THE STOCKROOM - PATREON EXCLUSIVE [PREVIEW]

THE STOCKROOM

Men Feminized by a Woman

A Harborview Story

Clover Cox

CHAPTER 1

Clara

There he was again. The boy across the way. He glanced at me through the corner of his eye, and I decided that it was time we stopped pretending, so I lifted my hand and gave him a little finger wave. His cheeks reddened as he rushed to attend to his customers, doing his best to ignore me, but he wouldn’t be able to ignore me forever. Not now that I thought he was cute.

What other men were there for me in Seahaven? I even used the apps to search the neighboring town of Pinecrest with no luck. Plenty of guys sent me messages, but they usually included lewd pictures and dirty texts. There was something about the man across the way that told me he’d never do such a thing to a lady. He didn’t seem like the internet boys who thought my body was only good for one thing.

“Are you obsessing over him again?” Luna asked as she walked up by my side. “When are you going to say hello?”

My other coworker Jasmine joined the conversation. “She’s totally obsessing. I can take a few pictures of him for you. They’d last much longer,” she said in a teasing voice as we looked at him from across the corridor.

“No way!” I said and turned on my heels, but the girls caught me before I could even make it two feet. “I’m not obsessing over him,” I assured them. “Is it so wrong to think he’s cute? I need something nice to look at and take my mind off my asshole ex-boyfriend Rafael.”

Jasmine fake spat. “Don’t say his name!”

“He’s yesterday’s news,” Luna said, nodding. “That photography boy is much cuter anyway.”

“Yeah, I totally agree,” said Jasmine.

The girls stared at me like I was made of some type of magic pixie dust, like I could just flutter across the corridor and cast a spell on the man to want me. I could see in his eyes that he was the nervous type. One of those guys that would run off the second I approached him, and nothing would make me feel uglier than getting rejected. It was too big of a risk.

“I’m not going to talk to that guy. My job is too important. What if we went out and ended up hating each other? I would be stuck seeing him every day of my life.”

“True,” Jasmine said.

“You’re right,” said Luna. “I didn’t think about it like that. You need a guy that’s at least three stores away.”

“At least,” I said and motioned my hands. “Anyway, I need to organize some things in the stockroom. Those returns are going to be crazy after Christmas.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me,” said Luna.

“Always the Debbie Downer,” said Jasmine. “It’s okay, though. I need to post a bunch of stuff about our after-Christmas sales. I’ll be in the office if you need me.”

“Don’t take all day,” Luna snapped. “Just because you handle the social media accounts doesn’t mean it has to take all day. I need some help on the floor too.”

“Fine,” Jasmine said smugly.

I excused myself and rushed to the stockroom. Jasmine was the assistant manager and absolutely hated organizing the merchandise, but I got a strange sense of satisfaction out of it. I also liked looking at all the new clothes that arrived before we put them on the floor, especially the shoes. With my store discount, I didn’t buy heels anywhere else. It was a blessing and a curse, but mostly a blessing. I got to look incredible wherever I went and spent a fraction of what everyone else did.

I just wished I could forget about that photography boy.

***

Christmas came and went.

It was utter chaos at the store.

Everyone came in to use their gift cards or return items they received that they didn’t actually want. We only gave out store credit, so the dressing rooms were overflowing with people. It wasn’t until eight o’clock in the evening that I finally got a chance to take my break.

“Sure you’ll be okay?” I asked Jasmine before clocking out for my break. “I can stay if you won’t be.”

“No, it’s fine. Go eat something.”

“I’ll be quick,” I promised and grabbed my purse from under the counter to rush out of the store. Jasmine was the only one working, but she was off in thirty minutes, and then it was up to me to close the store. Luckily, things had died down a lot, but I would be there for at least an hour cleaning up after the savage shoppers.

I prayed that there were still some options open at the food court, and I was delightfully surprised when there were. I went to the pizza place to grab a slice of their vegetarian, the only option left besides pepperoni, and a portion of their pasta salad that they kept on ice by the register. “Thank you. This food will save my life.”

“Enjoy,” the man working said with a bright smile.

I turned to find a place to eat, and that was when I saw him.

The photography boy from across the way.

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