Ascending Lauren Ch. 27 - Sex Stories

Ascending Lauren Ch. 27

... Despite feeling somewhat overwhelmed thinking about the broken lives that passed through her station, it provided her with a sense of purpose amidst the chaos that had consumed her life in the past year. Unlike many other professions, office managers often didn't receive the same level of satisfaction in helping others. Doctors, nurses, lawyers, and even veterinarians aided someone every day. The soup kitchen provided Lauren with some comfort in knowing that in some small way, she was making a difference in someone's life.

With Corey in Fort Lauderdale, Lauren had decided to stop by that afternoon to lend a hand. Between spoonfuls of green beans, her eyes wandered down the long serving line towards the front door. The kitchen was set to close in thirty minutes and many in needy Miami were still looking for a hot meal. With hands wrapped in hot pads, she carefully lifted an empty pan of meat off the serving line, placed it on a waiting cart that had been wheeled from the kitchen, and replaced it with a full pan. Removing her gloves, Lauren looked up to serve the next guest and was surprised by a familiar face.

Nate Jackson.

It was a beard she'd never forget, especially the scar that stretched from behind one ear to his chin. This was the unlikely hero who scared off the thugs trying to rob her in an alleyway at Christmas time. His alley. Lord knows what those two boys would have done had he not been there.

"Well, hello stranger," Lauren grinned while filling his ...

... plate. "I don't think I've ever seen you here before."

With little expression, the large black man shrugged. "I could say the same aboutyou."

That caused Lauren to pause.He's right, I should come around more often. As she looked down at the steaming pile the Mission considered a meal, she could see in his eyes that the once proud man was not accustomed to taking handouts.

"Thank you," Nate mumbled as he stepped aside to make room for the next person.

Lauren watched as he walked over to a rickety picnic table and sat down with other strangers. His gait was slow, as if he was carrying the weight of years of struggles on his shoulders, but he stood tall and imposing, as if to salvage some dignity. During a lull in the line, she glanced over to find him eating quietly, avoiding conversation with those around him. Likely in his mid-fifties, he had an unkempt beard that hung down past his chin, and his hair was gray and straggly, framing a face and neck that were wrinkly and leathery from living outdoors. Dressed in a tattered brown hoodie and old, worn-out jeans that were ripped and stained with dirt, his feet were clad in only a pair of tattered flip-flops that looked too small on the large feet that carried his six-foot-seven frame. Her curiosity piqued.What was his story? How did he end up here?

As the line began to thin, Lauren turned off the warmers and began to wipe down her station. When she happened to look to where Nate had been seated, the big man was no ...