Her Hidden Secret - Chapter 3: Chapter 3

It hit me then why so many guys went crazy for older women over girls our age.
But let's be real, I wasn't fooling myself. Sure, I had decent looks, youth, and kept in shape, but I wasn't some irresistible heartthrob. Compared to the roughneck crew at the job site, I just had smoother game.
Yet here was Vivian, practically throwing herself at me. Something didn't add up.
"Little brat," she teased, slipping back into that breezy linen outfit before settling beside me. "You know, you remind me of my husband when he was your age."
I blinked. "No way."
"Believe what you want," she snapped, her tone turning sharp. "If my age bothers you, don't come back."
I recognized the bluff instantly and turned on the charm. Vivian wasn't really mad, she playfully swatted my arm and tossed me my clothes. "Get to work. All that youthful stamina, huh? We've got all the time in the world."
With that promise hanging between us, I stubbed out my cigarette, dressed, and strolled out whistling.
The afternoon dragged like hell, my mind miles away. The second my shift ended, I bolted back to the store.
Vivian was still in that flimsy outfit, now surrounded by a pack of drooling coworkers. She seemed unfazed by their hungry stares, but her face lit up when she spotted me. "Roland! Help me sort today's delivery. Too heavy for me."
"Sure thing. But dinner's on you tonight."
The other guys practically vibrated with jealousy. "Boss, we can help too! Why's he the only one scoring dinner?"
"Damn right! Pretty-boy college kid shouldn't hog all the action!"
"Face it, boys," one quipped. "Boss has a type, and it ain't us."
I walked into the back room through a hail of crude jokes. These construction guys were salt-of-the-earth types, most barely literate, with only a handful considered "educated." Their vulgar banter didn't faze me anymore.
But what got me was how Vivian seemed to enjoy it, smiling like it was all part of the fun. It made me second-guess myself again. Was I wrong about her?
The convenience store stock was light, mostly instant noodles and snacks. We finished unloading in no time. When I returned to the back room, my jaw dropped at the lavish spread on the table.
All this for me? Had Vivian planned this from the start, using work as an excuse for a dinner date?
Not that I was complaining.
I sat down eagerly but held off eating. After a short wait, Vivian's message came through: "Bit busy out front. Go freshen up first, then we'll eat together."
The way she phrased it made me feel like I was the main course, washed and ready to be served. But I shrugged it off. We barely knew each other. If she wanted me clean, fine by me.
When I emerged from the shower, Vivian was already seated. "Come sit, Roland," she said warmly. "Food's getting cold."
As we ate, I couldn't help noticing how refined her manners were, every movement precise, almost elegant. It didn't fit the setting.
"Vivian," I ventured between bites, "what did you do before this?"
"Curious?" She blinked, lips curling into that mysterious smile.
I hesitated. "The way you carry yourself, your posture, your manners, it's like you were trained for high society. You must come from money."
"But here you are running a construction site convenience store. Something must have happened. I don't want to pry into painful memories."
"You're sharper than you look," she said with an appraising glance before chuckling softly. She didn't elaborate, instead turning the tables: "How long have you been working here?"
"About three months." I shoveled in another mouthful. "Graduated last year. Pandemic screwed my job prospects. At twenty-something, I couldn't keep mooching off my parents."
"So after New Year's, I struck out on my own. Wanted to see the world. But I hit wall after wall, ran out of cash, and ended up here twisting steel bars."
"No wonder they call you 'College Boy.' Fits you perfectly." Her eyes gleamed with interest.
I laughed bitterly. Around here, "College Boy" was more insult than compliment, like I'd bought my degree.
"Did you date in college?" Vivian asked suddenly.
I set down my fork with a sigh. "A few times. Never worked out."
"Why not?"
I shook my head. "Lots of reasons. Not really up for discussing it." Old wounds weren't dinner conversation.
Vivian pivoted smoothly. "So... dry spell since graduation?"
"Nope." I rubbed my nose, embarrassed. "Until this afternoon, it'd been almost ten months."
"I see..." she murmured.
Something shifted after that. Vivian put on a good front, but I could tell. When we got intimate again, it felt mechanical, like she was just going through the motions. After fantasizing about her all afternoon, the disappointment burned.
Walking back to the dorm, I nearly turned around to demand an explanation. But I swallowed my pride. Health first.
When I arrived, the guys stared at me like I'd walked on water.
"Hey, College Boy! How was the boss lady?"
The catcalls and lewd laughter followed me all the way to my bunk.