InstructionbySeduction (6 page)

Leah picked up a bag of cookies and looked at it. She became
painfully aware of her aching body from the workouts. She reconsidered the
cookies. Finally she swallowed hard and said to it, “I don’t like the way you
make me feel.”

Before she could change her mind, Leah dumped all the junk
from the table into a garbage bag and hauled it outside to the dumpster. She
went back into her apartment, walked to the kitchen and said, “Well. Now I have
no food.”

You didn’t have any food before
, she thought wistfully.

Leah was too embarrassed to show up at work on her day off
buying health food. So she dressed inconspicuously and biked over to the next
closest grocery store, Mayfaire’s. She stood in the produce section and tried
to figure out what people who cared about themselves put into their bodies.

As she was perusing the fifty different kinds of lettuce
mixes for a salad, suddenly she sensed that odd familiarity again. Not here,
she thought, turning red.
I’d die. Die!
Leah turned her head slightly in
either direction, looking for Hale. To her satisfaction he was nowhere in
sight.

Leah breathed a sigh of relief and went back to her salad
selection. She felt someone walk behind her and then say, “Jim, can you please
restock aisle four on those crackers that are on sale? We’re just about out.”

The manager
. Leah turned around to observe someone
who had her job-to-be in action. Maybe learn a thing or two. As soon as she
laid eyes on him learning about management was the last thing on her mind.

He was possibly the most perfect thing she’d ever seen in
her life. Tall but not too tall. Blond but not pale, his hair short and just a
little messy. Not too heavy, not too thin. When he turned and smiled at Leah
she felt her blood pressure drop and feared she was going to faint.

“Hi,” he said. “What can I help you with today?”

An inappropriate image flashed through Leah’s mind. All she
wanted to do was take him home. He looked like everything she’d ever imagined
when she pictured who she would bring home for Thanksgiving dinner. He looked
like he could have fun and be responsible at the same time. He looked like he
could lay down the law and kiss in a way that would make a girl melt in her
shoes. His soft voice was chocolate pudding. His smile was boyish and friendly,
yet Leah could see a different version of that smile teasing her between the
sheets.

“I’m fine, thanks,” Leah said. Hadn’t he asked her how she
was? Or did he ask her if she was free that weekend?

“Good. Let us know if we can help you find anything.”

“I will,” Leah said, knowing it came out more breathily than
she’d intended. She lowered her eyes to his name tag.
Scott
. The name
sang through Leah’s mind like a jazz festival.

Scott smiled again—Lord, it was a beautiful thing—and
nodded. As he turned away Leah swore she saw a bit of a blush.
You’re
imagining things. What is it called…selective perception? Or delusions of
grandeur? Certainly this angel has a wife and three kids.

Leah turned back to the lettuce with a little smirk.
Reasons
for everything, right? Maybe he’s why I decided to throw out all my food.
She threw some romaine into her basket, followed by a few salad fixings, and
headed for the checkout counter. She wanted to swing by the bakery section and
see how it was set up compared to FoodSmart but she was afraid of the cinnamon
rolls. Too much of a temptation.

There was only one checkout open and the line was long.
Short-handed
,
Leah thought.
Not good
. On the other hand, it gave her more time to
catch another glimpse of Scott.

Suddenly there he was, turning on the light at another
register.

“I can help someone over here,” he called.

I’ll bet you can
.

Leah nearly tripped over herself making her way to the
register. The person behind her got there first and she had a huge cart full of
stuff. Leah didn’t mind though. She watched Scott run through the groceries
like a pro, asking the woman if she’d found anything or if there were any
special items she’d like to see next time she was in the store.
Good one
,
Leah thought.
I’ll have to say that next time.

Scott smiled at the customer and Leah turned to mush inside.
She couldn’t wait for her turn and have that little ray of sunshine pointed in
her direction. Finally the woman pushed away her mountain load of groceries and
it was Leah’s turn to step up.

“Hi,” she said, before he could even greet her. She was
already flashing one of her very best customer service smiles when he turned
and looked at her.
Blue
, she thought.
Blue like the ocean, those
eyes.

“Hi there.” His voice lost some of the standard how-can-I-help-you-chipper
tone and became more distracted, saying the rote words but totally focused on
something else. “Did you find everything you needed?”

All that and more
.

“All that and more,” Leah said, then was mortified. Had that
actually come out of her mouth?

Scott laughed. It was a soft, gentle sound that made Leah
feel like singing.
I made him laugh
, she thought. She watched his hands
as they scanned her lettuce and tomatoes and salad dressing. They were a bit
rough around the edges.
Hands that have seen real work
. Her eyes traced
up his arms to his shoulders, wondering what type of sculpting residual effects
that hard work had left behind.

Leah let her gaze drop again to his name tag, where she
noticed that below his name was printed “area manager”.
Hmm
, she
thought.
Only one register open, area manager on the premises. The store
might be in trouble.

Scott’s voice read off her total. Leah was in a haze while
she pulled out her money and handed him a twenty.

“Out of twenty,” he said, just as Leah had said a million
times. As Scott put her change into her hand their fingers brushed just a bit
but just enough. Sparks of fire moved through Leah’s fingers, up her arm and
down her spine. She shivered, then a wash of heat moved through her body.

Scott’s hand was still outstretched even though he held
nothing. Leah closed her hand over her money and slowly drew it back to her.

“Come back and see me again,” Scott said. “I mean…us. See
us.”

“I will,” Leah breathed. She picked up her bag and walked
slowly away from the register. Before walking out the doors, she glanced back
over her shoulder and saw that he was still staring at her.

Leah didn’t open the box that night. She looked at it a lot,
stared at it, took it off the dresser and held it in her hands.
It’ll make
your dreams come true
. What exactly was that supposed to mean?

Leah drew herself another bath, still trying to ease her
aching muscles. She set the box on the sink and looked at it while she soaked,
contemplating. In the past week she’d been fucked up one side and down the
other, asserted herself for the first time, gotten a promotion and catapulted
herself into a new and improved desire for health. And quite possibly met the
man of her dreams.

The water cooled as Leah stared. Hale. Who or what was he?
Did she still not care? Even there in the tub, thinking about Scott, she could
see Hale joining her in the bathtub, sucking at her nipples and sinking his
fingers deep into her pussy, making her come hard and scream his name…and it
wasn’t a conflict. How was that possible?

* * * * *

The next day Leah went back to Mayfaire’s to buy hair dye.
She hung out like a stalker for thirty minutes, milling around the store, but
didn’t see Scott. So she bought her Beautiful Brunette and hoped that it would
restore her natural color without too much of a fight.

Kelly came by to pick her up at five-thirty, just after the
end of her shift. Leah hobbled out to her car like she’d been hit by a truck.

“God damn,” Kelly said. “Tell him to back off!”

“Very funny,” Leah said. “Do you have any aspirin?”

“Better,” she said, indicating the backseat. There sat a six-pack
of Corona.

“Beautiful.”

“It’s always worse the second day,” Kelly advised.

“I’ve heard that about eighteen times today.”

“That’s because it’s true. You need to go back tomorrow.”

“Jesus,” Leah moaned.

“You do. Otherwise all your suffering was for nothing. Now
come on. I’ll go with you.”

“Fine.”

“Fine, then. It’s settled.”

Kelly lived with her male cousin and a friend of his who
traveled a lot for work and was rarely there. As luck would have it her cousin
was gone for the night as well. Leah and Kelly stretched out in the living room
to enjoy someone else’s giant flat screen and paint some toenails.

“I feel like I’m sixteen,” Leah said, sticking in some foam
toe-separators.

“That’s the point isn’t it? Except that when we were sixteen
we’d have to hide the tequila and the limes.”

“We should probably do my hair next.”

“Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Now with your hair we may have to
bleach it first.”

“What? I didn’t buy any of that.”

“I knew you wouldn’t. So I did.”

“Kelly saves the day.”

“And don’t you forget it. Now do you want to try it without
the blonde dye first and see if it works, or do you want to do the sure thing?”

“Well, I only have one box of color.”

“That’s settled then. You become blonde first. Take those
things out of your toes and let’s hit the sink.”

Kelly helped Leah mix and rub in the blonde dye. They let it
sit just long enough to lighten the red, then washed it out and applied the
chestnut brown. Leah was sitting with her hair wrapped in a plastic bag with
Kelly applying her toenail polish for her when Kelly started in on the
questioning.

“Okay,” she said. “I think I’ve been pretty good. I’ve been
one hell of a patient girl. Now spill or I’m going to put this polish on your
face.”

“I see how it is.” Leah smirked and sighed. “Get me
immobilized, then begin the third degree.”

“I’ve done this before. Now what’s the news?”

“Well…I got a promotion.”

“What?” Kelly screamed, nearly tipping over the bottle of
polish. She righted it in a hurry then stared at Leah.

“They’re making me shift manager.”

“My God in heaven,” Kelly said. “You’re going to be my
boss?”

“Well, not exactly.”

“And not exactly not. How did you keep this to yourself? I
mean, congratulations!”

Kelly threw her head back and laughed a wicked laugh, then
said, “Now you can show those motherfuckers who’s in charge. Kick some ass.”

“I don’t think I’m going to be an ass-kicking manager.”

“You’re going to have to be, with those losers working
there.”

“I’m already nervous. You’re making it worse.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be there to support you. I’ll make sure
they respect your authority.”

“Isn’t that my job?”

“There you go. Keep thinking like that. I’ll let you put me
in line a few times if you think it will help you assert your rulership.”

Leah giggled at the thought of calling Kelly out in front of
the other employees.

“Thanks for offering to throw yourself on the grenade but I
think I’ll be okay.”

“All right. But remember the offer is open.”

“I will.”

“Now tell me about Mystery Man.”

Leah sighed. “I wish I could.”

“What do you mean? You two not getting together anymore?”

“No…I mean we are, but—”

“I knew it.”

“I just don’t know anything about him. He’s as much a
mystery to me as he is to you.”

“If he’s had his you-know-what in your you-know-where you
know something about him.”

“Well, he’s…passionate. And challenging. And sexy as hell.
And he makes me think about myself like no one else ever has.”

“Does he have a big dick? I’m sorry, never mind. Pretend I
didn’t ask that.”

Leah laughed. “He has magic fingers, too.”

“Oooh. What else?”

“He’s kind of a bad boy.”

Kelly put down the polish brush and fanned herself.

“Can I borrow him sometime?”

“If I find out that he’s really a genie in a bottle I’d be
glad to share him with you.”

Kelly laughed, but Leah wondered how farfetched the idea
really was. Instead of opening a bottle, she opened the box.

* * * * *

Leah moved through her Wednesday classes, thinking only of
her one o’clock shift. The first announcement of her new position. The first
day she could call herself anything other than the lowest rank-and-file
employee on staff.

Shaking her newly brunette hair in the wind as she walked
home from class, Leah felt a strange mix of excitement and apprehension. She
still questioned her ability to do the job.
I need Hale to give me a kick in
the pants…or something
, she thought with a wicked grin.
He always makes
me feel like I’ve got some power
.

Leah half considered opening the box when she got home, just
for a little pick-me-up before she showed up for her great unveiling.
No
,
she chastised herself.
You really can get along without him. Really you can.

“Damn it,” Leah said to her reflection in the bathroom
mirror.

* * * * *

“I’m so glad you’re doing this, Leah,” Bob said to her,
ushering her into his office. “You’re going to do well and I really need a day
off!”

Leah looked at him, as if she were seeing her boss for the
first time. She noted the heavy bags under his eyes and the etched wrinkles in
his forehead. They didn’t used to be there. The employees joked about him
living there but maybe it wasn’t such a joke. He really was there all the time.
It was because he didn’t have enough help.

Ashamed, Leah realized she’d been just like everyone else,
only thinking of herself and her own life. If she’d opened her eyes for a
minute she would have seen that Bob needed help.

“I’m excited about the opportunity. And I’m glad to be
giving you a hand. You look like you could use a vacation.”

Bob laughed but it was a sour sound.

“Not for a while,” he said. “I need to get you situated and
comfortable before I take off and leave you on your own. You know that Marie’s
been doing shift manager as well, so you and she will trade off with me so one
of us will be here at all times. I may bring on a third if we can find the
right person. So keep your eyes open.”

Leah wondered if she could recognize potential then thought
of Hale spanking her for such a bad thought about herself.

“I will,” she promised.

“Now, let’s go have the shift opening meeting and make the
announcement, then we’ll come back here and work on some scheduling.”

Bob led Leah out of the office and into the storeroom where
the meetings took place at the beginning of every shift. Everyone else was
already there when they arrived, milling around and chatting.

“Okay, everybody!” Bob said loudly, clapping his hands.
“This is what we’ve got going on today…”

Bob reviewed the weekly specials with everyone, making sure
the stock guys knew when and where to restock, where the displays were located
and whether or not rain checks were available. Leah tried desperately to pay
attention but half the time her heart was pounding too hard in her ears for her
to even hear what her boss was saying.

“And finally,” Bob said. “I have an announcement to make.
Everyone here knows Leah…”

“Hi, Leah,” a few guys said like they were at an AA meeting,
then laughed.

“And I’m pleased to announce that Leah has accepted the
position of shift manager, starting today.”

“Woo hoo!” someone yelled from the back and began clapping.
The applause made its way through the crowd of employees and Leah smiled,
feeling herself blush just a bit. At least someone supported her.

Bob joined in the clapping, then as it died down he said,
“So please, everyone give Leah a little space as she transitions into her new
role. Please give her the respect that you would any other manager.”

“Yes, sir,” Rusty said. “I mean, ma’am.”

A few of the guys laughed. Leah continued to smile, suspicious
that they were making fun of her but unwilling to acknowledge it. Bob closed
the meeting and everyone began dispersing.

Leah followed Bob back to the office and began a long
afternoon of learning the logistics of scheduling. She never realized what a headache
it was and began to appreciate how hard Bob had worked to make the store
function, even when he was short-handed.

At seven-thirty Leah’s shift ended. She grabbed her backpack
with her sweats in it and jumped on her bike, determined to make it to the
eight o’clock kickboxing class. Kelly said she would meet her there but Leah
had her doubts. The most exercise she’d seen Kelly do was dance with two guys
at once.

To her surprise, Kelly was ready and waiting when Leah burst
into Fit4Life at ten minutes until showtime.

“You’re here!” she shouted, so loud some of the gym members
turned to stare.

“Yes,” Kelly said smugly. “I said I’d be here, didn’t I?”

“Yes but…”

“But what?” Kelly said with a smirk, like she dared Leah to
question her further. “So how did your first day as the big boss go?”

“Oh, all I did was paperwork.”

“Sounds about right. Wait until tomorrow. You’re on the
floor tomorrow, right?”

“Yes.” Leah’s guts twisted at the thought.

“You’ll get your feet wet in a hurry.” Kelly laughed. “But
don’t worry. I’ll be there to be your enforcer. Kiss your ass and all that,
too.”

“Let’s go,” Leah said, shaking her head. “We’ll miss class.”

Leah and Kelly kicked and punched their way through an hour
of kickboxing. Leah felt faint at twenty minutes, like hell at thirty minutes, at
the seventh circle of hell at forty-five minutes, then some insane euphoria for
the last five minutes.

“It’s like a runner’s high.” Leah sprawled out on the floor
again. “I was a machine. A human machine, being pushed to its limit.”

Kelly was propped up against the wall not far from her.

“I haven’t moved my legs that many times since the French
foreign exchange student.”

Leah laughed and it hurt.

“Come on, ladies,” Brenda said as she passed by. “If you can
do all that, you can get off the floor and get yourselves home too.”

Leah wasn’t sure how Brenda decided that but since she had
more experience with that stuff than she did she would take her word for it.
Leah sat up and was sorry.

“Kelly, when I have my strength back I’m going to kick your
ass.”

“Why me?” Kelly whimpered.

“You have to do it again or all your work will be for
nothing,” Leah mimicked Kelly’s words from the night before.

“What dumbass said that? They should be beaten.”

Leah giggled. It still hurt.

“Need a ride home?” Kelly asked.

“Yes. Can you carry me up to my apartment too?”

“Only if you’re okay with being dragged up by your feet.”

* * * * *

Leah spent a considerable amount of time in a hot shower
when she got back to her apartment. She was beaten up and tired but also
strangely alert, like all that kicking was waking up her brain from a long
slumber. She emerged from the shower, toweled off and headed for the box.

Hale appeared in his usual low-key splendor, walking
straight through the door and immediately taking off his tie.

“I like your hair,” he said. “Fits you better.”

“You don’t think I was a fiery redhead?”

“You can be whatever you want. But your natural color suits
you beautifully.”

“Thank you.”

“I see you’re all ready for me,” Hale said, indicating Leah
in her bathrobe. “You’re kind of red, too. You okay?”

“I just got my ass kicked.”

“How was it?”

“Pretty good. I think I burned eight hundred calories.”

“Sounds like more fun than a barrel of monkeys. So how have
you been? I’ve missed you.”

Leah blushed.

“Good. Busy. I spent last night with Kelly, fixing my hair.”

“You swinging that way now?”

“No!” Leah laughed. “It was girl time.”

“I see. And your new position as queen of the universe?”

“Fine. I really didn’t do anything but learn scheduling and
stuff today. Tomorrow’s the big day. The big test. I’ll be out on the floor as
a manager for the first time.”