Shanna paused a moment in the aisle to straighten the
ceramic skulls. Their grinning visages seemed to laugh at her. An urge to turn
them all around flew through her, but they would hardly sell that way. She
narrowed her eyes back at them. Their grimaces remained, unmoved.
The shop was empty, quite unusual for a full moon night. Her
store, the ‘Smiling Jack’ was the only gothic curio shop in the small town of
Heston, Missouri. Jack stood for Jack ‘O Lantern, as the sign with the smiling
pumpkin above the door demonstrated. Ordinarily this time of month was busy
with all the Goth kids in town coming in to browse the various wares the shop
had on offer. But, for whatever reason, tonight the shop was empty.
It was not, however, the absence of the adolescent
thrift-buyers that had her so nervous. Her once-a-month visitor was late, and
she’d planned for this night for so long, he just couldn’t skip out on her now.
The young man’s name was Robin. A fact she’d learned only
after building up the confidence to ask him after his fourth visit to the shop.
Dark blond hair fell to one side of a ruggedly handsome face marked by deep
blue, soulful eyes that held Shanna firmly in their grasp every time they met.
He always wore the same black silk shirt and dark pants, and somehow they never
seemed to fade. The black was as deep and rich as the first time she laid eyes
on his handsome frame. Wiry muscles honed to perfection wrapped the arms that
fell out of that dark silk, and his leg muscles were equally proportioned if
the way his pants fit him were any indication. His package bulged with manhood,
a fact she noticed upon his first visit, and had not failed see each visit
hence.
How many times had she fantasized about seeing what hung
behind those black silk trousers? How many times would he have to come in
before she would build up the courage to ask him out herself?
Shanna’s confidence wasn’t always the highest. Though she’d
always thought herself to be flatteringly curvy, most of the boys, and later
men she went out with labeled her far less positively. Try as she might not to
let their small opinions bother her, some of their negativity had always stuck
with her.
But something about Robin just seemed different. His smile
was always kind, his small talk affectionate. He winked at her after buying his
monthly item, and her heart fluttered each and every time.
Shanna stood behind the counter, watching the full moon make
its trek across the night sky. Her eyes darted incessantly to the darkened
street, hoping to see the object of her affection before he made his entrance.
Knowing he was imminent would give her time to muster her courage.
Despite her acute watch, she was still surprised when the
little bell above the door rang, indicating a visitor had arrived. How he’d
made it past her vigil she never understood, though in the end it meant little.
He was here at last, and now was the time to make herself known.
“Good evening, Shanna.” Robin began in his light voice.
“Sorry I’m late. I got held up. I hope you hadn’t given up on me.”
Never!
“Oh, no. But I was just about to close up the shop. No one
in tonight.” Shanna immediately thought that her response was the lamest thing
that had ever come out of anyone’s mouth in the entire existence of humanity.
Why couldn’t she form coherent thoughts when he was around?
“Well, I’m glad you waited on me.” Robin smiled as he slowly
approached the counter. Shanna allowed herself a quick glance, taking in his
masculine form, her eyes resting on his nether’s for just a second. Shanna’s
heart was beating wildly. This was it. She was going to ask him out, assert
herself upon the man she wanted. She opened her mouth to force the words from
her lips.
“The usual thing, I guess?” Shanna winced, and hoped he
didn’t see it. That wasn’t what she wanted to say!
“Of course.” His easy smile disarmed her completely. Shanna
lost her train of thought in his dreamy eyes for a moment. Unconsciously,
Shanna reached down beneath the counter to retrieve the box of black candles
that were always Robin’s only request. She hadn’t even bothered to stock them
on the shelves in the last couple of months, since Robin bought them all
anyway. Shanna summoned her sweetest smile as she pushed the box forward. She
hadn’t noticed that her eyes had stayed locked on him the whole time.
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