The Love Trials: Ashley

Chapter One

My alarm went off. I groaned and rolled over. Did I have to?

The alarm was relentless though so I rolled back over and fumbled for the alarm clock on my bedside table. I tapped the middle button of the machine and the noise silenced. It took me a second but eventually, I managed to sit up.

My normally pale blue and silver decorated bedroom was dark with only one strip of light coming from a crack in the curtains. As I got to my feet, I glanced at my alarm clock which showed that it was six in the morning. An hour to get to work.

I showered and brushed my hair, combing it back into a ponytail. Two strands on either side of my face escaped but I clipped them back with hair grips. I dressed into black skinny jeans and a pink blouse with pink socks to match and black pump shoes. I clipped my name badge to my blouse as I went down the stairs. I made myself a flask of coffee and ate a croissant as the water boiled. Eventually I was ready to go and grabbed my keys and bag from the kitchen table as I made my way into the morning darkness.

It was cold outside, a typical February morning. Slightly foggy but I could just see my red Toyota Yaris, a bright and bold sculpture against the mist. I unlocked the car, flung my bag into the passenger seat and placed my flask into the cupholder. I started the engine and drove off to the local shopping centre. As I was pushed into the morning traffic of a workday, I sipped my coffee. I was bang on time but anything could happen to change that.

However, nothing did and I arrived at Keylee Shopping Centre with plenty of time to get a good parking spot in the nearby parking lot. Because I was staff, I got unlimited time parked there which was a brilliant benefit.

I left my empty flask in the car but grabbed my bag and made my way to the staff locker room. I left my bag in my locker and put my staff lanyard around my neck. On my way out, I checked the staff schedule for rotation staff. Today I would be spending both my morning and afternoon in New Look.

I made my way there, passing no early morning shoppers today just passing staff. I nodded to a few, saying hi to a couple. Most of us were rotation staff to the majority of the bigger shops in the Centre. This confused not only customers but potential staff who wanted a job as seeing a staff member in Primark one minute and then in Ann Summers next was just complicated. However it was fine as long as you got the hang of it.

The New Look Staff manager handed us our job roles for the day. Mine would be to stack the clothing lines today. There had been new stock brought in and this meant a lot of time stacking new clothes, pricing them and taking old clothes out of stock and into storage.

It was to be a busy day so we started there and then while the shop was opened. Customers started to come in slowly so by eleven, there was a lot more. I offered my guidance to any who asked for where the men's trousers were or was there a higher size shoe? I had managed to put my selection of clothing onto hooks and was starting to price them. I had an interactive pad to help aid me with what clothes cost what. In one hand was a pyjama top and bottoms set. It was actually quite cute with little bunnies on it. In my other hand was my pad and I was going through the clothing lines to find out where the set was for the pricing.

"Excuse me?" I looked up to see another customer. This one was a man. He looked exceptionally well-dressed, black suit trousers with a smart white blouse and a silk silver tie. He had his black blazer hung over his arm. Looking down, his shoes were polished to a shine. He looked really nice. His eyes were a piercing crystal blue, filled with warmth. His hair was black and combed. Not a hair out of place.

"Can I help?" I asked with my usual customer service voice, but with a slight tremble. I was struggling to look away from those gorgeous eyes. He smiled slightly, the corners of his lips tugging upwards.