Knight In Faded Flannel

Knight In Faded Flannel Part 3

As she bumped along the gravel road in her black pick-up truck, Ashley was making a half-assed attempt to convince herself that she didn't need any more coffee and instead, to head straight to the feed store to pick up hay for her horses. Her desire won over her mind as soon as she entered the town's limit and she headed straight for the café like a lovesick puppy.

After parking on an angle on the semi busy street, she climbed out muttering to herself, "Forty-three years old and I'm crushing on a girl young enough to be my daughter." She assumed the young lady had to have been no older than 21. God, she hoped she was at least that and not a minor. How gross. She steeled herself as she neared the single door in or out of the café, and as she went to open the door, another hand shot out and opened it for her. She abruptly stopped and nearly threw one of her scowls in the direction of the smiling man but quickly cooled her jets and nodded her head at him before walking inside. She entered the back of the small line-up and was about to start her search for her barista when the man from earlier spoke up from behind her.

"Can't help myself whenever I see a striking woman."

Ashley furrowed her brow and looked over her shoulder at the short man still smiling like an idiot, and said, "I'm sorry, are you talking to me?"

"Of course. You're the only beautiful woman in here."

Ashley wanted to laugh as she thought that maybe this man was either a dunce or blind. Possibly both. With a huff, she turned back on her cowboy boots and faced the front, having no need or want to continue conversing with him. Her wish to be left alone was short lived when she felt a soft tap on her shoulder. She sighed deeply and turned fully to face the man with her infamous scowl. "What?" she spat out bitterly.

The man put up his hands in a placating gesture and said, "Just wanted to know if I could buy you a cup of coffee, is all."

Be nice. Be nice. Be nice.

Putting on the best smile she could muster without it looking like a snarl, she said, "Thank you, but no." She turned back around before she could see his reaction all the while praying that he'd back off. While she continued to wait, she blew out a long and slow breath to quell her anger, and as she blew out the last of her breath, she caught sight of a head full of shiny black hair. What little breath she had left in her lungs caught in her throat and she started to cough. The man behind her started patting and rubbing her back in an attempt to soothe her but was quickly stopped when Ashley wheeled around on him and caught his wrist in her hand. Looking down into his eyes with nothing but menace in hers, she said in a low tone, "If you don't leave me the fuck alone, I will snap and break every little appendage on your body. Got it?"

Shaking with wide eyes, he nodded then quickly ran out of the café after being released by Ashley.

She couldn't help but chuckle and when she turned back to face the front, she found herself next in line with the woman of her dreams and fantasies staring up at her. Oh, fuck. Pale blue eyes and a ruby red smile was all that she needed to move closer to the counter. As she approached, she suddenly forgot what she wanted to order, but fortunately, the young woman asked her if she wanted her usual. Staring deep into her eyes, Ashley could only nod her head in reply. She licked her lips while watching the woman ring up her order. Dressed in a scooped, apple red, crop top and white jeans, Ashley couldn't help but rove her eyes over her pale, soft-looking, skin. She quickly averted her gaze when she caught sight of the top of her breasts when she slightly bent over to pick up the debit machine to hand to Ashley. As she swiped her card and entered her information, her ears perked up when the young woman spoke to her.

"Your hair looks incredibly pretty today."

Ashley nearly swallowed her tongue and she snapped her head up too fast knocking her equilibrium off and started fumbling with the machine in her hands.

"Oh, I got it," the woman said and leaned over the counter to take the machine from Ashley's unsteady hands, allowing an even deeper glimpse of her cleavage. When she smiled up at Ashley, Ashley caught a sparkle in her eye that made her heart beat double time. "Your order should be ready in a few minutes."

Ashley swallowed hard and stood there a moment too long before remembering she had to move out of the way for the other customers. "Sorry," she said to the barista then turned and apologized to the people behind her before she stepped off to the side where she waited. She was feeling part humiliated for all the fumbling she had been doing, but the other part of her, the part where she had received more than one smile and a compliment, had her feeling ten feet tall. The whole time while waiting, she kept her eyes glued on every little thing the woman did and started wondering what she would feel like in her arms, pressed to her body. Noting their height differences, Ashley pictured herself hugging her while easily resting her chin atop the silky hair. Snapping out of her thoughts when she heard her order called out, she walked over and smiled easily at the woman as she reached out for her coffee. "Thank you, and thanks for earlier."

The woman tilted her head quizzically at Ashley. "What did I do earlier?"

Ashley blushed and looked down as she shuffled her booted feet, then shyly looked back up and said, "You said you liked my hair." She pointed to her hair. "I'm kinda self-conscious about it."

"Why would you be with a gorgeous head of hair like that?" The woman folded her arms. "I'm a little jealous, actually."

Ashley threw her a perplexed look as she looked all around her hair. "What for when you look like Snow White?" She immediately closed her eyes from the surprised shock on the woman's face, terrified she just offended her. When she heard giggling, her eyes snapped open to see a brilliant, bright smile on the woman.

"Snow White? You think I'm pretty like her?"

Relieved that she hadn't upset her, Ashley stepped right up to the counter and released a breath before she spilled the truth from her heart. "Your hair is silky and so black it reminds me of the midnight sky. Your cheeks and lips remind me of a beautiful, red delicious apple, and your skin makes me think of the sparkling snow on Christmas day." Searing her dark eyes into the light ones looking up at her with adoration, she held her breath as she waited with a pounding heart as to what the woman would do or say.

A teasing smile crossed the woman's face that appeared like she was concealing a secret as she stared up into Ashley's dark eyes before she turned and ripped off a piece of paper from the receipt machine and wrote something down on it. Ashley was now in full suspense and had no intentions on leaving any time soon because she wanted to see where this was going. The woman slid the paper forward but kept her palm over it, and said, "My name is Rayne."