Chapter 2
Chapter 2
We spent the next month cleaning, organizing, boxing, and doing all manner of physical work, getting the store ready for a reopening. Being raised in my mom's gym, I've learned to appreciate being in good shape. I'm 5'10" and broad in the chest and shoulders. I look more like a halfback than a gaming nerd. I've got a swarthy complexion, black wavy hair, and dark brown eyes.
At first, Lauren wore her usual dresses, or blouse/skirt combos, and where this kept me happy, she quickly realized that jeans and a t-shirt were more appropriate for this work. But she still looked so hot in that too.
As the new stock came in, we moved old stock that hadn't been good sellers in years, out. At first, we put the old stuff in the store room, but eventually, we sold it to online vendors that specialized in such things. The only merchandise that Lauren wouldn't part with, were the trains. Her late husband Chris had inherited the store from his dad and the two of them had put their heart and soul into the train section, even constructing a very impressive electric train layout in H/O scale. Everything else went.
After the first month, you couldn't recognize the inside of the store. There were racks of mecha model kits, where the model airplanes had been. Old wall shelves now held a great selection of role-playing games and associated merchandise. We had Wi-Fi installed. Easily pilferable items were kept in locked cases that Chris had full of old models that he'd built over the years. It was tough on Lauren, removing all these things that her husband had loved, but when it came right down to it, the store was in trouble because the things that were popular in 1990, really aren't anymore. The store was failing and had been doing so for some time.
Most distributors of modern hobby merchandise offer advertising kits, full of posters and stickers for just a few dollars. Once the Pokémon posters were put up in the front windows, the kids came in. We put up folding tables and chairs so the customers could play games in the store and added snack and drink vending machines. We got good feedback from parents. They felt fairly safe that their kids hung about here. No bars close by, and a fire station was only a block away.
As we worked, Lauren and I talked a lot. She had no other family in the area and had been alone since Chris died 14 months ago. She seemed very happy to have someone to talk to. She had a quick wit and an open manner and I was immediately drawn to her. She seemed interested in me, and asked about my family, my classes, and if I had a girlfriend. I'd had a high school girlfriend that I had been serious about. We swore we'd be true to one another as we went off to college, but that didn't last the year. Since then, I had a couple of friends-with-benefits situations while at school and some flings when I went home for the summers, but nothing serious.
What surprised me more than anything, was how quickly we became close. I suppose working closely and alone, sharing meals and personal stories, with just about anyone would do that, but it was more than that. I was just so comfortable around her. She was so mature, experienced, and well put together compared to girls my age. While we worked and talked, there was an inordinate amount of eye contact. She caught me looking at her pretty frequently. I caught her occasionally too. It would usually just end in a smile and getting back to work. Other times we'd look into each other's eyes from ten feet away, for five seconds or more. Then she'd blush and look away. But she looked back in just a moment or two. There was a connection building and I was pretty sure we both felt it.
The store building was a decent size, with plenty of floor space. There was a customer restroom, an office, an employee restroom, and a storeroom. There was a roped-off staircase in the corner, that led up to an attic. One peculiar thing was the main aisle that ran from the front of the store to the office area. It was unusually narrow. Lauren and I often joked about it, saying we ought to get that sorted. One person with a box or hand cart could get down it with no issues, but two people passing while carrying something, would have difficulty.
About six weeks into my employment, I concluded that I was falling for my lovely blonde boss. She was always in my head. I couldn't stop looking at her in the store. The dresses, blouses, and skirts she wore were so feminine and attractive. She had terrific long legs and the greatest smile. One afternoon, I took my shot. I didn't plan it; I just saw an opportunity and seized the moment.
After the store had closed, I headed back to the storeroom with a box under my arm. Lauren came out of the office carrying another. We smiled at each other, knowing it would be a squeeze to get by one another. We shifted our packages and passed eye-to-eye.
"Fortune favors the bold." I thought to myself. I reached out with my left hand and caught her hip, stopping both of us. Our eyes met. I waited for two Mississippi and then I leaned in and kissed her. I held the kiss for another two Mississippi and then stepped back. I felt her lips pursed just a little. Lauren's eyes were wide with surprise, but not anger, I was happy to note. She made a strange little high pitch "hmm" sound in her throat and gently removed my hand from her hip. Then she looked away and continued down the aisle.
I wasn't sure what response I was expecting, but that wasn't it. "Way to go, Ben, you blew it."
We continued closing the store in silence. As we gathered our things to step out the back door, she stopped.
"You know, I've seen how you look at me. And the kiss today... that's sexual harassment. In a company, I could report you to HR." She looked me in the eye.
I stepped up to her, toe to toe. "Yep. You are right. Maybe you should fire me." It was a gamble, I knew, but there was an emotional connection beginning between us, I knew it in my heart.
Lauren and I stood there, close enough to feel the heat of her body, and smell the scent of her skin. Then, rather unexpectedly, she touched my face with her hand and leaned in and kissed me softly. After about four seconds, she broke the kiss and looked down at my chest. "What do you want from me?"
I softly put my right hand on her left triceps. "I want every bit of you," I whispered.
My response must have surprised her because she met my eyes and I saw the worry in hers.
Lauren stepped back." You've given me a lot to think about." Then Lauren stepped through the door and nearly ran to her car.