Chapter 1

Lynn POV

It was a Friday night. I managed to convince the last customer to take advantage of a sale we had going on with smart TVs. We had a new shipment coming in from China, and the manager, Mr. Baker, insisted that we get the ones on display sold, with a promise of a hefty bonus, which my coworkers and I all wanted. Out of the batch of twenty, I sold four, Tanya sold two, and Floyd was still on zero. My fifth sale was by the counter, talking the Susan, signing documents agreeing to the hire purchase terms and conditions. Honestly, I was skeptical about approaching her because I have a funny way of knowing people without really knowing them if you know what I mean. What I saw when I looked at her was the struggles of a hardworking single mother. There was pain in her eyes, and she was trying hard to keep it together. A requirement for being a sales representative is communication, and I was damn good at it, and while talking to her, she confirmed it. She had six kids, and the father wasn't in the picture. They needed a distraction, so she could work from home. A strong woman if you asked me.

"Thank you," I heard her mumble, trotting away from the counter, glancing over her shoulders, waving to me.

"Bye," I whispered, a faint smile on my face as I wiggled my fingers, pleased that I assisted one last person for the day.

"Well done, motherfuckers." Mr. Brown came out of his office with four white envelopes. "Lynn is leading the race to get the six hundred bucks. The rest of you losers should take a page from her book."

"Mr. B, the race is still kinda early," Floyd chuckled, nudging Tanya on the arm.

"Well, not for you, Floyd. You're still on zero." Mr. Brown handed him an envelope. "In these envelopes are your payments for this week. If you get those TVs off the shelves by Monday, I promise you that your incomes won't be able to be contained in these envelopes," he chuckled, distributing the others.

"Now, go and have a fantastic weekend," he added.

Ripping my check open, I stared down at the hundred dollars notes. Three hundred dollars... the same as last week, the week before, and the week before that. But I kept tearing envelopes apart each week, hoping Mr. Brown would somehow overpay me by accident, or a tip, or anything for a little extra.

"What's wrong, Richmond? While everyone is happy on a Friday evening, you always seem depressed," Tanya inquired, not in a friendly, concerned way, but more mocking. Floyd was in on it.

"I am fine, Tanya. Thanks for asking," I answered. My words were cold with sarcasm because when I said, “thanks for asking” I really meant “you can go fuck yourself.” They both didn't like me for reasons I was unaware of, and this bonus giveaway had turned us into crabs in a barrel.

I started working here six months ago. I saw an ad online about this place, Save Right Appliances and More, so I applied. Mr. Brown called me a week later and told me he liked my resume. He even confessed that he was the manager, not the owner, but he ran the company for the CEO who’d rather stay in the shadows. Since day one, my coworkers had it out for me. They teased that I was sleeping with Mr. Brown, and that was the only reason I got the job. I could assure you; I was not. Unhooking my coat from the rack, I waved goodbye to Susan, who only smiled. She was a sweet girl and a potential friend, but she was afraid to be seen talking to me because of Tanya. With a tight wrap around my waist, I tied the strings on my coat into a knot, pushed the doors of the stores open, and descended into the streets of the city.

This was what I feared every day even though I knew the day must come to an end. Leaving work was more than just leaving work for me; it also meant the mask I wore crumbled, and I had to face who I was—an unhappy, damaged girl. Searching for my phone, I slid the lock screen open, scrolling through the contacts. I didn't want to be alone tonight. I wanted to be held, touched, and loved.

Bringing the phone to my ear, I listened to it ring a few more times, all ending with the same recording at the end.

“Hi, you have reached the voice mailbox of your boy, Frederick Fred Freddy. Please, leave a message.”

"Hey... It's me, Lynn." I paused for a second or more.

"I was wondering if you can come over... I was thinking that we could, you know... Talk, and I'd cook..." I paused again, remembering that I didn't go grocery shopping.

"Forget about that... I mean, we could order something, um," I stuttered.

"Just... Please, call me back okay?" I bumped into someone, knocking the cellphone from my hand, but they just kept on walking as they didn't see me.

"Hey, asshole!" I called out, causing the person to stop in their tracks, veering around to face me.

"Sure, Father. Let me call you right back." He tapped the device connected to his ear.

"You talking to me?" he said.

"Yes," I swallowed hard, "Yes, I am talking to you."

"You bumped into me."

"Because I was distracted. You intentionally knocked me down."

Reaching for me with his fingers, my eyes followed until he touched the edge of my coat. The accident must have loosened it, revealing my uniform and the logo that was stitched to the side.

"Do you know I am?"

"Should I?" I shoved his hand away. "It's no one of class for sure," I mumbled, walking away.

Just around the corner was my apartment, somewhere I’d rather be right now, sipping on a mug of warm chocolate, finishing my latest read, A Mafia's Rescue. Yes, I love reading. Occasionally, I write too, and with this modern-day improvement, I don't have to walk into a bookstore to get a good read. There are several reading apps for that now, Readict being my favorite. Inserting the key, I twisted the doorknob, closing the door softly behind me, and stripped out of my clothes at the doorway. Taking a deep breath, I felt a little sad when I didn't see a message from Fred—disappointed, but not surprised. I didn't know what Fred and I were... fuck buddies, seeing where it goes... I didn't know.

Throwing myself down on the sofa, I opened the reading app, continuing from where I left off. My cheeks felt warmed when I realized what was happening. It was a mature scene between Arlington and Paige. It's amazing how they both eventually came together, making it work even though they were from different sides of society. He was a gangster, and she had a hatred for them.

Biting my lower lip, I trailed my fingers along the hem of my underwear, imagining how it felt to be touched by a man. A man who cared for me... loved me for who I was like Arlington adored Paige. Gliding my hand down my slit, I moaned when I felt how wet I was, the crotch of my undies drenched in my juices. Rubbing my bud in a circular motion, soft whimpers escaped my lips, my lady bits yearning to be devoured and thrust into.

Sinking my fingers into my folds, I moaned lowly, rotating my hips wishing for something lengthier and vaster between my legs, but the greatest tool to have was imagination, and I could only imagine the pleasures of a man's touch.

"Oh, yes," I moaned, each time a little louder than the one before. With back-to-back orgasms, my legs kept trembling, a minor side effect from satisfaction. Clawing my nails in the backrest of the sofa, a feeling of being overwhelmed took over. The soles of my feet were numb, the urge to dig deeper kept growing. I was about to cum again, but this one... this one was different. I could feel from the tip of my toes to the crown of my head.

Rubbing my clit faster, I arched my back. I wanted to cum. I needed to cum; it just would have felt better if someone were doing it for me. I needed someone. Fred was always a no show when I needed him, but soon as he needed me, I took him in with open arms. I was not the most beautiful girl in the world, but I was good looking, and I knew something was out there for me, my soul mate. But for now, I had to wait. Wait for the light kisses he will place on my inner thighs, the flickers of his tongue over my bud, sucking on it like a pacifier. Yeah... I just had to wait.

As thoughts about my future love pervaded my mind, I squirmed in elation, my heart pounded in my chest, and I knew that I was close. Pulling out my fingers, fluid squirted from my core. I wanted someone... anyone.