I Can't Own You? (BOOK 1)

2

NEXT DAY

I live in New York...that must sound appealing, but trust me, it isn't. I fucking hate it. The city is too damn crowded, full of rats and trash, smells like unwashed bodies, shit, and piss. It also gets way too cold. I should move, but it's human to stay put. I work at Forever 21. I must say I prefer the fast pace over a slow job that weighs on the brain. Benefits of working in a mall: 🤑 everything looks good on you in your mind, so you buy the hell out of shit. Swiper, yes, swiper 🦊.

My booted feet stomp through five inches of snow, downtown, where millions of people smell their own funk and lose their right to personal space.

Crossing times square, I eye a car, a yellow Kia parked on the busy curb, my Uber. I don't want to walk the whole way to work. But, like many, I need to cut costs, even if I have $10,000, that doesn't mean I can't be a penny pincher. Bitter coldness whacks my face and my cheap wig as I stroll a stamped of people, all making their way to work through thick, snow flurries. I get shoved and nearly knocked down, but that's New York, deal with it.

I sniffle, feeling a slight throb of an oncoming headache. Fuck, come on, aspirin, save me! It's too early for this. I dip out of the way of elbows and fast-moving feet, racing to an opening.

I take a backup phone out of a puffy purple coat...bless me for being smart to have two phones. Everything from the one I drowned is backed up on it too. My Spotify playlists especially. I place in my headphones and play Nicki's Stupid Hoe. I open safari and view my amazon cart. Inside a new phone case, rose gold, boots with heels, a new wig, short, black with caramel ombré highlights: a Yolo shirt, and charcoal clay masks. The total is $500. I press the one-click buy now button.

At work, I ring up customers who pile clothes upon clothes onto the counter. A fifty percent off sale is going on, so adults and teenagers grab up everything from perfume, oversized shirts, dresses, shoes, jewelry, underwear and graphic tees. Women usually come for jewelry and shoes, men for coats, watches, or jackets, today that norm is out the window. Everything hits the counter; scan, scan, scan. The register beeps as I power swipe items across its conveyer belt.

"That'll be $75.80." A woman rummages in her bag, striking my nerve. You know ya gonna need to pay, why wait to look for your card now?? My sight ventures to the windows of the store, outside to crowds of people passing or entering other outlets. My gaze focuses on shiny floors and colorful mannequin displays while the lady goes on digging for her card.

On my break, I add random stuff to my cart, a face laser mask and a water flosser; then, I check out; $350. In the break room, I munch on a KitKat and Flamin Hots, junk for brunch, as I sit and browse amazon. "Heyy, Chris!" A girl's voice catches my attention.

"Oh, heyy," I reply half-heartedly to Jasmine, an ombre haired, light eyed hot girl. Jasmine here thinks I like her, even though I show no signs of it. She's under the spell that I'm bisexual and won't stop poking. I'm not even gonna get into what happened between us...just know we used to be tight. "WE ARE NEVER EVER EVER GETTING TOGETHER!" I sing cleverly while I search up vegan yoga mats.

"I like that song too." She scoots a chair beside me. I look ahead at the door with a deadpan expression. Really, girl?? "Whatcha doing?" She asks all perky, her tone medium and soothing.

"Looking up dicks." I switch over to my google tab and show her my search page from last night. Big dicks, to be exact. "Hmmm, mmmm, that's all I want in life." I hint heavily. "Gotta go, byyyyeeeeeeeeee." I didn't really have to go I had five minutes left on lunch, I just needed to make a statement, and a sudden exit always works. Back in the store, a new round of customers circulate, sorting through racks and heading to dressing rooms. I center my badge on a long sleeve pull over jacket as my hoeless feet step the floor. This causes some of the customers to stare at my socks, confused as to where my shoes are. "I'm ready for my picture." I pose dramatically, placing my hands on my hips.

"CHRIS!" I hear my boss yell. Oh, my fucking god. "Put on your damn shoes!" A fat ass bitch scolds, observing my fluffy, pink socks with an evil eye. My hand flips my long hair back. My boss hides a look of disgust as she approaches me; I see it pinching at the side of her mouth. The Bitch hates anything that isn't straight: "Oh, I'm fine with those kinds of people." She legit said this before: "those kinds of people." Da fuck 💁🏻‍♀️

"I'm still on break, you know I have a condition, it's either you want a smelly store or you let me let em breathe." She fights so hard not to glare and fire me on the spot, knowing if she did, there would be a lawsuit bigger than her house. "Thank yooou!" I stroll behind my register and lean onto the counter. Damn, I left my snacks. Ugggghhhhhh, I don't wanna walk back. It's so...so far away. Instead, I get on my phone, hiding it below the register, so I don't get caught. The cashier beside me, bucktooth Trisha, peeks over with her never closing mouth. This hoe is just waiting to see a dick pic so she could tell the boss.....like a Hermione with a nosy complex.

I receive a mail notification from the balance website about the funds of the card; I didn't care to read the name of the company. All I wanted to read was the body of the email. I click on the notification and read: your balance is $9,150.