Edge of Breaking Ch. 02

*Author's Note: Any and all persons engaging in any sexual activity are at least eighteen years of age.

Disclaimers: This story has been edited by myself, utilizing Microsoft Spell-check. You have been forewarned; expect to find errors.

*.*

Before driving to Flowers, to the one boot store she knew of, Gracie Taylor swung by the post office to check her P.O. Box. She nervously brushed her shoulder length light blonde hair back with her hand as her brown eyes searched every face carefully. She clutched her large canvas bag tightly.

A woman was checking her own box and Gracie shrank away. Just as Gracie was about to bolt for the door, the woman finished. The woman turned and gave Gracie a polite smile, but Gracie blushed, seeing a knowing smirk on the woman's face.

Gracie's latest issues of Parasols and Rub magazines were in. Gracie quickly dumped the two discretely packaged magazines into her large bag. There was also a discretely marked box in her P.O. Box.

Gracie again looked around to make sure no one was looking as she then shoved the box into her bag. A small piece of paper reminded her that the charge for her P.O. Box would be due in a month and she resolved to send them a payment.

"Hi, welcome to Cal's. Anything in particular?" a bored sales clerk asked, toying with a display of cowboy hats.

"I uh, Nancy working today?" Gracie managed to blurt out.

"Nancy? Yeah, she's in the back putting some stuff up," the young man said, already losing interest.

Gracie looked at some boots on display. She looked at the brown ones, similar to the pair that Ms. Banks was wearing. But her eyes kept being drawn to a bright lipstick red boot that perched just out of reach.

"Jordin said you, Gracie! Hey!" Nicole said, then brightened.

"Ugh!" Gracie protested when she was hugged, then kissed, squarely on the lips.

"Oh my God! Hey! How have you been? Long time no see, huh?" Nancy asked cheerfully.

"Yeah, every time tried calling you, said this number's no longer in service," Gracie snapped, actually a little angered over Nancy's perceived slight.

"Yeah, I know, and Eddy swears he paid the bill and had your phone number in my contacts and when it died, couldn't find you," Nancy admitted.

"Plus that, kind of embarrassed," she mumbled, looking away from Gracie.

"Embarrassed?" Gracie asked.

"Lost the house, lost all the furniture, Eddy's truck died, needed a new thingamabob or whatchamacallit," Nancy admitted.

She then looked at Gracie. She shook her head slightly, which caused her hair to fall slightly into her face.

Gracie looked at Nancy. Nancy still looked cute, beautiful actually, with her brown hair dangling in her face. The snap button western shirt had decorative sequins around her small breasts and her blue jeans looked quite tight, sexy on her full hips. Nancy's feet were jammed into a pair of high heeled cowboy boots and she wore a matching leather belt with large horsehead buckle.

"Then, when Eddy found out about the baby?" Nancy said, pointing at her belly, then affecting a deep voice. "Ain't mine. We been using condoms. How I know how many mother fuckers you ben fucking, huh? I mean, remember that time with Warren and Megan?"

"You, you're pregnant?" Gracie squealed.

"Shh, shh, trying get on the insurance here," Nancy hissed, waving her hands at Gracie.

"How far along?" Gracie whispered, checking that Jordin was now on the other side of the store, playing with a lasso.

"Right at about three months," Nancy whispered in reply.

"So, where are y'all living now?" Gracie asked.

"Uh, I'm at my momma's house. 'Oh Nancy, really? Told you, didn't we? Told you don't need be living with Eddy; y'all ain't even married. And now look at you, huh?'" Nancy said bitterly. "And Eddy? Hell if I know where he run off to."

"Y'all on commission?" Gracie asked.

"Yeah, four percent," Nancy stated.

"Okay, I'm about a size eight. Those red ones? Right there?" Gracie said.

"Uh, Gracie? Those? Those are five eighty nine," Nancy said.

"Uh huh?" Gracie said. "Y'all got a belt goes with them? But I'd feel terrible wearing a horse's head on my belt; y'all got, oh God, I don't know, like a star or maybe a moon?"

"Be right back," Nancy said.

By the time Nancy returned, Gracie had found three pairs of boot cut blue jeans, four cute western snap button blouses and two pairs of boot socks.

"This blue matches your eyes," Gracie complimented, showing Nancy one of the blouses she'd picked out.

"Now, heel's going slip just a bit, okay?" Nancy said opening the box. "Wouldn't be able get your foot in them if they didn't."

"Oh! I love the insole of these," Gracie said, taking a few steps.

"Uh, yeah, it's like a memory foam or something," Nancy agreed.

Okay. Oh, belt?" Gracie said.

"Right here. There's this star buckle, here's a crescent moon buckle, oh, and I thought these were kind of cute; they're boots, see?" Nancy said, showing her three belt buckles that would affix to the red leather strap.

"Okay, and I need a can of saddle soap; y'all sell that here?" Gracie said.

"Oh, drove by the apartment other day, looking for your Jeep," Nancy said as she carried the two boxes of boots; Gracie had also selected a light brown pair in a slightly different style. "Megan said she hadn't seen you, thought you might have moved out."

"When was that?" Gracie asked, putting belts, buckles, blouses and jeans onto the counter.

"'Bout two months back, right after lost your number," Nancy said.

"That bitch. That God damned bitch," Gracie snarled. Knew I was right upstairs. She KNEW that."

"Anyway," Nancy said, ringing up the items. "Had drop out of nursing school so I'm here full time now."

"Drop, oh Nancy! Oh, that's terrible," Gracie said.

Gracie zipped up her coat, checked the three bags, checked that everything was in them, including the can of saddle soap, then searched through the heavy glass door for her Mustang. The jade green automobile sat alone in the parking lot; she was the only customer in the store.

"Here, I'll help you," Nancy said, still feeling giddy over the one thousand and eighty seven dollar sale.

"Nancy, it's cold outside," Gracie said. "Just stand here, make sure no one touches my bags, okay?"

Gracie dashed outside, put the first bag into the small trunk, checked to see that her canvas bag was also still there. She slammed the trunk shut then raced back to the door.

"I seen that car! In your parking spot at the apartment. Megan should have known that was you," Nancy said, pointing toward Gracie's car.

"Probably did," Gracie snapped. "Just didn't want share."

"That sounds like her," Nancy agreed.

Gracie brought the second bag out, checked that the first bag was still in the trunk, checked that everything was still in that bag, and in her canvas bag. She put the second bag in, then slammed the trunk shut.

"I uh, thanks. I hope I'll see you again," Nancy said when Gracie grabbed the third bag.

"What time you get off?" Gracie asked, opening the bag, making sure nothing had been removed.

"It's... Forty minutes," Nancy said.

"Oh! Want get something to eat? You ever eat at that Benito's?" Gracie asked.

"Ben, Gracie, I can't afford, every penny I make's going to paying my bills," Nancy admitted.

"Nancy, I can afford it," Gracie said. "Unless you already got, unless you don't want to?"

"Let me call my momma, let her know I'll be home later," Nancy smiled.

Again, Gracie let out a grunt when her friend hugged, then kissed her.

For thirty minutes, Gracie walked around the small store, looking at everything. She tried on a few cowboy hats but Nancy smiled and shook her head 'no' at her. She tried on a long coat that had saddle slits, for horseback riding. Again, Nancy shook her head 'no' and Gracie had to admit; it just was not her style.

"Hmm, would you look at that," Nancy said as a car pulled into the parking lot, then drove slowly around to the rear of the parking lot. "Hey Jordin, Shelley's on time for once."

"Isn't that one of the signs of the Apocalypse?" Jordin agreed, still practicing with the lasso. "Swear to God, I'm going get this one of these times."

"THAT will be one of the signs of the Apocalypse," Nancy said.

"Hey Nancy? Go sit on a cactus, huh?" Jordin smiled.

"I'll clock out, meet you at your car, okay?" Nancy said.

Gracie walked outside, got into her car and nervously waited. She constantly looked all around; suppose Nancy slipped out the rear of the store, ran away? Suppose Nancy didn't really want to go eat with her, but was just too polite to simply refuse? How long should she sit and wait before finally driving off?

Her fears seemed to be confirmed when Nancy did walk around the side of the building, from the rear. Gracie wondered why Nancy had come from the rear of the building, instead of through the front door, the shortest route to the car.

Nancy scurried; the December wind blowing from the Atchafalaya was brutal.

"Hey!" Nancy said, hurriedly getting into the passenger seat. "Don't know why, but Jenna? She's the manager? Makes all of us have come in and leave through the back door."

"Hey," Gracie said in relief.

"So, when'd you get this car?" Nancy asked, looking around at the tan interior. "This is nice."

"I uh, I've had it a couple months," Gracie said, leaving off the fact she'd had to buy it because Nancy had driven her Jeep.

"Oh, give me your number again, Nancy demanded, digging her phone out of her purse. "Got a new phone; I'm on my momma's plan now, not Eddy's, so I shouldn't lose it this time."

"And I won't give it out to anyone," Nancy followed up, anticipating Gracie's comment.

"Should have worn your boots; we'd be like an advertisement for the store," Nancy said when Gracie pulled up to Benito's Italian Dining.

"Oh my God no," Gracie said.

She didn't tell Nancy but she would have to wash every item of clothing she'd just bought, plus spray the insides of her new boots with disinfectant spray, then clean the outside of each boot; she was thrilled to have the can of saddle soap for this purpose. Then, and only then would she actually be able to wear any of the articles of clothing and footwear she'd bought. As it was, where she'd tried on some cowboy hats actually itched. Gracie knew she'd have to wash her hair twice when she got home.

"Hi, welcome to Benito's; how many?" a smiling woman greeted them.

"Two," Nancy said.

"It's terrible; all the carbohydrates, but this place has their own breadsticks; they're the best," Gracie enthused as they looked over their menus.

"Manicotti, God, I haven't had a good manicotti in forever," Nancy said.

"It's good here," Gracie agreed.

"You're still the prettiest girl I know, I swear," Nancy said, looking at Gracie's face in the flickering candlelight.

"Please, Nancy, please stop," Gracie begged. "I'm nowhere near as beautiful as you."

"But I mean it," Nancy said. "Yeah, I'm getting that manicotti."

"Oh, you won't be disappointed. She never uses that frozen spinach," their waitress enthused. "And what you want to drink?"

"Water's fine," Nancy smiled. "Gracie?"

"I, the uh, the sausage and peppers," Gracie decided. "Water's fine."

"Bring y'all some breadsticks," the waitress said, taking their menus.

Nancy confessed, after Eddy's truck broke down, they'd received the first notice from their bank. Shortly after that, O'Neil's had sent a notice that they were going to turn their case over to a collection agency unless Nancy and Eddy became current on their payments.

"And since we both signed on them? And since they can't find Eddy? Guess who they coming after?" Nancy said.

"Manicotti..." their waitress said, placing the heaping platter in front of Nancy.

Nancy also confessed that she hated, absolutely hated living at home. Her father would not even speak to her, sometimes going as far as to abruptly stand up and walk out of the room if Nancy tried to talk to him.

"I mean, he's always been this real passive aggressive prick," Nancy said, swallowing her mouthful of food. "Damn! This is good. Here, try a bite."

"I, no, Nancy, no, I, I can't," Gracie stammered when Nancy held out a fork of the food.

"Oh, okay," Nancy shrugged, accepting that her host had a problem sharing food.

"And my mom? Likes to sigh a whole bunch, like her heart's all broken," Nancy said.

"So, how much do you owe?" Gracie asked. "On the O'Neil's stuff."

"Seventeen thousand," Nancy said. "Keep paying, but don't look like it's ever going down any."

"Please tell me you're not just paying the minimum," Gracie said.

"Well..." Nancy said.

Gracie stopped talking and started eating. Nancy continued talking as they ate. She admitted that her own car had been repossessed, not by the bank, but by her father. He had bought Nancy the car as a high school graduation gift. The man claimed, since he was the one who bought it, his was the name on the title, he paid the insurance on it, he could take it. He had then turned around and given the car to Nancy's younger brother, Michael.

"So my mom, sitting there, sighing, looking like she's just stepped in something sits there and drives me to work. Then got to call her come get me. My dad answers the phone? Don't even say nothing, just hangs up. Guess he tells my mom; she usually shows up twenty, thirty minutes later," Nancy said.

"Warren, I mean, what about Warren and Megan? They won't let you stay with them?" Gracie asked.

"Oh, guess you hadn't heard. Warren? Broke up with Megan. Yeah, blew a gasket about her dancing at that Caliente's. Told him, since she was only one working, only one bringing in the money, he could leave," Nancy said.

"Then you could..." Gracie said.

"And moves her new boyfriend in, some guy works off-shore. Old guy, gives me the heebie-jeebies just looking at him," Nancy confided.

Gracie paid the check; both she and Nancy declined dessert.

"You, y'all still on Frontier Trail?" Gracie asked as they zipped up against the harsh wind waiting for them just past the glass door.

"Uh huh," Nancy agreed and kissed Gracie softly. "Thank you for dinner. And thank you for being a friend. God, so nice be able eat and not be afraid even say something in case my mom starts screaming."

"Friend," Gracie said softly.

"And..." Nancy said and pushed on the door. "Argh!"

"Cold, cold, cold," Gracie said and hit the key fob of her car so that the passenger door would unlock.

"Cold, cold, cold," Nancy chanted as she hunkered down in the passenger seat.

Gracie drove slowly. She always drove the posted speed limit; in the four years she'd been driving, Gracie had never once been pulled over for a traffic infraction.

Tonight, she drove five miles under the speed limit, wanting to prolong her time with Nancy. Even if she did not want to admit it to herself, Gracie knew she would be masturbating later that night, thinking of the beautiful girl sitting in her car.

"And, right there, on the left," Nancy said, pointing.

"I uh, so, uh, when you uh, you working tomorrow?" Gracie asked.

"Uh huh, nine to five thirty, same as today," Nancy said.

"I uh, okay, well, I uh, great seeing you," Gracie stammered.

"So great seeing you too; and I'm so glad I got your phone number again, Nancy enthused.

Gracie saw a curtain move. Nancy saw the curtain as well; her face took on a hard cast.

"I'm going to kiss you, okay?" Nancy said, leaning close to Gracie.

She put her hand on Gracie's leg, at mid-thigh.

"I notice, you kind of tense up when I touch you. Thought maybe if I announced it first, you wouldn't..." Nancy said, then grunted when Gracie leaned over and pressed her lips softly to her own lips.

"That that was okay?" Gracie asked, brown eyes searching Nancy's light blue eyes.

"That was more than okay," Nancy smiled. "Love you. Bye."

"Love you too," Gracie confessed as Nancy steeled herself, then opened the car door.

"Argh! Cold!" Nancy squealed and slammed the door shut.

Gracie watched as Nancy raced for the front door of the house. She sat in the driveway for a long moment after the door had closed behind Nancy before carefully backing out of the driveway.

Home, Gracie backed into the garage. She lowered the door and sat, motor still running, car still in gear. If she needed to, she would floor the accelerator, crash through the garage door and race to safety.

Finally convinced she was safe, Gracie put the car into park and killed the powerful engine. Then she checked all around again before getting out.

She hit the lock for the trunk, grabbed the top bag and slammed the trunk shut again. Then she hit the alarm code for the home security system.

It took three more trips to fully unload the car. As each bag came out of the trunk, Gracie would slam the trunk closed.

Then, after emptying the bags from Cal's Western Wear, Gracie had to make yet another trip to the garage, to dump the clothing into the washing machine. She carefully read the directions for the saddle soap, found a scrap rag and wet it.

A text message from Nancy asked what she was doing. Gracie said she was starting to saddle soap her boots.

Nancy said she was getting ready to jump in the shower, complaining that her younger brother Michael had used up all the hot water, again. But her father complained if Nancy took a shower too late; said the sound of running water was distracting, irritating.

"Send me a selfie; I want to see your baby bump," Gracie texted.

"What?" And a smiley face was Nancy's reaction.

"And I want one every day, showing your tummy. I want to see the baby grow," Gracie sent.

"That's so beautiful," Nancy responded.

"Hello?" Gracie answered when her phone chimed.

"That, that's the most beautiful thing, I mean, God, Gracie," Nancy sniffled into the phone.

"And I'll save them all, make a slide show," Gracie enthused. "It'll show today all the way until you have the baby, okay?"

"That is just so beautiful," Nancy sniffled again.

"I, I love you so much," Gracie said.

"Love you too," Nancy said. "Okay, let's see..."

Gracie heard Nancy fumbling with something. Then her phone gave a 'Ding' and she saw she had a picture.

"There. You get it?" Nancy asked.

Gracie opened the picture and saw a nude Nancy, visible from neck down and knees up. Her belly did have a slight paunch to it. Gracie also saw that Nancy no longer trimmed her pubic region into a racing stripe. Her plump pubic mound was completely covered in a dense thicket of brown hairs.

"You're so beautiful," Gracie said.

"Got to hurry, take my shower now," Nancy said.

"Love you," Gracie said, but did not know if Nancy heard her.

Nancy's response was fifteen minutes later, a selfie, lips pursed in a kiss. Gracie continued to rub the saddle soap into her boots, eyes drawn to the picture of Nancy, hair wet, face scrubbed clean of any cosmetics.

"You are so beautiful," Gracie said into her Text App.

Which started a small argument of 'You are' 'No, you are' 'No, you are' until Nancy sent 'We are.'

Gracie finished her red boots, again sprayed the interior with Lysol ® disinfectant spray, then opened the garage's interior door. She carefully checked around, then slammed the door shut and sprinted for her washing machine. The clothes went into the dryer and she sprinted for the interior door again.

"Call me," was waiting for her when she returned.

She called Nancy and the two chatted, laughing and giggling, until Nancy's mother knocked on Nancy's bedroom door and snapped that Nancy's father wanted her to be quiet; he was trying to sleep.

"Good night. God, I swear, I cannot wait until I can get out of here," Nancy whispered into the telephone.

"When will that be?" Gracie asked.

"Shit; I don't know," Nancy admitted.

Gracie tried to get ready for bed, but knowing there were a pair of brown boots and two leather belts that needed to be cleaned weighed on her mind. Sighing, she got out of bed, put a terry cloth robe on over her gauzy teddy, put fuzzy slippers on her feet and marched into the kitchen/dining room area again.