Najla's Gift

Chapter 1

"I don't usually see you here." she said as she handed me her movies.

"Yeah, I'm usually here during the day but they needed someone to cover tonight."

She swiped her member card and her membership information appeared in the air over the counter: Adana (she) Member status: Unlimited. I'd never seen an Unlimited membership before.

"Welcome back Adana."

"Thanks, did something happen?" she asked.

"I guess someone didn't show up for their shift? They didn't say much."

I giggled nervously and immediately scolded myself for making such a childish sound in this place. I'm supposed to be sophisticated and cool now that I work for the most legit club in Portland. Maybe that confidence part would come later?

"I hope they're ok but maybe that they don't come back for a while so that I can see you again." She had a lively energy about her I could tell by her smug smile.

Had she noticed me? It was late for a place that never closes and one of the slow days so it was just the two of us for the moment. I looked up from the counter while clumsily stacking their items, stealing a moment to take a closer look. It was the fullness of her dark, orchid colored lips that first caught my attention; the way they grew from her warm hazelnut colored skin. Her midnight colored hair was tied back into intricate braids that seemed to disappear into the darkness of her jacket.

"Is this your first time working the night shift?" She asked from behind long dark eyelashes

"It's not my first time but it has been a while."

Not my first time and it's been a while?! I felt my neck and face start to get warm. I placed a thin, smooth 5X5 black square on the counter and moved their purchase stack to the center of it.

"How do you like working at a sex shop?" Adana put her elbows on the counter, leaning over to give me a grin.

A part of me cringed at the use of "Sex shop" when this place clearly was much more than that. The edges of the black square began to stretch outwards from beneath the pile across the counter. Then it moved upwards vertically until it snapped into a rectangle around the entire bundle forming a perfectly sized, gleaming black box. Rizer was all about efficiency and style. That's what made them giants in the civil tech industry. Simple sex shop it was not.

"I love working here, I seem to get along really well with the people that come through and I enjoy helping them enhance their lives." Company kiss-ass? I might be. I'm really grateful for this job but when I applied I wanted to be one of the editors that works on the second floor that's where all the action is. At least that's what I've heard, but I can only fantasize about it now since I'm stuck working down here. I peeled a Rizer logo sticker off the roll nearby and slapped it on the black box.

"So, do you always wear that?" She tilted her head to the side, stalking me with those stunning brown eyes.

"Do I always wear what?" I asked resisting the urge to inspect myself.

"That there," she said, pointing to the faint mark on my neck

I covered it with my hand.

"It's a birthmark. People have them it's a thing now." I lied.

Well not really lie, because I had some questions about it myself...

"Really, a birthmark? Oh well my bad, sorry for bringing attention to it."

She was shrugging off her momentary lapse in tact. I could tell that they had more questions about it, but was glad they didn't ask them.

"Alrighty, here's your complete IpMov package. Those are due back in three cycles. Have a nice evening." I said hoping to end this interaction and retreat behind the counter. I picked up the slender black box and offered it to her.

Adana grabbed it, covering my hand with hers.

"I didn't get your name." She asked not giving me any escape.

My fingertips started to tingle underneath hers and her dark skin seemed to glow?

"Najla." I said breathlessly.

She gently took the box from me and walked to the door calling over her shoulder before she left

"Have a good evening, Najla."