I'm At Your Service
********This story is most definitely MA. So please don't read it if you're going to complain about the content.**********
Chapter 1. The Problem
Abby Jennings, the pretty dark-haired owner of the Laramie General Store, was frustrated. She had tried deep cleaning and rearranging both the store and her home. She had canned enough food to last her at least a year. She had taken food to the sick. Everything she could think of to keep herself busy and tire herself to the point of falling exhausted into her bed at night. Nothing helped. The fact of it was, Abby had an itch that needed scratching. Her attempts to handle the matter using her own hands, didn't cut it. No, this was a job for a man. But, sadly, Abby was quite unattached romantically. Therefore no ready solution presented itself.
The answer, however, came to her the next morning as she waited on a couple of customers. Ben Larson needed a new axe handle and Jim Baxter needed tobacco. The two men visited while Abby gathered their things. She walked up to the counter just as Ben agreed to deliver his prize stud to Jim's ranch the next day to service Baxter's mare. "Hmph", grumbled Abby to herself, "wish I could find a prize stud of the two legged variety to service me!" The two men settled up and went their later, the Sherman ranch buckboard rolled to a stop in front of the store. Out jumped Ranch owner Slim Sherman, a good friend of the storekeeper. The two had early on discovered their shared love of reading and enjoyed any opportunity to discuss their latest literary pleasure. Today, though, Abby was in no mood for pleasantries. "Hello beautiful", greeted his friend with his customary open smile. "Don't 'Hello beautiful ' me, Abby shot back. At Slim's look of hurt, she was immediately apologized. "Oh, Slim, please forgive me! My nerves are shot and I've no right to take it out on you." Tears welled up in her clear green eyes. "Abby, what's wrong? This just isn't you, and last week you were jumpy as a cat. Please let me help you. I'm at your service." he offered. At that, Abby moved from tears to an awful coughing fit. What a choice of words, given her earlier wish!
"Oh, Slim, I just can't! It's just awful!", and the tears began to flow in earnest. Shepherding her to the storeroom and out of site of anyone passing by, Slim patted her shoulder and offered a gentle " there, there". Like many men, the rancher was terrified of a crying woman. As the tears subsided, Slim offered his handkerchief along with a suggestion. "Tell you what, Abby, I've got several things to do in town today and am not planning on going back to the ranch until tomorrow. Let me buy you supper and you can tell me all about it. Maybe we can work something out." "Fat chance" thought Abby, but she accepted his invitation.
Supper was a quiet affair, with Slim doing his best to make conversation. Abby's mind, however, was occupied by how to carry out the plan she had come up with that afternoon. After all, Slim HAD said he was at her service. So she had decided to take a chance. If her nerve didn't desert her, that is.
After supper, he walked Abby back to her comfortable cottage that backed up to the alley behind the store. He also accepted her offer of a cup of coffee. While waiting on the coffee, Slim took her hands in his and said "Now, Abby, you've spent the whole meal avoiding my eyes and avoiding telling me what's wrong. I can't help you if you won't tell me what's going on." "Oh, Slim, I need a man, that's what's wrong!" she blurted. At the look of confusion on her handsome friend's face, she once again burst into tears. Standing, Slim pulled her into his arms and stroked her hair comfortingly as she spilled her frustration. "Men aren't the only ones with needs, you know! It's been more than three years since my husband died and I've felt a man's body! At least a man has the option of a working girl, I've got nothing!" she wailed. Glad that she couldn't see the shock and bewilderment on his face, Slim searched for the correct response to her admission. At that point, the sound of coffee boiling over on the stove caused Abby to dash to the kitchen. This gave both the opportunity to compose their responses to her outburst.
Some minutes later, Abby returned to the table and calmly looked Slim in the eye. "Slim, we're good friends and I'm not asking for anything else. Would you be willing to ease my frustration, as it were? I can't think of anyone else I trust enough to keep it to themselves." Taking her hands in his and smiling, Slim replied "I've been sitting here trying to come up with a gentlemanly way to offer just that."