Alice's Secrets
From the inside of the store you can see the front door open and close but I didn't see was anyone walk in. That's not unusual here. A lot of people think about coming in but turn tail and run when faced with assorted lacy female apparel. They never make it to the back where we display a modest selection of men's apparel as well.
My name is Bella Swan and am the proud owner of Swanelicates, women and men's lingerie and apparel. When I placed a 'help-wanted' sign in my store's window I didn't expect the turn of events that would take place and turn life as I knew it inside out.
From that perspective you can see why I was surprised when a petite figure appeared before me, almost out of thin air.
She's pretty, I guess, if you into heart shaped faces, long black hair and piercing blue eyes. The darkness of her hair makes the fairness of her skin notable. Her eyes draw attention and it's hard to look paste them. I believe they call it soul full eyes or old soul eyes or something like that. I'm not sure of the term but once they are set on something you can't help but be pulled in by them.
"Good afternoon. My name is Alice Brandon, and I just moved to town. I was looking for work until I saw your sign - Now hiring inquire within. You can take the sign down now because I'm here. What's the pay and do you have benefits?"
Yes, that is how I was introduced to Ms. Alice Brandon almost a year ago. This was my reply before I hired her.
"The pay sucks and the benefits are non existent. Do you still want the job?" We both laughed before she responded.
"Perfect. When do you want me to start?"
"Welcome to Swanelicates. I'm, Bella and you are it's newest employee. Can you start today or would tomorrow be better." I just had a feeling about her. I had to hire her if for nothing more than entertainment. Alice can only be characterized as bold and brash.
"How about you show me around today and I'll start tomorrow."
The sweetness of her southern voice and definitely the boldness of her personality did you in. If I were a man I would definitely be attracted to her. Thank God I'm not because I wouldn't have stood a chance and neither did the clientele.
Over the last year Alice has become more than just an employee to me. She has become the sister that I never had. Announcing she was hired set into motion more things than I could have imagined at the time.
Alice was on a mission. Swanselicate was her way station as she waited for the man of her dreams. The turn of events Alice's mission would take are burned into my brain and I will carry her antics with me to my grave.
It's a story that I will definitely tell my children and grandchildren. Do you believe in love at first sight or soul mates. Nope? Neither did I. Notice I said did and you probably don't have an Alice in your life. My advice is find one.
For the last year you would have never known that Alice was on a mission. Alice was waiting to meet her soul-mate and she knew that Swanselicates played an important roll some how.
Alice has been nothing but professional with the clients. She makes sure every client left with what they needed and for the most part they always had the right size even if the men didn't know their ladies size. She has an amazing nak with descriptions they would give her.
I about died when Alice came to work with the creation of (what she called) the sizing dummy. I thought the first person she used it with was going to die of embarrassment. The mans face was red even as Alice kept the professional mask on. The transaction was quickly finished and the man even said thank you as he walked out the door. Alice said your welcome and waved goodbye.
As soon as the door closed Alice and I laughed hysterically and could hardly breath as we thought about how Alice had changed the configuration of the sizing dummy until the man, after touching, feeling, and hugging the dummy, informed us that it felt like his wife.
The same man walked in the next afternoon and thanked Alice for getting the size exactly right. His wife was amazed he actually knew her size. He didn't tell her, however, about Alice or the sizing dummy.
Alice always did crazy stuff like that. I had been right to hire her if for nothing else but entertainment.
She never accepted a phone number or request for a date (and she got a lot of those). She never made a man feel undesirable or less than, even if he was. She would smile and politely decline saying that her other half would not appreciate it but if she was ever in the market she would definitely let him know. Every single suitor strutted out of Swanelicates with a swagger in his step, until...two days ago.
Instantly I knew something was up when Alice started bouncing in her seat. Her eyes took on a look I couldn't describe, maybe lost, I'm still not sure. Her eyes where bigger as she watched him move through the story. She even shook her head a few times. Her grin wasn't as big as normal. She was rubbing her arms and chanting quietly to herself as he looked over the racks of clothing.
Was Alice Brandon, the boldest person I knew, nervous? Her actions were so bizarre I was confused.
Alice didn't say anything as he approached the counter until I stood to help the man.
"I've got this one Bella. Why don't you take a break," Alice said, as she stood. Her eyes never left his form as she talked to me. Her voice held such authority but their was something else behind it. I was lost and intrigued at the same time. This was not the Alice I was familiar with. This Alice thou strong, was...possessive...I don't know.
I stepped back letting Alice take the lead. I looked at the man confused. I had never seen him before. I silently took in his appearance. He wasn't tall for a man though he stood just about six foot. He had dishwater blond hair that touched the collar of his suit jacket. His suit was a dark gray with a white shirt and simple red tie. Absolutely nothing out of the ordinary.
There was nothing that would stand out about his looks unless you looked real close. When I looked closer I noticed how he clenched and unclenched his hands, rubbing his thumbs over his index fingers. I noticed slight scares that disappeared under the cuffs of his jacket. His back was straight and that alone indicated his nervousness. There was a familiarity in the peculiar gait in his walk. It reminded me of my dads (Chief of Police) when he was duty back home.
He didn't look directly at either of us until the bold Alice that I knew stood in front of him with her hands perched on her hips. She was just as staunch as he was.
"Well, it took you long enough." she said, almost as if she knew him and when he responded I wondered for moment if she did.
"Sorry Ma'am," he responded with a texan accent, ducking his head slightly. I cocked my head to the side as I took in the interaction. His eyes never left hers.
I felt like I belonged in the twilight zone or something because Alice had never talked to a customer like that. I stood frozen in place unable to do anything but to watch as things spiraled closer and closer to the strange.
I no longer focused on their conversation but on their body language as Alice took a hold of the gentleman's hand and led him to a rack with camisoles and panties.
Alice laid a few outfits across her arm and then pulled him to another rack, repeating the action. After fifteen minutes she was behind the counter ringing up a stack of intimate clothing, cutting off the tags.
I scratched my head just behind my ear confused. We didn't cut tags off in case someone wanted to return an item that didn't fit. But that never happened with Alice. When Alice slide a credit card through the machine I wondered if the texas gentleman noticed what I did. She hadn't actually slide his card but went threw the actions as if she had.
What are you doing Alice? Are you on drugs or possessed by some demon? Who are you? And what have you done with my Alice?
It wasn't until the man was out of the store that my voice found my mouth instead of my brain. I only got one word out.
"Alice?" I asked only to be ignored while she scanned the tags and slid her own credit card purchasing the items that the man had just walked out with. When she finished, Alice turned and looked at me before replying.
"Oh Bella," Alice responded excitedly, clapping her hands, and bouncing on her toes, "I have so much to do, so much to do. I'll see you tomorrow." and then she was gone.
An hour later I was still so confused that I closed the store early and went home trying to figure out what happen.
Yesterday started out as usual. I opened the store, accepted a few deliveries from UPS, started the computer, and then got the register running before flipping the sign over that read 'open'.
I just blinked a few minutes later when Alice walked through the front door, shocked at her appearance. The long black hair Alice sported was gone, replaced with short cropped hair that had been styled into a spiky mess. It had that almost...what is it called...just laid look or sex hair?
"Alice, what did you do," I asked as I reached out to touch the non-existent long black hair from yesterday. I wasn't even talking about the hair but her antics from yesterday.
"He's coming back today. I had to look the part."
"What are you doing Alice? You look like a, flapper or something," I asked. Alice just blinked at me, smiled, and the went to work without a word. What the hell!
Later that evening I was stunned when the blond haired gentleman came through the door not looking happy at all caring a Swanselicate bag, probably the one from yesterday.
He didn't peruse the racks like he did the day before. I stepped back from the counter when he dropped the bag on the counter with a loud thud.
"I would like to return these items from yesterday," he stated firmly.
"I can help you with that. Can I ask what the problem is?" I had to figure out why he was so mad.
"My girlfriend tried them on and they didn't fit. Then she left me, and the problem is that dark haired women from yesterday." I could hear the anger behind his voice and I wanted to beat Alice for pissing him off. I thought he might be intimidating yesterday but today I knew he was.
I was interrupted before I could further help the man after reading the name on his credit card he handed me. Jasper Whitlock.
"What was wrong with your purchase?" Alice butted in.
"They didn't fit my girlfriend, Victoria," he spat at her. His voice was full of venom and his texan draw was more prominent then it had been the day before.
"What do you mean, they didn't fit?" Alice scolded back.
"They were to small," his voice raised.
"Nope. I refuse to believe they didn't fit." Alice responded in disbelief shaking her head.
"I'm telling you...They didn't fit!"
I stepped back and reached for the phone in case I needed to call the cops. This didn't look good at all.
"You have it all wrong," was Alice's innocent response.
"What.." was all he got out before Alice cut him off.
"It's NOT that the cloths don't fit but SHE doesn't fit!" Alice yells back. I press the nine and the one on the dial pad holding off on pressing the one again as I watch him process what Alice had just said.
Mr. Whitlock blinks and then blinks again, and again. They are locked in a battle of wills before a slow lazy smile twitches at the edge of his lips. Alice stands up taller and looks him right in the eyes.
"You can't return those anyway." Alice spoke.
"And why not?" asked surprised. I am to busy trying to catch up with what Alice is up to.
"Do you have the receipt or the tags for the clothing." Alice asked in response.
"No, but here's the credit card that you charged yesterday for the items in question," Mr. Whitlock volleyed.
I hang up the phone and sit down in my seat still trying to catch up with the conversation and watch tonights episode of the twilight zone.
"Oh," Alice said as she looked at the card. Alice pressed some buttons on the card reader and slid his card. She wore a peculiar smile as she went through the motions. I definitely knew something I wasn't catching was up when she placed her hands on her hips before the reader even had time to process her request.
"I"m sorry Mr. Whitlock but there has been no charge placed on your card at this establishment. Can you deal with that?"
I took in Alice's statement and then looked at Mr. Whitlock mischievous grin. I couldn't figure out why he was grinning.
"Oh, I think I can deal with that."
"Oh, we'll see," Alice drug out suggestively and grinned. She picked up the bag off the counter and placed it along with Mr. Whitlock's credit card, behind the counter. Mr. Whitlock stood up straight and took a step back before turning to leave.
What about his credit card the voice in my head shouted.
"Oh and Jasper," Alice's voice sang innocently, "Six o'clock and don't be late. I don't like feeling stood up."
Jasper turned to her, tipped his head to his fingers with a slight nod.
"Yes Ma'am!" And then he left.
Alice handed me a what I thought was a piece of paper but was actually the same 'Help Wanted' sign from the day I hired her.
At six p.m. Jasper stood outside the door and waited for Alice.
Today a sign hangs in the window that says Now Hiring inquire within.
I wonder what today will bring because there will never be another Alice. I'm going to miss you.
Thank you Imheretoreview for pre-reading and giving me a few idea's to make this one shot better. You were right and I saw that when, after reading your notes, I went back and re-read. Your awsome. Thank you again.
I hope everyone enjoyed my little drabble and that you take a few seconds to review it.