Page 1 of Secured By the Buyer
1
When one steals from work, it must be done with well-timed sleight of hand.
The fluorescent lights flicker overhead, casting a harsh glow on the rows of snacks and cheap goods. With the end of my shift at this damn convenience store nearing, exhaustion sinks deep into my bones, and my hand shakes.
Mr. Jacobs has been a hawk today, which means no breakfast or lunch, and if I don’t find an opportunity, no dinner, either.
The clock on the wall mocks me, ticking away the seconds.
From the corner of my eye, I check the manager’s office, where he fixates on the security cameras.
My co-worker, Kayla, whispered to me earlier thatlast month’s numbers were down, and it instilled a fresh fire for capitalism. He’ll run out of steam by next week, but until then, I have to be careful.
The bell at the door splits the air with a harshding-dong,and I turn toward it while shoving my restocking cart into the rack in front of me. Snacks topple free, and I kneel, using the cart and my body to hide as I gather up the mess, slipping a package of trail mix into my pocket through some sleight of hand.
It’s not the granola I wanted, and I can’t risk a protein bar, which would be more filling, but it’s enough to stave off hunger for a few hours.
“Excuse me?” a customer says, making me jump. “Where are the diapers?”
“Third aisle, top shelf.” I straighten and dump the rest of the fallen snacks onto my cart. “Would you like me to walk you over?”
“No, thanks.” With a toddler in hand, he heads off in search of his items.
I turn back to restock the shelves, but a woman approaches, her arms full of magazines. “Do you have any pregnancy tests?”
I stop from checking her stomach and pretend not to see her blush. “Right past the condoms on aisle two. I can take you to them.”
“Oh, no! That’s not…” she trails off in a mumble as she wanders away, focused on her impending fate.
When she passes, I spot a fresh Mark on the back of her neck. It stands out as a bright red ring, so it can only be a couple of hours old.
A pang of sympathy shoots through me. Poor girl.
“And that’s what happens when you don’t double up on protections,” a voice whispers behind me.
I stiffen before plastering a smirk onto my face and turning to my co-worker. “Kill me if I’m ever caught out in the open during my Heat.”
“Right?” Kayla nods in commiseration, though I’m not sure where her confidence comes from as a Beta. “Did you read the slogan on those new energy drinks? They’re supposed to make you feel like an Alpha!”
“Wow,” I retort without missing a beat, “all the ego and none of the perks. Sign me up for a lifetime’s supply.”
“Must be nice for them, huh?” She checks the expiration dates on the discount shelf behind me and tosses a loaf onto her cart. “All they gotta do is sit back and wait for life to be handed to them.”
Drool floods my mouth as my attention fixes on the stale bread. “I’m clocking out. Want me to drop that in the dumpster for you?”
Kayla’s nose wrinkles. “I still have to go through the whole section. I’ll throw it out all at once. Unless you want to hang around and help a girl out?”
She bats her lashes at me, but I shake my head, masking my disappointment. “No can do. Work those biceps, girl.”
“Haha.” She grabs the loaf in the middle, squishing the slices into a doughy lump, and pretends to pump iron. “Me so buff. Woof.”
“Hey, Milo!” Mr. Jacobs appears in the doorway to his office. “You’re off in five, right?”
More like two. “Yep. Just finishing up this restock before I leave.”
He steps farther out into the store. “I need you to stay an extra hour. Carl called in sick.”
Carl turned in his resignation yesterday, and no one except our boss expected him to complete his final two weeks. Not our fault he didn’t account for the inevitable gap.