Paint It, Black

By J.D. Walker

Engelbert Trentworthy -- dear God, call him Trent -- is a bit of a slut. Most people don’t take him seriously, and really, neither does he. Trent keeps things simple and doesn’t allow others to get close for reasons he never shares with anyone. Then he meets photographer Elias Lane at the customer service desk where he works.

Elias is captivated by Trent’s appearance and asks him to be part of a photo shoot. Unfortunately, Trent’s image ends up in a shop window near his job and causes all kinds of havoc. To make it up to him, Elias buys Trent dinner. But when Elias tries to push for more, Trent backs away.

Somehow, between the coworker who’s harassing Trent for sex and the specter of Trent’s black past, Elias is determined get Trent to give him a chance, in every possible way.

• Language: English
• Publisher: JMS Books LLC
• Release date: May 28, 2016
• ISBN: 9781634861151

J.D. Walker

J.D. Walker likes to keep her stories short and sweet. A multi-published author, she is also a musician, artist, and lover of all things knit and crochet. For more information, visit lifebyjo.com/jdwalker.

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Paint It, Black

By J.D. Walker

Published by JMS Books LLC at Smashwords

Visit jms-books.com for more information.

Copyright 2016 J.D. Walker

ISBN 9781634861151

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Cover Design: Written Ink Designs | written-ink.com

Image(s) used under a Standard Royalty-Free License.

All rights reserved.

WARNING: This book is not transferable. It is for your own personal use. If it is sold, shared, or given away, it is an infringement of the copyright of this work and violators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

No portion of this book may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher, with the exception of brief excerpts used for the purposes of review.

This book is for ADULT AUDIENCES ONLY. It may contain sexually explicit scenes and graphic language which might be considered offensive by some readers. Please store your files where they cannot be accessed by minors.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are solely the product of the author’s imagination and/or are used fictitiously, though reference may be made to actual historical events or existing locations. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Published in the United States of America.

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Life is what you make it.

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Paint It, Black

By J.D. Walker

Trent, I need you to cover for Nigel tomorrow morning.

I sighed internally, seeing my day off disappear in the wind. I glanced at Tammy, my boss. Sick again, is he? I asked while restocking the blank money orders next to the printer.

She rolled her eyes. You called it. I don’t know what’s up, but he and I are gonna have a talk when he gets back. Poor Nigel. Tammy’s talks tended to be brutal.

I’ll be here, like always.

Tammy patted my cheek. I knew I could count on you, no matter what the grapevine says. I scowled at her as she blew me a kiss and wandered off in search of others to torture.

I was aware of what everyone said about me. Trent the slut; sleeps with any man who’s breathing; likes a good time. As if that was what defined me. They had no idea who I really was. Then again, did I really know anymore?

I did my job well, and management had no complaints, for which I was thankful. It shouldn’t matter what I did on my own time, though perhaps sleeping with co-workers wasn’t the wisest thing I’d ever done.

Still, there’d been Ry Archibald, hot and currently unavailable Ry Archibald in the produce department who’d been the first guy since my late teens to make me think beyond the next fuck. He’d awoken feelings and emotions that I’d all but forgotten. And then I realized he wasn’t interested in more than a tryst, and didn’t that hurt, getting a taste of my own medicine? It was a year ago, and still, it stung.

He was with Georgie Baldt now, who had quit the grocery store to pursue a Master’s degree in…whatever. Yeah, if that’s what Ry was looking for, there was no way I could compete. And I hadn’t realized until then how much I really wanted to be with someone. It almost reminded me of the time years ago when…

I tossed aside my long brown bangs—and thoughts—and went to help a customer. By lunch time, I was starving. Lately, I’d been eating outside the store because I didn’t want to talk to anyone unless I had to. I’d felt off-kilter since my encounters with Ry had ended. I thought I’d long buried the wish to be loved and cherished by someone, but there it was, front and center.

I mean, I’d deliberately set up my life to be frivolous and