Page 57 of Burning Ember

“This is bullshit,” Dozer snarls.

Goose walks into the room alone. I can tell right away by the sour look on his face, he’s pissed. Most likely him and Lil’ had another row either last night or this morning. Those two are either really on or really off.

“Check out what Taz had me make, man.”

Every head turns to Whiz. He pulls out what looks to be a calendar.

“It’s a countdown,” Taz says.

Whiz explains, “You know like at Christmas, only this is a Pumpkin countdown.”

One by one, he flips through the pages. Each page has a picture of a girl. In a few she’s naked, in one she’s wearing lingerie, in another a bikini, and in the last photo she’s wearing a tight, ripped, black dress and straddling a Harley. Whiz loves that techy shit and it looks like he’s photo-shopped each image to have Doll’s face.

Griz mumbles something about not being able to have any pumpkin pie. And that he loves pie.

“You got to be fuckin’ kidding me.” Dozer stands and tries to grab the calendar but Taz keeps it out of his grasp.

The guys utter obscene comments about each photo.

Doll stands there and watches. There’s no emotion whatsoever on her face. Whiz Kid’s calendar and the comments ringing out are a manifestation of what she’s signed up for.

I can’t help but wonder how she’s taking it.

“Can I see it?” she asks tentatively.

The guys quiet down and Taz studies her.

“I’m not going to rip it up. I swear,” she says.

Taz cautiously hands it over. There’s a smirk on his face as she flips through the pages.

All the guys watch her.

Finally, she points at the one where she’s wearing a lacy, light blue bra and panties. “This is nice. Blue’s my best color and I like the garters. The yellow bikini’s not bad either though.”

My cock jumps like it’s in boot camp and got called to attention.

I’d give anything to see her in a yellow fuckin’ bikini. The visual has my jeans tightening to an unbearable degree.

Bodie hits Whiz. “Looks like we’re gonna be doin’ some fuckin’ shoppin’.”

I stand and walk the fuck out of the room, because if I don’t leave right now, everyone is going to see what this girl does to me. How I can’t think or function for one second while she’s around. How I get so fucking turned on by the mere sight of her. How I want to beat all of their fuckin’ faces in for even looking at sexy photo-shopped pictures of her.

My hand stalls on the doorknob when I hear Doll’s hushed voice behind the slightly opened door.

“That’s it. Keep going. It’s okay. Put it all in. It’ll fit.”

Clenching my jaw, I prepare to open the door and unleash hell on her and whoever’s in there with her.

“Okay, I think that’s all of it. Now what?” Lil’ Bird asks.

A laugh. Doll’s. “Now turn that knob, depending on the size of the load.”

“Um.”

“Well, I don’t think you could fit much more in there, so I’d say that’s a large load. If it’s only halfway full then choose medium, and if you’re washing only a couple of items then use small.”

A hear a few clicks. “There. Now what?”