Lois Griffin stood in front of the rows of carefully stocked shelves in Target, her cart idly full of things she didn't really need. Shopping here had become a strange kind of therapy, a routine escape from the drudgery of her life at home. The fluorescent lights overhead buzzed slightly, and the familiar red and white color scheme felt almost comforting. There were a hundred reasons why Lois could justify being here, but the truth was that she needed space—from Peter, from the family, from everything.
As she wandered into the home goods section, her eyes fell on a tall figure stocking the shelves with a mix of casual confidence and ease. She had dark, loosely wavy hair that grazed her shoulders, paired with soft, hazel eyes. Her light brown skin contrasted against the Target red polo shirt, but it wasn't just her appearance that caught Lois' attention—it was her presence. The woman seemed at peace with herself, moving with a quiet grace that made the world around her feel slower, gentler.
The name tag on her chest read *Naomi*. Naomi caught Lois' eye with a quick, warm smile as she adjusted a display of throw pillows. The smile felt... different, like a small spark. Lois felt herself flush for reasons she couldn't quite explain.
"Need help finding something?" Naomi asked, her voice casual, but there was a hint of playfulness behind it.
Lois blinked, caught off guard. "Oh, no, I was just... browsing."
Naomi smiled again, this time knowingly. "Sure, browsing." Her gaze lingered on Lois a second longer than normal, and for just a brief moment, Lois felt seen in a way she hadn't in years.
Lois chuckled nervously, waving her hand. "Yeah, you know, just trying to get away from the house."
"I get that," Naomi said, her tone light but understanding. "Sometimes you just need a break, right?"
Lois nodded, feeling a sudden ease in the conversation. For the next few minutes, they chatted lightly about nothing in particular, yet something about the conversation made Lois feel... alive. Naomi's charm was subtle but magnetic. The kind of person who made you feel like you were the only one in the room.
When Lois finally pulled herself away and left the store, she realized she hadn't stopped smiling since their exchange. The thought of Naomi, of her warmth and ease, lingered in Lois' mind far longer than it should have.
---
Meanwhile, back at the Griffin house, Meg sat in the corner of the living room, her fingers wrapped around her phone. Peter's loud voice boomed from the other room as he rambled about some inane idea he had for dinner, and Chris was locked in a video game battle upstairs. As usual, no one paid any attention to her.
Meg sighed. Her family was toxic—she knew that—but she was still here. She had spent years trying to break through to them, but they never changed. They never would.
Her phone buzzed in her hand, pulling her out of her thoughts. It was a text from someone she didn't expect to hear from again—*Riley*, the girl from the coffee shop she'd visited last week. Meg barely knew her, but something about Riley felt different from everyone else Meg had met.
Riley had a tough, edgy look about her. Her short, choppy, black hair framed her face, and she often wore a leather jacket over her barista uniform. Her eyes were a deep blue, sharp yet softened by the weight of something hidden beneath the surface. She was slender but had a quiet strength in her posture, like she'd seen more than her share of tough situations.
*Hey, you doing anything today?* the text read.
Meg hesitated before replying. She hadn't been planning on doing anything, but the idea of leaving the house, of being anywhere but here, was tempting. Maybe Riley was just the kind of distraction she needed.
---
As Lois drove back home, her mind wandered to the spark she felt with Naomi. It was a strange, exhilarating feeling—one she hadn't felt in years. It stayed with her long after she returned to the chaos of the Griffin household.
Little did Lois know, her life was about to become a lot more complicated.
YOU ARE READING
Target of Affection
أدب الهواة"Target of Affection" is about the cut scene or whatever you went to call it with Lois Griffin, and that target employee who got marked by target but her name for the story will be "Naomi"
