Hidden Past – Chapter 7

Chapter 7 - Hidden Past

“Let me take you to dinner to celebrate your sweet-sixteen birthday!” Kenny implored, having been trying to butter up Angela and helping her overcome her shyness for almost two years now.

“I don’t know, Kenny. If my mom ever finds out—”

“You can bring her with you,” Kenny lied, knowing that Angela would never want her run-down, overweight alcoholic mom to come with them. He actually sensed that the idea of going out on her sixteenth birthday with a dapper, successful man about town who also went to college had some intrigue, some appeal to the very striking, sexy without trying to be sexy teenager.

“She’s jailbait,” Carl, the manager, had told Kenny privately when he heard Kenny coming on to Angela.

“Yeah, but what a way to go to the slammer,” Kenny would react, rolling his eyes as though he were dreaming.

Kenny secretly had it figured out that if he could start taking her out, be her friend—like a brother—and eventually become her confidante, he could start teaching her about sexual favors and how to pleasure a man. No rush; he saw her as his long-term project. “Project Virgin” was how he thought of Angela in his mind.

One giant lever Kenny knew he could use with Angela was money. He had already trained her to accept small tips—$2 here, $4 there—for running errands and picking up food for him. Kenny knew he wasn’t rich, but he also knew that to Angela, he was.

And he knew she was poor. All the money she made at the store seemed to go for supporting her mother and her sister. Her sister seemed to be slow, maybe even retarded, but Kenny never asked. He sensed that Angela didn’t want to talk about her sister or her mom. Maybe she was ashamed of them; Kenny could see why.

Kenny’s heart pounded, and he felt a swelling in his silk boxers as Angela came into the store on that incredible Saturday that was her sixteenth birthday. She was all dressed up in a simple black dress with black flats. She was wearing a slightly tinted hose and had her hair pulled back with a black velvet ribbon. Her makeup was understated and perfect.

“Well?” Kenny asked, nervously begging God for the answer he received.

“I’ve decided you can take me out tonight,” the most popular girl of his fantasy life said as she sparkled.