription. She was deep in thought. Several thoughts, in fact.
One thought that she hadn't been able to keep out all day was that this was her last day at the pharmacy. She was being fired for failing her last performance review, which was totally bogus. The only reason she had gotten a bad review in the first place is that she didn't get along with her manager. Didn't matter. She already had a better job at another pharmacy for more pay. It just bugged her to be going out like this.
To take the edge off it, Heather had bought a bottle of wine at lunch from the liquor department and been taking a few sips between customers. She had a little buzz going, but nothing that kept her from doing her job. She knew that was against the rules, but that was kind of the point for Heather. What were they gonna do? Fire her?
The other thought that kept bouncing around her mind was Justin. That was one thing she would miss about this job - seeing him every month. He was gorgeous - smoky brown eyes, chocolate-brown skin, full lips, and a smooth shaved head. He always came in still wearing his workout clothes, and his small shorts showed off his powerful legs very well. Then there were his bulging arms that tapered up to broad shoulders that vanished under his T-shirts. She could only imagine what his chest looked like, and imagine she had. That monthly visit for his pills had been one of the bright spots of her work here. She would miss that.
Heather had thought about asking him out, but it seemed kind of awkward. "Here's your medication, be sure not to take it within an hour of drinking alcohol. By the way, wanna go out sometime?" Okay, sure, she could do that, but she was too chicken. The words died in her throat just at the sight of his soft, brown eyes. What if he didn't like women of her size? She had a fairly healthy self-esteem, but the question did need to be considered, even if she did catch him glancing down her blouse every now and then. And what if they went out, and their relationship went sour? She imagined him coming in again and again for his refills, trying to pretend they were just patient and pharmacist again. That seemed too painful for words.
But she was feeling differently tonight.
Heather glanced up at the other end of the store. Jenna, the cashier working at the front counter that handled the non-prescription items, had already closed up and was out the door. Heather had agreed to close up the store tonight for her so Jenna could go home to her sick daughter. There were no other customers. Heather and Justin were the only ones left in the store.
Maybe that solitude was what did it. Maybe it was the fact that she was a little tipsy. Maybe it was the fact that she was leaving this rotten pharmacy forever and she felt like screwing them a little bit. Or maybe it was the thought that she might never see Justin again. Maybe it was all of the above, but Heather had an idea that she never, ever would have acted on before, but tonight, she decided to go for it.
--
Justin felt a little apprehension as he watched Heather study the prescription. It seemed to be taking longer than usual. What could possibly be so complicated about it?
She glanced up at Justin, but seemed to be looking at something behind him. "Sure, I can fill this for you. It'll just take me a minute, okay?"
Before he could reply, Heather slipped out of view into one of the rows of shelves behind her.
Justin glanced around the drugstore. The cashier at the front was gone. Lights had gone out in some sections of the store. He couldn't hear anything else except the light music playing on the PA system, and a rustling behind the prescription counter. He seemed to be the only one here, except for Heather.
Heather came back into view carrying a small white tube. Justin felt a mixture of disappointment and concern at her coat. She had gone into the back with the coat unbuttoned and hanging open. Now her white coat was tightly buttoned all the way up to the neck. He couldn't even see her blouse anymore. He wondered if he had done something to offend her. Maybe she had noticed the way he looked down at her body and taken issue with it.
But she had a smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye as she said, "Okay, it's a prescription for Xesinex. You having some muscle pain?"
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