Errands
After disposing of Oliver's dirty diaper, Smith brought him to his and Donna's bedroom. He spoke as he placed him in the playpen, "Daddy's gonna take a shower, you just watch the movie until I finish. We'll go to the hardware store and then the park."
With Hard Boiled already in the DVD player, Smith simply turned on the television and started playing the movie.
"Duchess, here!" he called out. A moment later a German Shepherd entered the room, "Keep an eye on Oliver," he told her.
Duchess sat next to the playpen and fixed her stare on the child.
"Good dog," he petted the loyal canine's head before stripping out of his clothes and stepping into the shower.
Warm streams cascaded down his perfect physique. A slow relaxed breath left his mouth when the shower's intoxicating steam wrapped itself around him. The refreshing herbal scents of shampoo, body wash and toothpaste soon filled the air. Smith didn't have many needs and desires but showers were his indulgence. It was his private oasis where he could briefly let go of the responsibilities that he had as a husband and father and just take care of himself.
Before settling down with Donna and Oliver, he had forgotten how comforting it was to have a home with hot running water, home cooked meals and a warm bed. He hated clichés but being a husband and father again really made him appreciate the simple things. While most took advantage of life's gifts, he treasured them because he knew how sudden and cruelly they could be taken away.
His eyes opened, he wiped away the steam on the shower's glass door to peer into the bedroom; Oliver and Duchess were still where he had left them. He withdrew his hand off the glass then stared at them both. Whenever he looked at his hands he never thought of the many lives he had taken using them but only of the three that he saved. Miraculously, there was no scarring from the burns and all his broken fingers had healed quite nicely. These days, there wasn't a need to but if the situation warranted; he would have no problem pulling the trigger.
A wave of cool air greeted him once he opened the door and felt the soft plush rug underneath his bare feet. In a matter of moments, he groomed himself before joining Duchess and Oliver in the bedroom to get dressed. The charcoal v-neck sweater hugged his biceps and chest while the dark denim jeans he wore perfectly fit over his black boots.
"Duchess," he picked up Oliver and the diaper bag off the bed.
She eagerly went over to him.
"Bring the carriage to the door." he instructed and watched her immediately leave the room. He checked Oliver's diaper, when he saw it was dry, they left the room.
Duchess's tail wagged the moment she saw her master open the front door, she let go of the rope attached to the carriage.
"Nice," he reached into one of the diaper bag's pockets and fed her a treat, "now bring it to the car."
The obedient hound followed his order and dragged the carriage to the SUV.
"Good girl," Smith fed her another treat before putting Oliver in his car seat and the carriage in the trunk. He looked at the sitting dog, "Well..are you gonna sit on your ass all day or get inside?" he pointed to the open car door.
She hopped into the SUV and perched herself next to Oliver in her car seat. After Smith finished securing her, she licked his face.
He wiped the side of his face and curtly told her, "What did I say to you about slobbering on me?"
Duchess hung her head and whimpered but perked up once he reached out to her.
"Quit your bitching," he petted her head. Once he got into the driver's seat he put on his sunglasses, started the car and made sure that Strapping Young Lad's CD was playing prior to pulling out of the driveway.
Two of the doors in their rental home creaked; there were a few screws loose around the house and water dripped from the bathroom sink. Smith didn't want to bother the landlord so he decided to buy the tools to fix the problems himself. It wasn't their first trip to the hardware store and the construction company Smith worked for did business with them. The owner (Clyde) and his employees had no problem letting Duchess walk around the store with her masters.
"Damn," Smith quietly groaned the instant he turned the cart into the plumbing supply and tools aisle to see a man in his early thirties holding his mobile phone underneath a young woman's skirt. The woman had no idea what was occurring behind her back while she shopped.
Smith considered ignoring the transgression but he couldn't stand by and let an innocent woman be exploited. It didn't happen often but there were times when he wished he didn't give a damn. Then he'd looked at what he had now because of his concern for the innocent. He came to terms with the truth, as long as he was the only one present, he'd give pricks their comeuppance.
Once the woman left the aisle, the pervert brought the phone to his face to watch his mini movie only to have Smith snatch it from him.
"What the fuck?" he protested, "give it back asshole!"
With a straight face, Smith removed the memory card and broke the phone in half, "Look at that, I accidently broke your phone. Aren't accidents tragic?"
"Fuck you you're-.." he gasped when Smith's fingers took a hold of his throat.
"You know what I really hate? Sick fucks like you that get off on secretly recording women in their knickers and then post it on the internet for other sick fucks to jackoff to."
He pathetically tried to remove Smith's hand but failed and listened to him.
"You have three choices: report me to Clyde and Officer Winchell over there and expose your little peepshow, leave and never come back here again or learn how to walk out of this store with a broken phone shoved up your ass. What's it gonna be?" he loosened his grip allowing him to speak.
"Two," he whimpered as he tried to breathe.
"Good, get the fuck out of here," he let him go and watched him quickly exit the aisle. He looked down at his smiling son as he broke the memory card and discarded it along with the destroyed phone into a nearby trash can.
Oliver gripped his father's hand causing him to grin.
"Always cut off pricks before they can cut someone else," he told him in a gentle voice.
Oblivious to what just happened, Clyde and Officer Winchell kindly waved to Smith, Oliver, and Duchess as they left the store.
Dressed in a black pencil skirt that accentuated her shapely backside and a crimson long sleeved blouse that demurely displayed her buxom chest, Donna strutted down the diaper aisle of the wholesale store. The ruby red kitten heels she wore clacked against the hard floor.
Once she settled down with Smith and Oliver, she knew her style of clothing had to change. However, that didn't mean she had stifle her personal flare altogether. She discovered how to dress alluringly without being overtly provocative. This was the first thing she learned since becoming a wife and mother. The second was that she was able to successfully sell something that wasn't her body. Being an independent sales representative for Beauté Eternellé Cosmetics allowed her to make a good living while working from home and raising Oliver.
From the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of a man. There was no one else in the aisle. She turned her attention to the diapers and spotted Oliver's brand and size but cursed when she saw it on a high shelf.
"Miss, do you need some help?" A teenage boy asked her as he walked over.
She read his nametag, "Yes Timmy, can you please get that box of diapers for me?"
"Sure," he grinned at her, "I just need to get the steps. I'll be right back."
"Thank you," she grinned at him and brushed her long dark tresses behind her ear. The sound of approaching footsteps caught her attention; she turned to see man a headed towards her. Although he was dressed in a suit and well groomed, Donna knew he couldn't be trusted by the filthy glint in his eyes.
"Hey sexy bitch," he reached out to grab her backside but instead had his wrist grabbed and twisted it. He groaned in pain when she slammed his body against the shelves.
"I'm no one's bitch. So don't mess with me, got it?" She hissed into his ear before turning him around and kneeing him in the crotch.
Timmy's unsure voice asked, "Um..is everything ok here?"
Donna turned and sweetly smiled at him, "Yes, this man wasn't looking and he walked into the display at the end of aisle," she looked at the wounded pervert and narrowed her dark eyes, "right?"
Cupping himself he answered in a high pitched voice, "Right. I'm ok," he held up a hand before slowly getting onto his feet. Hunched over and in agony, he left the aisle.
Timmy took his eyes off the clearly injured man and asked her, "Uh..it's that box right there?"
"Yes," she nodded and thanked him when he retrieved the box and placed it in her cart.
"It's nothing. Is there anything else I can do for you?"
"There is, can you come with me to the dog food aisle? The bags are so heavy.."
"No problem," he smiled and then asked, "So..you have a baby and dog?"
Nodding she told him, "I do, they're with my husband today."
"Ooh, figures. Hot women are always taken." feeling dejected, he looked down at the cart as he pushed it for her.
Flattered by his compliment, she beamed, "Timmy, can you do something else for me?"
"Anything."
Her hand briefly touched his face, "Stay sweet. Good women love that in men."
His face turned bright red as his lips formed into a goofy smile, "Ok…"