Banging the Superhero Read Online Free

around her, numbing her mind in the best possible way. Out here, with so much going on, so many people leading their lives, playing heroes in their own stories, Alice couldn't get lost in her thoughts—even if she'd wanted. On the miles of sidewalk, with its scored cement flowing around her as she passed, she could lose herself in the hugeness of it all and feel very small.
    Until the first camera went off in her face.

    Momentarily startled by the bright light, which caused stars to appear before her eyes, Alice almost fell backwards.
    She was mortified. The photographers usually didn't wait for her outside the studio. Home, yes. But snapping pictures of her walking in and out to her car wasn't something that got the freelancers paid really well.
    Perhaps having your life nearly ended by a toaster meant that photographs of you walking out of a building paid higher amounts. Trying to smile through gritted teeth, she stepped into the car waiting for her and nodded to Dugan who held open the door.
    Her driver, Dugan, took her to and from the studio every day. He was one of the perks of the job and the only person on her payroll who wasn't related to her. As he climbed into the front seat, she smiled at him in the rearview mirror.
    "Dugan, if this car acts strangely, please pull over right away. I'm sure what happened inside was a prank. But we can't be too careful."
    He nodded his bald head and smiled. "Yes, ma'am."
    "And would you mind closing the divider tonight?"
    "Whatever you'd like."
    She watched in silence as the barrier between she and Dugan raised. Unable to stop the barrage of emotions that overwhelmed her, she put her head in her hands and wept.
    Someone had tried to kill her today, whether they'd meant it as a joke or not. The incident served only to illuminate how completely alone in the world she really was, even in the midst of a crowd.

    * * * * *

    Alice had soaked in the hot water of her filled-to-the-rim bathtub for half-an-hour and still felt no better. The house was quiet—almost too quiet. Finally, giving into the need to move, she stood, flipping the lever to empty the tub on her way out.

    She reached for the towel to dry off and walked to retrieve her bathrobe when it dawned on her she didn't have to get dressed if she didn't feel like it. She was completely alone in her house. She grinned from ear-to-ear at the thought.
    How decadent .
    How risqué .
    Her stomach grumbled, reminding her she hadn't eaten, and an even more appealing thought than walking around the house naked thrust itself into her brain. If she wanted to, she could cook naked.
    Why not? No one would ever know.
    She rushed through the house glancing left and right as she did, as if someone might jump out at her and scream, "Naked-naked, I see you naked." Okay, she had to admit that perhaps her ultra-conservative background reared its head since her near death experience earlier. The windows were all shut, the drapes pulled, and the doors locked. No one was in the house.
    She really needed to relax. If she was going to do this, she needed to enjoy it or not do it all.
    Standing in her newly renovated kitchen, she looked around, unsure of what to do first. She hadn't really thought this scenario through and the nudity did nothing to help her plan her meal.
    Conceding to herself that this was really not going to work, she rushed to the kitchen linen closet and pulled out one of her aprons. It was a plain white design with small flowers surrounding the edges. Her paternal grandfather had passed down the apron to her when he'd died.
    Shrugging, she decided she could maintain some of her dignity, while still being naughty by wearing nothing underneath her apron. Now, to decide what she wanted to eat . . . .
    Eggs. Far from glamorous. Not difficult to make. But for Alice, eggs were comfort food. She even knew how she wanted to cook them: scrambled.
    Walking to the cabinet directly to the left of the stove, she pulled out her cast iron skillet.