Strictly Pleasure

Part 1

The human patron had been standing outside Strictly Pleasure's theater for fifteen minutes. Jek couldn't recall their name, didn't think they ever introduced themselves on those occasions they came with their partner or friends. He watched them from the edge of his glasses, while pretending to read on his phone, as they ventured closer to the theater doors before turning away again. They'd busy themselves with some display or make a circuit around the shop before attempting again.

He only stopped watching the customer when Gnadi, his faun employee and co-worker, leaned over to whisper, "Boss, you should ask them if they want company."

"Pretty sure they have a partner." Jek kept his voice low and shook his head, but couldn't help the amused smile that tugged at the corners of his lips. At twenty-six, Gnadi possessed both a hot-libido and aspirations to be a matchmaker. A dangerous combination for Jek, their senior by twenty years, since they were always trying to hook him up with patrons.

"Well, they're alone now," Gnadi pointed out, eyes shifting from the customer to him. Their expression made it clear what they thought. Someone alone in Strictly Pleasure without their partner? A break up. Or a soon-to-be break up. "Besides, you know how often the freshly-broken up do things not in their nature."

With a noncommittal hum, Jek glanced back over at the awkward patron. They certainly looked out of their element, if he had any insight. And there had never been a time in the past when they came without someone, whether it was a partner or friend. If they were here alone, there was a reason.

Nagged by Gnadi's intent expression and a soft-hearted curiosity, Jek heaved a sigh and pushed off his stool. He ignored his employee's whispered well wishes in his wake. If he let the words settle, he would get embarrassed, so he focused on closing the distance between himself and the patron. When he was close enough, he lobbed the ever-professional question, "Do you need help?"

Startled, Heidi's attention snapped up as one of Strictly Pleasure's employees approached her. Of course, it was the orc. It couldn't be the androgynous faun, but the orc - with their badge reading 'Jek' and 'he/they' beneath - that her ex commonly teased her for staring at.

In Heidi's defense, Jek had an elaborate - involving scales, flowers, and miscellaneous imagery - colorful tattoo sleeve on his left arm, always covered up to some degree. Getting a new peek of additional details always delighted her curiosity. Plus, recently, he had dyed his hair - a braided fauxhawk pulled into a ponytail - a strawberry blonde, which only brought out their usual red under-eye shadow and the red scale-like design in their tattoo.

Further, it wasn't as if he was hard to look at. Tall and bulky, as orcs were wont to be, and with a face Heidi would consider sculpted, jawline currently sporting a five o'clock shadow. A scar notched across his nose, but there were no other scars she could see beyond that. Not that she looked too hard, of course,

"I'm fine," she squeaked, trying to maintain eye contact with Jek's hazel green gaze.

"Really?" Jek tilted his head until he peered over his half-moon glasses at them. "Because it looks like you've been trying to head into the theater for about twenty minutes now."

Another flash of heat jolted through Heidi, her eyes widening behind her glasses. "You've been watching me?"

The way their eyes widened made a small pang of guilt flash through Jek. It couldn't be helped. After all, they hadn't approached for help, but now that he was closer, he realized they were dressed differently than usual. Everything else - from their light brown hair threaded with gray hairs and dark brown eyes magnified behind square frames - made faint memories bob to his thoughts.

In the past, they'd worn jeans and a t-shirt with a hoodie whenever they came in. Tonight, the only thing familiar was their hoodie. Under that, they wore a wine red dress, low cut to show off ample cleavage and high hemmed to show off supple thigh. Vaguely, Jek wondered if they had bought the fishnets in his store, commending how the fabric strung tight around their plush legs.