Page 143 of Fury

Opening a store was a risk I was willing to take. Hell, the rent was very low to begin with. My own boutique with my own designs was a dream come true. I started out with clothing for special nights out, hoping to attract a lot of the thirty-somethings who were looking for something different and had the money to spend. The bulk of my stock was loungewear—robes, sexy pajamas, slip dresses, a few unique accessories and the lingerie.

I’d kept working on corsets. I loved working on cut and silhouette and also the finer details, the fastenings, the decoration. Every time I was back in LA I’d find amazing new fabrics and forged relationships with the suppliers. My focus veered to creating lingerie—fantasies of delicacy and the sublime, intimacy come to life.

The first month I saw next to no business. One afternoon, as I lit a cinnamon incense stick on the small table I had in the center of the store, a tall, attractive, African American woman strode in. She was beautiful—long sleek black hair, no makeup except for deep red lipstick. I blinked. Naomi Campbell had nothing on her.

“Isn’t this a novelty?” she said in a velvety voice full of genuine wonder as she explored the boutique, her gaze darting over every display.

“I suppose it is for Meager,” I replied.

She admired a corset and matching robe on an antique mannequin torso dress form. “I’ve never seen anything like it.” She eyed the colorful hanging gauzy material I had decorated the store with to create a sensual and out of the ordinary ambiance. “And I’m from Milwaukee, meaning a big city, not from around here.”

“What brought you here?”

“Work. I manage the Tingle, the adult entertainment club in town.”

I’d heard that the Tingle was owned by the One-Eyed Jacks.

“I hear it does very well,” I said. “Good for you.”

“Thank you, yes, business is good.” She smiled again, her beautiful face beaming a genuine sincerity that warmed my insides. “I’m Cassandra, by the way.”

“Good to meet you, Cassandra. I’m Lenore.”

“You just opened, right? How’s business so far?” Her fingers slid up and down a diaphanous purple robe.

“Like you said, I’m a novelty. They come in to gawk at my goodies and at me.”

She turned, her light brown eyes finding mine. “When I first got here, I was a novelty too, but the people in this town are welcoming, maybe a bit reserved at first. In this store, you’re offering something brand new, something they really want deep inside. Temptation on the edge of illicit.” She let out a small, rich laugh.

“I like the way you think.”

“I like your style.”

I like this woman.

Cassandra tried on a variety of bras and nighties. She bought my most elegant push up bra and panty set made of burnt gold lace which looked incredible on her sleek cocoa skin. She took a handful of my business cards. “I’m going to pass these out to the girls at the club and a few friends.”

“I custom make pieces too. I can go as demure or as kinky as a client likes.”

“Always good.” She took her shopping bag from me. “I enjoyed this. We should get together for a drink sometime.”

“I’d love that.” I walked her to the door.

The next day, a platinum blonde around my age, wearing huge black sunglasses and pale lip gloss strode in. She glittered. Standing in the center of my shop, she slid her glasses up over her head and scanned every piece in the boutique, every panty, every bra, every corset, robe, baby doll, every sex toy. I kept on trend. A consumer demand for erotica was blossoming for a variety of items that once could only be found in sleazy sex shops or catalogs.

“Hi there,” I said.

She scanned me from the top of my blue and purple dyed hair, down my form fitting cropped top and low slung harem pants to my high-heeled sandals. “Tell me you’re Lenore.”

“I am.”

“I’m Alicia.”

“Welcome.”

“I’m pinching myself here. I’ve been waiting for you to open.”

“I’ve been open for about a month now.”

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