Natalie
I strolledaround the store to do a final walkthrough. The Spring Festival was starting in thirty minutes, and all of us had been preparing for the last few days. Dexter made sure that all the extra products and books were delivered and organized in the back room, allowing us to grab a new item and restock quickly if anything ran out in the front. Adam and Monica had all of our social media posts uploaded and had the camera set up to go live during the event. Ricky agreed to help with the in-store tasks while Adam and Monica took turns doing special giveaways and upselling during the live. Those orders would be processed and shipped after the store closed. I wanted to notonly surpass my goal, but to rub the success of my store in Lawrence and Sandra's ugly faces. Amber and I also hung up flyers around town to point new customers in our direction and to keep the buzz going. Despite my heightened nerves and anxious belly, I was ready for this event.
“Hey everyone, let's meet up real quick,” I shouted, standing in the middle of the floor. I took a deep breath as my employees gathered around me. “First off, let me say that I am truly grateful to have each of you on my team. You may not know it, but it is usually hard for me to delegate work. I'm the type of person who tries to do everything by themselves.”
“Is that why it took so long for you to give up the social media content calendar?” Adam joked.
Everyone laughed, causing me to cover my face before joining them. “Yes. Yes, it is, but I quickly learned that when it comes to working with y'all, it's okay to ease up on the reins. With that said, today is going to be hectic, and tensions may get high because of the chaos. Let's remember we are a team, and in order for us to have a successful night, we must remember to work together.”
“Hell yeah!” Amber chimed, clapping her hands.
“Alright, my brother, Ricky is coming in to help with restocking and the live stream. Amber, halfway through the day, check in with me if you need a restock on bags, thank you notes, receipt paper, change, etc.”
“Dexter handed out radios to everyone and told us to call him for restocking requests. I'll let you know if the till needs to be changed out.”
I looked over at Dexter, who was leaning against the checkout counter. I noticed he had on a navy Polo shirt and a pair of black jeans with a matching pair of Polo shoes. The same intense look he had for me a few nights ago was no longer there, but watered down. The connection between us was still there; Icould feel it, but something was different. After spending time together the other night and getting a little too close, I shut things down immediately. We both knew the consequences of going over that line, but why was it so hard to not want him?
“Thanks, Dexter. I'll need one of those, too.”
He raised a radio and shook it in the air. “I've already got you covered.”
My words faltered, and I found myself staring with a mixture of shock and relief. Dexter went out of his way to secure radios for everyone when I didn't ask. Hell, the thought didn't cross my mind. It may not have been a big deal to some, but it meant a lot to me. I smiled and thanked him again, causing him to dip his chin. I ended the meeting with a quick prayer, and everyone took off to their areas because the festival was minutes away from starting. I tried to catch up to Dexter, but he had already left for the stockroom.
I started to go after him when three rapid knocks came at the front door. When I noticed it was Ricky, I quickly let him in.
“Barely on time, I see,” I said, embracing him in a hug.
“Still on time! The parking out there is crazy, and there are loads of people waiting for the event to start.”
My heart raced with panic. “A lot of people?”
Ricky nodded. “Yes, but don't worry. Things are going to be great for you, sis.”
“Thanks, bro.”
He squeezed the top of my shoulder with a broad smile. “Now, where do you want me? Do you want me and Dex to handle the floor? You know, get to know the customers.”
“No, sir. I don’t need your fast ass trying to flirt with all of my customers. Stay and help Amber behind the counter for now, then switch with Monica on the live after an hour. Dexter is in the stockroom, making sure everything is organized to grab and go.”
“You got it, boss lady,” Ricky said, giving me a quick salute.
“Oh, wait, take one of these,” I said, handing him my radio. “This is how we're going to communicate and get through today.”
“Where's yours?” Ricky asked, hooking the earpiece in and placing the radio into his back pocket.
“I'm going to check if Dexter has any extras.”
Ricky nodded. “Cool beans. Alright, Ms. Amber, ready to get this party started?”
Amber giggled as she nodded her head. “Absolutely, handsome. So, are you single?”
“Amber, sweetheart, you are beautiful, and I mean this with no disrespect, but I'm only interested in my melanin queens.”
Amber huffed out a sigh before she shrugged her shoulders. “It was worth a shot.”
I shook my head and began heading towards the back. Throughout the weeks, I’ve learned that Amber was a big flirt and liked to have fun, but she wasn't interested in anyone, really. She told me about a man she still had feelings for back home, and she was waiting for him to get his shit together. Any other time, I wouldn't have allowed her to speak to my brother, especially since I knew what type of time she was on. However, I knew she didn't stand a chance with Ricky. He liked what he liked, and she did not fit the bill.
Looking around the stockroom, I found Dexter breaking down a pallet of boxes. I swallowed as I approached him and tried to forget about our last encounter. The way Dex's hands felt on my body brought me a few shameful orgasms in the middle of the night.
