Flirting with the HR Girl

Chapter 21

The day after Austin asked Jennifer on a date started beautifully. All she had to do was make it through that day and he would be picking her up and taking her out the next. She immediately pushed the thoughts of doing exactly what Cynthia had told her not to do from her brain. Cynthia didn't need to know. No one at the store needed to know. Austin and she would just have to keep it a secret for now. Once they were officially a couple, they would be able to tell everyone at the store. There were plenty of couples who worked retail together. Just the thought of them being a couple set her heart fluttering and made her fingers shake as she applied her light coat of makeup. She gave Zack Morris a big kiss as she lifted him off the counter and deposited him on the floor much to his indignation. She all but waltzed out the door.

Her day only got better once she got to the HR office. Expecting to see Cynthia there and having to keep her excitement under wraps, she was relieved to find the office empty. She popped behind the desk and started on her new hire paperwork before Cynthia took over the office. The first thing she saw was an urgent email from her boss. Immediately, her heart started to race in a bad way. Had Cynthia found out that she went out with Selena, Todd, and Austin the night before?

She quickly clicked on the email and impatiently strummed her fingers on the desk as she waited for it to open. Maybe someday Peterson's would have fast Wi-Fi? The email finally opened, and it was all Jennifer could do not to shout with joy. Cynthia had an emergency at another store and would not be coming into the Galleria office that day at all. It was practically a vacation day. Jennifer jumped out of her chair, did a little strut around the office, and even shook her booty a little bit. Now she could simply sit back and think about all the fun she would be having tomorrow. She was in mid-booty shaking when she heard a chuckle behind her and spun around. She was relieved to see Selena standing there with a big grin on her face.

"How long have you been there?" Jennifer asked, feeling her face start to color but, at the same time, not caring if her friend saw her in a good mood.

"Long enough to see that pathetic dancing," Selena said with a laugh as she came in and started to do her own shimmy that was significantly sultrier than Jennifer's. "Is this little dance because you had so much fun with Austin last night?"

"No, this little dance is because Cynthia is not coming in today at all!" Jennifer held up her hand for a high five.

"Woo-hoo!" Selena hit her hand so hard they both flinched and laughed again. "So, what do you plan to do with your Dragon Lady free day? Hang out with Austin?"

"No, he's off today," she said settling down back behind her desk.

"Oh, so you know where he is?" Selena said plopping into the chair across from her. "Are you happy you came last night?"

"Yes, thank you for making me go out for one drink," Jennifer said holding her mouse, so it looked like she was working if someone glanced into her office.

"Yes, I noticed it was more than one drink," Selena said looking very pleased with herself. "You can thank me by having lunch with me today."

"I don't have time for lunch today," Jennifer said raising an eyebrow trying to get a reaction out of Selena. She hesitated only a moment before adding, "I have to go pick out an outfit for a date."

"A date!?!" Selena squealed and Jennifer shut the door.

"Shh," Jennifer shushed her friend, but Selena's expression was why she couldn't keep her excitement to herself.

"He asked you on a date?" Selena asked all but jumping out of her chair.

"Yes!" This time it was Jennifer's turn to squeal. "He's picking me up tomorrow at six."

"Doesn't he work tomorrow?" Selena asked because managers never got two days off in a row in retail.

"Yes, but he works early and we're gonna head out later," Jennifer said not letting the minor details get in the way of her excitement. "It gives me plenty of time to get ready during the day."

"Come on, honey, we need to pick out the date outfit now," Selena said heading for the door.

"I can't go right now," Jennifer said not budging from her chair and looking at her screen. "I still have work to catch up on from yesterday and I have a new hire coming in as soon as the store opens."

"Girl, I can't shop on my lunch 'cause I've already had two girls call out today," Selena said stomping around the desk, grabbing Jennifer by the hand, and pulling her out of the chair. "We will go right now quick before the store opens. You need my help, and you know it."

"Fine," Jennifer said as she let Selena lead her from the office and out into the dark store. She knew she wanted advice. She hadn't been on a date in so long that she wasn't sure what to wear. She also wanted to enjoy this time with Selena because she had no one else to share with. And if she got the HR manager position, she would be leaving Selena and the store soon. The one constant in retail was change but it didn't make leaving your friends any easier.

Since the escalator wasn't on yet they had to step lightly on its grated surface to stop their shoes from clacking down to women's fashion. Selena bee-lined right for the dresses but Jennifer gravitated more towards the pants and jeans.

"Where are you going?" Selena asked looking at cocktail dresses.

"Not to prom," Jennifer said with a giggle as she went through the jeans. "Probably to dinner and a movie like normal people."

"So, this is out?" Selena said holding up a bright red sequin dress. "Next time, you need to tell that boy to take you salsa dancing."

"Assuming there is a next time, other than karaoke, there is nothing I would rather do less than show him my lack of dancing skills," Jennifer said, and Selena laughed. "What do you think of these?"

Jennifer ran her hand over a pair of couture denim. The jeans were well over two hundred dollars, an amount she had never paid for any clothing in her entire life. But the fabric was luxurious, and the details in the stitching were amazing. She could only imagine what they would look like on her body.

"Looove those!" Selena said also running her hand over the fabric. She moved to a nearby rack and pulled out a slinky black top. "This would be perfect with a pair of black boots."

"Yes!" Jennifer said, "finding her size. She left the jeans and shirt in their respective piles. In the past, Selena would have told her to go ahead and hide them in a different department or even just put them in her office. But the new loss prevention manager more than frowned upon that, going as far as to call it stealing. Selena knew by now that she would never get Jennifer to go against company policy.

Next, they went down the escalators to women's shoes. The shoe department made Jennifer wish that her employee discount was a lot bigger. She loved shoes. But she never had anywhere special to wear them. Checking out the boots, she immediately fell in love with a pair of supple black leather calf boots that would look gorgeous under the couture jeans.

"What do you think of these?" she whisper-yelled to Selena, who was, of course, over in pumps.

"Perfect!" Selena gave her the thumbs up while fondling her a pair of sparkly red pumps. She would have to try the shoes on during her lunch break. She jumped when she heard Todd announce the morning meeting. She'd probably missed Cynthia's morning phone call.

"I gotta go!" Jennifer said as she made her way back to the escalators.

"You will look fabulous, darling!" Selena said kissing her off with a hand motion. Selena never cared about being late for the morning meeting. She would be happy to stay in shoes until Todd walked by. Jennifer hustled back to the office and got to the door just in time to hear the phone ringing.