The Claims Adjuster

I headed towards the living room, which seemed to be the most populated area. There, I found Tabitha, Austin, Steven, Dana, and a few other people. Tanya returned with a cocktail for me, and we all began chatting idly. I told them all about the insurance check, and that I was looking for a new building. Everyone seemed to be doing well since the fire, which was somewhat of a relief. Soon after, I heard the doorbell. Tanya excused herself to answer it. We continued talking, until she re-entered the living room. "Hey guys, this is my friend Kendra. But we all call her Kenny," she said. I turned to greet her, and was surprised to see the familiar face.

Kendra

I got to Tanya's later than expected. Damned traffic. "Hey Kenny, I didn't think you were coming!" she greeted me when she opened the door. "Sorry, I got caught in traffic. Thanks for the invite," I answered as I walked through the door. "It was great to hear from you. Although, I'm sorry about you and Racheal," Tanya said. "No big deal, it was for the best," I brushed it off. "Well, anyway, let me introduce you to everyone," she said as she walked toward the living room.

I followed close behind her. "Hey guys, this is my friend Kendra. But we all call her Kenny," she began the introductions. I scanned her small group of friends, but my eyes were immediately drawn, once again, to the most beautiful face I had ever seen. I froze as my stomach flopped. 'What is she doing here? Shit, you're staring again! Get it together Kenny.' I thought to myself as I pulled my eyes away from hers. I managed to smile at the others as Tanya went down the line. I barely heard their names as my anticipation grew.

Finally, Tanya said, "And last, but certainly not least, Kenny, this is --," I cut her off, "Liv," I finished as I shook her hand, staring deeply into her eyes. "Yeah," Tanya said, clearly confused. "How do you two know each other?" she asked. "Kenny was my Claims Adjuster after the fire," Liv answered. "Huh, small world," Tanya laughed. "Liv was my boss before the fire," she told me. 'Of course,' I thought. 'I was so enamored with her the other day at the office, that it slipped by me that the cake shop was where Tanya worked.'

Tanya further explained, "Kenny and I went to high school together. She's a really good friend of mine." "Eh, Tanya's okay," I joked. She punched me in the shoulder, while we all laughed. But all I could hear was Liv. Her laugh was like that of an angel, and the way her eyes lit up made it hard to focus on anything else. I knew it was a sound that I could get used to. 'Whoa. Slow it down Kenny. You don't even know if she's gay.' I glanced at her again, enjoying her smile and the twinkle in her eyes. 'I'm willing to find out though,' I thought to myself.

I was interrupted by Tanya handing me a beer. "Thanks," I said to her. The others began conversing amongst themselves, and Tanya left to attend to her other guests. Which left me alone with Liv. An awkward silence fell between us, and I had to say something to break it. "So, has the check come in yet?" I asked her. 'Really Kenny? Out of everything you could ask, you asked about the money.' I couldn't believe myself. I'm normally calm and collected around attractive women. But there was something about her that threw me off my game.

Ugh, there's that smile again, "Not yet, but I'm hoping it shows up sometime early next week. I've been looking at new locations. Hopefully, I find something soon." "Well, let me know if it doesn't, and I'll look into it," I told her. "Thanks, I appreciate that," she smiled at me again, and I felt my knees get weak. 'If she keeps that up, I'm going to mess up my boxers,' I thought. "So, you go by Kenny?" she asked, breaking my reverie. "Yeah, I've just always liked the sound of it. Kendra was always too formal for me. Come to think of it, my mom is the only person I allow to call me that anymore," I answered. "I understand," she said, "I've always preferred Liv myself."

"So, how long have you known Tanya," I asked her, desperately trying to refocus the conversation on her. She took a sip of her cocktail, and even managed to make that a sensual act. "I opened Piece of Cake about five years ago, and needed help running the shop. After interviewing a few pastry chefs, Tanya walked in. Part of the interview was to bake a cake, and Tanya baked a pineapple upside down cake.

"She had no clue that it was one of my all-time favorites," she mused. "I decided to hire her on the spot. She's proven to be an outstanding pastry chef, and an even better friend. But you already know that." "She is pretty amazing. She was one of the first people I came out to. She accepted me without question. She's always there when I need her," I told her. I watched her face for a reaction to my confession.

She smirked at me, "I was going to see what Tanya has in the kitchen. Care to join me?" I motioned for her to lead the way. She didn't seem to shy away from my telling her my sexual orientation, but she didn't show any acceptance either. My line of sight was drawn to her impossibly small waist, which fanned out to form perfectly rounded hips, and an ass that was made for grabbing. I felt my core begin to heat up, and did my best to pull my eyes away before she turned back around.

She was putting together a small plate when I noticed the cake box on the table. "Did you bring this?" I asked her as I pointed to the cake. Her face immediately lit up, and she smiled coyly, "Yes. It's not anything special, just a simple pineapple upside down cake." "One of your favorites," I replied. She flashed that dazzling smile again. 'God, I want to kiss her,' I thought. "It's one of my favorites, too," I told her. "Good to know," she said, "At least now I know that I won't be the only one to have some."

Before I could reply, my phone started to ring. I checked the caller ID and frowned, it was Racheal. She was the last person that I wanted to speak to, especially being here with Liv. "Do you need to get that?" she asked. "I'm sorry, excuse me," I said as I tapped the screen to answer the call, and headed towards the patio. "What do you want, Racheal?"

Olivia

She didn't look too happy with whoever was calling. I had to admit, I was a little disappointed that we were interrupted as well. While she was gone, I had a chance to think. It all made sense now, why there was something different about Kenny. Kenny was a woman. An extremely attractive woman at that. It was easier to notice today, since she was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. Even though her shoulders were broad, and her arms were insanely ripped, you could still make out her chest underneath her t-shirt.

'Maybe she would enjoy a piece of cake after she gets off of the phone,' I thought as I began cutting the cake. 'Hell, it always makes me happy,' I chuckled to myself. Before long, she returned to the kitchen. I noticed her eyes were a darker brown. "I'm sorry, I have to go," she said, barely looking at me. "Oh... Well, I thought you might want some cake," I offered her the plate. She took it, while swiftly making her exit, "Thanks," was all she managed. Then, she was gone. I wasn't aware of what it was at that moment, but something changed for me. All of a sudden, I no longer wanted the cake. I set my piece down on the table, and went to find my friends.

"Hey, where have you been?" asked Steven. "I was just in the kitchen," I feigned a smile. I hung around for a little while longer, trying to rejoin the conversation. Eventually, I decided I should go. I found Tanya on the patio, "Hey Tanya, I think I'm going to head home." "Thanks for coming by Liv, I hope you had a good night," she said. "Thanks for having me, I had a great time," I responded. For some reason, I felt like I was lying to her. Tanya walked me to the door, and we hugged goodnight.

When I got home, I moped around for about an hour. 'What is wrong with me?' I questioned myself. 'Maybe, I just need some rest. This has been a stressful few weeks.' I had to be up early in the morning to run some errands, anyway.

BEEP, BEEP, BEEP! I was jarred out of my sleep by my alarm clock. 'Ugh, 8 a.m. already.' I was covered in a light sheen of sweat, and I had a slight shortness of breath. I looked down, 'Are my hands in my panties? And why are my fingers slick?'

Suddenly, my dream came flooding back to me... My arms embraced by strong hands, leading to muscular, toned arms, ending at broad shoulders. Hanging just below those shoulders were thick, neatly maintained dreadlocks, leading up towards a strong jawline, pouty, luscious lips, and a thin, perfectly placed nose.

But, all of that was nothing compared to those eyes. Those warm, honey colored eyes that seem to stare directly into your soul, exposing all of you at once... I hadn't even noticed that my fingers had begun slowly circling my clit on their own accord, causing my breathing to deepen. 'What the fuck am I doing?!,' I scolded myself, swiftly pulling my hands out of my underwear.

I sat up in bed, 'Kenny is a woman. I mean sure, I may notice when a woman has beautiful features, but that doesn't mean I'm sexually attracted to them. Does it?' I decided to push it aside. I had business to take care of today. I was still pretty heated, so I took a cool shower. It helped lower my body temperature, but it did nothing for the images floating around in my head. 'Maybe, I should bake something later. It'll help relax me,' I tried to convince myself.

I got dressed in my favorite pair of leggings, a tank top, and Converse high tops, and drove into town. My first stop was the gas station, which was of course uneventful. After that, I went to Lowe's to price some items for the new cake shop. I didn't have the money, or a location yet, but it was good to get an idea of what I wanted. I spent a couple of hours scanning the ovens, refrigerators and storage units.

After thoroughly depressing myself further, it was lunchtime. I stopped by a local Café that's known for their panini's. I ordered a ham and swiss panini, with a side of chips and a green tea smoothie. 'I'll just shoot over to the grocery store, pick up some necessities for baking, then go home,' I mapped out the rest of my afternoon as I walked towards my car. Once in the grocery store, I went straight to the baking aisle.

'Hmm, what to make tonight? Maybe cupcakes? But what flavor? I haven't had key lime in a while. Maybe with graham cracker bottoms?' I pondered while picking up items and placing them in my basket. Of course, the boxes of Jell-O were on the top shelf. 'Damnit,' I thought as I stood on the tips of my toes, reaching for the lime flavor. "Sometimes, I hate being 5'4"," I grumbled.

Out of nowhere, a hand reached forward, grabbing the box I was reaching for. "Let me help you with that," a familiar voice said. I turned, and couldn't contain my smile as I locked eyes with those warm honey ones that I had been thinking about all day.

Kendra

I was pissed at myself for allowing Racheal to ruin my night. We weren't even together anymore, and she still had a way of bringing everything down. She didn't even want anything when she called, she just started bringing up old shit that wasn't even relevant anymore. I knew I couldn't go back into Tanya's party and talk to Liv again, not with the mood I was in. I could have been a little nicer, but I needed to get out of there and clear my head.

I was glad she gave me a slice of cake, though. It was the best piece of pineapple upside down cake I had ever tasted. I instantly regretted not staying to have more. 'Maybe I could ask Tanya about her, figure out what she likes. Help me figure out how to make it up to Liv,' I thought to myself as I entered the grocery store. When I woke up this morning, I realized I was out of sugar.

I turned down the baking aisle, and stopped short as I laid eyes on that unbelievable ass once again. 'Play it cool this time,' I told myself as I approached her. "Let me help you with that," I said as I grabbed the box of Jell-O she was reaching for. Once again, I was graced with that smile as she turned to look at me.

"Hey Kenny, it's nice to see you again," she said as I dropped the box in her basket. "Thanks for that. Being vertically challenged sucks sometimes," she grinned at me. I couldn't help but chuckle, "You're welcome. Lime Jell-O?" I asked. "Oh, I was going to make key lime cupcakes," she answered. "By the way, that cake was the best I've ever had. Thanks for saving some for me," I said. "You're welcome. You said it was your favorite, and I figured you might need some after your phone call. Is everything okay? You left rather quickly last night," she looked concerned.

"Yeah, sorry about that. It was my ex. We broke up not too long ago." 'Why did I just tell her that?' "I'm sorry," she said with a look of sympathy. "Then let's change the subject. Are you busy after this? I'll have more than enough cupcakes to go around," she smiled and her eyes sparkled. "I have to take care of a few more things after this, but I'll be free later," I fibbed. I just needed time to get my mind right before spending more time with her.

"Great! Let's exchange numbers then," she insisted as she pulled out her phone. Once that was done, she said, "Call or text me when you're finished, and I'll give you my address." "Sounds good, I'll text you later," I said as I walked off towards the checkout aisles. "I look forward to it," she said as she watched me walk away. 'Damn, that worked out perfectly.' As I drove home, I silently cursed myself, 'Now, I have to kill time. I should have just left with her. When did I become such a chicken shit?' I laughed to myself.

The extra time did give me an opportunity to make myself more presentable before seeing her, since I was only wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt. When I got back to my house, I headed straight for the closet. The last two times we encountered each other, I was way underdressed.

I decided on a deep purple, long sleeved polo, khaki's, and a pair of Jordan's. I showered, and put on Obsession for Him by Calvin Klein. I twisted my locs back and checked myself in the mirror. I thought I looked pretty good. I checked the time, it had been about an hour and a half since I last saw her. I sent her a text:

'Hey Liv, it's Kenny. I'm just about ready to stop by.'

She responded a few minutes later, 'Great, they're almost ready. Come by whenever.'

'Should I bring anything?'

'Just your sweet tooth '

She had no idea the innuendo laced in her response. She messaged me her address shortly thereafter. I waited another ten minutes, then decided I had waited long enough. I jumped in my car and drove to her side of town. She lived in a middle class, suburban neighborhood. When I pulled up outside of her house, I couldn't help but smile, it suited her well. It was a red brick, cottage style house. I made my way to the porch, and rang the doorbell.

About a minute later, she opened the door, and my heart skipped a beat. She had changed into a white wrap blouse, bringing attention to her small waist, a pair of jeans that seemed to be painted on, and her feet were bare. She had the cutest toes, painted a sky blue. "Hey, come in!" she said, "I just finished icing the cupcakes. They're in the kitchen." I stepped inside, and was accosted by the smell of sugar.

"It smells delicious in here," I complimented her, as I followed her into the kitchen. "Thanks. I hope you like them," she said modestly as she moved the cupcakes from the counter to the island. They were in white and green striped muffin cups, with white icing, topped off with shavings of lime peel. She plated them, and I couldn't help the grin that crossed my face. I took my first bite, and fell in love, "Mmmm," I moaned. I hadn't even noticed my eyes were closed.

I opened them to find her smiling at me, "I'm glad you like them. I like to gauge the reaction of others first," she said as she took a bite. "Would you like something to drink?" she offered. "Water is fine, thanks," I replied. I watched as she moved around the kitchen with practiced ease. She reached in a cabinet for a glass, and there was that ass again.

'Shit. I don't know if I can stay here for too long,' I thought to myself. 'This is going to be absolute torture.' She brought me the glass of water, "Let's go in the living room," she suggested, while picking up the cupcakes. As soon as we sat on the couch, I asked her, "So, why did you decide to open up a cake shop?"

Olivia

As I watched her walk away, I thought to myself, 'Did I just invite her to my place? What the fuck, Liv?! You don't even know her. Sure, she's friends with Tanya, but still!' It was still a treat to watch her walk away, though. I finished gathering everything I needed, and drove home. I had to hurry if I wanted to be presentable.

I whipped up the cupcakes, and had them baked in no time. I hopped in the shower, changed my clothes, and was icing the cupcakes when her text came through. Good, I still had some time to calm down. When she arrived, I opened the door, and felt my stomach flop. 'Damn, she looks good,' I thought as I forced out a smile to hide my thoughts. 'Stop it Liv, she just got out of a relationship and needs a friend. And she's a woman for God's sake,' I scolded myself as I led her to the kitchen.

We made small talk, and before long, I suggested we move to the living room. Once we were settled, she asked me, "So, why did you decide to open up a cake shop?" I smiled as I recalled the journey of how I came to know my first love.

"The first piece of cake that I remember having was a slice of orange cake that my Grandmother made. I remember thinking that if I could just spend the rest of my life eating cake, everything would be perfect," I giggled. "Unfortunately, my hips and thighs didn't agree," I finished. "You look perfect to me," she said. I felt my face flush and my insides tingle as she eyed my hungrily.

Suddenly, I felt naked. I cleared my throat, averting my eyes, "After high school, I attended Culinary School. I figured there had to be other people out there who loved cake as much as I did." "Well, I'm glad I met you. Now, I can satisfy my sweet tooth," she licked her lips. 'Dear God,' I thought as I felt my panties grow damp. I shifted in my seat, changing the subject, "Enough about me. Did you always want to be a Claims Adjuster?" She rolled her eyes, "Nope. I graduated with a Business degree, and it was the only job available at the time. But I'm thinking about pursuing a joint M.B.A. and law degree."

"Jeez, that sounds intense. What do you want to do with it?" I asked her. "I'm thinking of becoming either an Analyst or a Strategist. I'm not sure yet," she shrugged, nonchalantly. "Well damn! Here I am thinking I was doing big things by owning my own shop, and you're over here talking about extra serious life goals," I teased her. "Don't sell yourself short," she said. "Not too many people own their own business at such a young age. You're already way ahead of me," she looked at me sincerely. "Thanks for that," I blushed.

We talked for a little while longer about nothing in particular. "I should get going," she said lifting herself off of the couch. "Take some of the cupcakes with you," I insisted. I packed them up, and walked her to the door. "Thanks again. I'm excited to have these later," she smiled at me. "Any time. If you ever want more, just call me," instinctively, I hugged her. 'Mmmm, she smells incredible,' I thought as I inhaled deeply. "Goodnight," she said as she walked to her car. I waved as I watched her drive off.

I closed the door, and instantly felt lonely. What is wrong with me? 'You just met her, Olivia,' I tried telling myself. 'How could you possibly miss her already?' I could still feel her hug, smell her cologne. Subconsciously, my right hand landed on my right breast and began to squeeze. My eyes shot open as I realized I was groping myself in my entry way, 'Shit! What am I doing?'