Page 20 of Fiona and the Fixer

So I was now in charge of running a romance bookstore until Elise healed and came back without her appendix.

Two women came through the door, chatting with each other about a tricky yoga pose. “Your left leg curves back and under while you prop yourself up with your–”

The explanation was cut off when they saw me, then froze.

“Holy mother of God,” one woman whispered, her eyes bugging out of her head like a cartoon character as she gripped the other woman’s arm.

They stared.

And stared.

And stared some fucking more. I felt exposed. I looked down, wondering if I forgot pants or something. Nope, just me in jeans and a plain white shirt.

“Ladies. Can I help you with something?”

Please say no!

They blushed like high school girls when the quarterback said hi in the hallway between classes. Then giggled. Actually giggled.

“We’re… um, just–”

“Looking. We’re definitely looking.” This woman looked at me like she wanted to eat me alive. As if she wanted to curve her left leg aroundme.

I moved behind the counter where it would be harder for her to get to me. I now knew what women felt like at a bar when men approached and were objectified.

“I’m kind of new at this,” I admitted. “But… um, look around.” Wasn’t that what I was supposed to say? I’d never worked in retail before, but I bought shit.

“Where’s Hannah? And Elise?”

“Are you a new employee?”

They asked at the same time. They’d clearly been in before since they were on first name basis with the employees.

I guessed them to be mid-thirties, probably had kids in school and went to yoga after they dropped them off. Here to get a book or two to spice up their married sex life.

“Hannah’s on vacation and Elise is out sick,” I said. “I’m in charge now.”

A whimper came from one woman. The other’s mouth dropped open before she whispered, “I bet you are.”

Running a hand over the back of my neck, I murmured, “Let me know if you need anything.”

“Anything?”

Shit, they weren’t married women with kids, they were single women on the prowl. Or I hoped they weren’t married because it seemed I was the eye candy and they were thinking very dirty things about me.

When I didn’t say anything and only gave them a glare that usually scared the shadiest of men into pissing themselves–because I wasn’t interested in either of them in any way except as a customer of a bookstore I didn’t want to be running–they scurried around one of the rows of books out of sight.

I returned to trying to figure out the register. Pushed all the various buttons. Nothing. I could get people to do whatever I wanted–whatever anyone paid me wanted–but I couldn’t get this stupid machine to work. Grabbing my cell, I called in reinforcements.

“Yo.” Nitro answered on the first ring.

“I need you to teach me how to use a cash register,” I told him.

“Acash register?Are you trying to rob a store and can’t get to the money?”

I frowned. “Fuck, no.”

He sighed. “Good, I was worried there for a minute.”

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