Chapter 23 Work

As I enter I see a couple girls giggling, talking to Rick. When I walk up to them, they stop and all smile at me. I'm guessing these are going to be the girls I work with. Both have their name tags on and professional smiles that actually look pretty friendly. I'm hoping we'll get along pretty well together.

"Jamie! Welcome. Meet your co-workers. This is Ashlyn and Edith. Judy couldn't make it today. She called in sick. Girls, meet Jamie," Rick says, bringing the girls over to meet me.

"Hey Jamie! I'm Ash," a pretty raven haired girl with the brightest blue eyes I've ever seen reaches a hand out for me. She actually doesn't look any older than I am. Are all the employees young women? Not that I'm complaining! Maybe we could hang out sometime...

I shake her hand enthusiastically. She seems like a nice girl. Perhaps I can have a normal girlfriend after all. "Hi Ash. It's good to meet ya," I say with a smile.

Edith smiles at me too. Her brown hair is stick straight and ends just above her shoulders and has amber eyes... *I wonder if they are contacts. I've never seen eyes that color.*

"Hey girl. Call me Dee," she giggles sticking her hand out to me.

"Hi Dee. You have such pretty eyes!" I say, still mesmerized.

Dee giggles too. "Thanks Jamie. Yours are really pretty too!" She smiles, popping out a dimple in her cheek.

Both girls seem really sweet! *I think I'll fit in just fine!*

"Come with me, dear. We have to finish that paperwork and all. Girls, we'll only be a moment," Rick informs the girls.

Rick took me back into his office and I pulled out the paperwork for him. He goes over everything and turns to me with that charming smile. "Everything looks in order, Jamie. Welcome to the team," he chuckles. Then he produces a name tag out of his desk and hands it out to me with a big grin.

I beam at him as I put on the tag. I feel like a part of a close knit team.

For the next few hours Ash and Dee show me the ropes. They really are super sweet. I messed up a few times on the register, but they were able to take care of it.

An hour and a half into my shift, Neo strolled into the store. To say I was stunned was an understatement. *Did he know I was here?* Did he come here for me or was it just a coincidence? I'm really hoping it's just a coincidence and he was planning on coming to pick out some new clothes, and hopefully ignore me completely. But unfortunately, *I think my luck has just been off for the day* and of course he zeroed in on me immediately and strolled right up to me.

He threw his arm around my shoulders and whispered in my ear, "Hey babe. Did you miss me?" He chuckled, nuzzling my neck. Only his touch doesn't send shivers of pleasure running through my body. No. His touch felt like acid on my skin. Why is he doing this? *I already told him I had a boyfriend and it most definitely isn't him!*

I tried to throw his arm off, but he only pulled me closer to him. He was looking around at all the customers going through the racks. It really was a popular place. Everyone was so busy, they didn't even pay any attention to us, which I was more than grateful for. I hate being the center of attention. Plus, I don't want people to get the wrong idea. If they see me with him, *what will they think of me if they see me again tomorrow with Wes?*

"Don't," he growls quietly.

"What do you want?" I demand in a low voice, not wanting to cause a scene. I don't understand why he is doing this to me. From what Eve and Lottie say he could go find any girl and they'd give him the attention he wants.

"Well, *you* of course," he winked at me.

*"I'm taken!"* I insist, still trying to pull myself away from Neo. I see a few girls giving me the evil eye as they spy Neo's arm wrapped around me. We must look pretty friendly right now, but it's anything but the truth.

"Well, we'll see," he chuckles, leaving me to go through a section dedicated to men's jewelry. He ended up purchasing a new watch, then he winked at me on his way out.

"Are you and Neo a thing?" Ash asks as he leaves.

I shake my head. "Nope. I've already got a boyfriend," I state, wanting to get *any* misunderstandings out of the way. There is no way I will end up with Neo.

"Really? He seemed to be totally into you!" she giggles, giving me a sly look.

"Naw, he's not my type. But if you like him, you could always go for it," I suggest with a wink.

Ash blushes to her roots then jumps as she catches Rick giving us a funny look. I'm not exactly sure what the look was, but it made my blood run cold. Maybe he just doesn't like his employees fraternizing with the customers, which normally wouldn't be a problem for me. *I didn't ask for Neo's attention!*

Rick was in and out of the sales floor, busy doing whatever it is managers do. It was fine. The girls and I seemed to have everything under control. Each of us got a half hour break. I grabbed a snack from the vending machine before I went back to work.

A half hour before we closed, Ash asked to go home. She was looking white and had a sheen of sweat dripping down her face. I don't know what happened to her. *Was it something she ate?*

"I'm not feeling so good," she sighs, rubbing her belly, swaying slightly as she asked Rick if she could go home early.

"Well, I hope you don't have what Judy had. Go ahead, Dee and Jamie can close tonight," he smiled.

Rick let her go. That was really nice. Poor thing should definitely not be working when she could barely stand! Then he said he had to leave and left the keys with Dee to lock up.

"I'll see you at 3 tomorrow Jamie," he called out to me as he left the building.

It was actually kinda fun closing with Dee. There wasn't a whole lot to do. We basically chatted and straightened a few things out.

Just before we close I remember I left my purse in the office. As I make my way back, I jump in surprise.

"Ash! What are you doing here?" I ask. I thought she went home. *Shouldn't she be home resting?*

When I do a double take, I notice it's just a *mannequin* dressed to look just like *Ash.* It had a black wig and even bright blue eyes. But the strangest thing was it was dressed in the same clothes as Ashlyn had been. That was why I thought it was Ash in the first place!

"Dee!" I shriek. Something seems off about this. It's placed right in front of the open office door, but who put it there? *I know it wasn't Dee, because she was with me the whole time!*

*Edith comes running back to me and skids to a stop.*

*"What the hell?"* she demands.

"Is this normal?" I ask, trying not to hyperventilate and make a big deal of it.

*"Hell, NO! That is not normal!*" She is freaking out now too.

I don't understand what is going on...

I run into the office and grab my purse before closing the door and shoving the mannequin to the side. I don't want to look at it. *It's freaking me out!* Dee and I book it out of the store. She manages to lock it with shaky hands.

Suddenly arms wrap around me from behind and I shriek in fright for a moment before the scent of his cologne hits me and I calm down.

"Wes," I sigh in relief as I lean into him. He was here, waiting for me just like he said he'd be! *Thank heavens.*

"Hey, sweetheart. What's wrong?" He asks, concern written across his face as he looks between me and Edith.

I look at Dee who shakes her shoulders giving me a freaked out look.

I look back up at Wes.

"I'll tell you on the way home."