How was work?

At six o'clock Mary was hurrying around in the kitchen so much, she did not even hear the front door open and close. It wasn't until his large frame cast a shadow on the kitchen floor that she popped up surprised. He looked her up and down, stared at the dress she wore and the apron she had pulled tight around her waist.

"Hi Daddy, how was work?" Mary dropped the spoon she was using to stir in the pot of spaghetti and jogged over to her stepdad. She threw her arms around him and clutched him into an embrace. He smelled like hard work and men's cologne. She felt the muscles in his chest against her cheek and heard his heartbeat quickening. Noticing that she didn't seem to want to let go of the hug, Bruno patted her back once or twice and then pushed Mary off of him. She looked up at him with puppy-dog eyes. "Dinner will be ready in about ten minutes, do you want a drink?"

"I'll get it myself." Bruno said, walking over to the fridge and fishing out a can of beer. As he turned and left towards the dining room, Mary followed close behind him. Slowly he let himself fall down into a chair, next to a table already set for two. Bruno wiped a bead of sweat away from his forehead and brushed some sawdust from his trousers. Before he could bend down to take off the heavy, steel-tipped boots he always wore, Mary already slid down to her knees.

"Here, let me help you." Bruno tried to protest, but Mary was already untying his laces and taking the boots off for him. Instead he just leaned back and took a deep swig from his beer. "There you go Daddy, now, how was work?" She had asked him already, but as usual he hadn't responded to her. This time Mary wasn't going to let him get away so easily. Whilst she untied his second shoe and slid it off of his foot, she remained on her knees looking up at her stepfather.

Behind the stern looked seemingly grafted to his face, Mary thought she spotted a little nervousness. It looked adorable on him. "Fine, Mary, it was fine."

"Oh come on Daddy, I know you can do better than that." Mary folded her hands into her lap and tried to stick out her chest in such a way that it wasn't too obvious what she was trying to do.

Bruno scratched the back of his head, taking another swig of his beer and trying to look anywhere but at her. "It was long and it was hot. I'm tired an hungry. Thanks for helping out with my boots, but please, get up off the floor." Mary smiled happily, feeling as though she had accomplished at least a little of what she was trying to do.

Slowly she stood up, turning so that she showed off the curves of her hips and the edge of her thighs sticking out from under her dress. "I'll go get you your dinner, you just get comfortable." Mary swayed her hips as she walked back to the kitchen, listening to Bruno curse under his breath.