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“And that’s why I’ll be the manager within a year, two at the most,” Mr. Kilcoyne said to Maisie. Or rather, he said it to Maisie’s bosom. To be fair, she had an amazing bosom, but basic manners dictated he at least try to look her in the eye. She would have gladly told him off if they were meeting socially, but was reluctant to sound off at a coworker. The last thing she needed was a reputation for being difficult to work with, so she smiled politely, nodded along with his self-aggrandizing blather, and limited herself to just fantasizing about kicking him in the crotch.
Fortunately for the annoying clerk’s family line, the actual manager arrived a bit later with a new man in tow. “Kilcoyne! What are you hanging about here for?” he demanded, causing the obnoxious younger man to jump. “This morning’s deliveries aren’t going to stock themselves. Off with you now.”
Kilcoyne mumbled something vaguely apologetic and scuttled off. The new man watched him go with a scowl. He was solidly built, probably about her age, although the sour look on his face made him look older. He must be the new day labourer, Maisie realized with a sinking feeling, and no doubt she’d be stuck training him. Was it better to work with a talkative lout or a grim faced grouch? This was shaping up to be a long day.
The manager turned his attention back to Maisie, confirming her suspicions. “Miss Jones, this is Mr. Darling. I’m assigning him to your department. I need you to show him around, then both of you get to work on the new display.”
Maisie fixed a professionally polite smile on her face before turning her attention to the new stockboy. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Darling,” she said to him, leaning into her Welsh accent a bit. Might as well find out immediately if he had any issues with her status as a non-Londoner.
That worked out better than expected. He smiled and his face lit up. It made him look much younger, almost boyish. Maisie found herself offering a more genuine smile in return. “The pleasure is all mine,” he said, in a charming midlands accent. “Please, call me Will. You have a lovely speaking voice.” He managed to get that out while continuing to address her eyes rather than her chest. Clearly there was something more to Mr. Darling than was apparent at first blush. Her day was looking up.
*********
It wasn’t long before Will and Maisie became fast friends. Or at least Maisie considered them friends, although she suspected Will wanted something more. She wasn’t exactly opposed to the idea of something more, but she hadn’t come to London looking for a husband. For now she was content with her work and the occasional night of dancing.
The other ladies in the shop thought she was daft for not getting more serious with Will, especially Alice from the perfume department. The tall slender blonde came around every day to flirt with Will, just like most of the other ladies. Unlike the other ladies, she also took the time to chat with Maisie, which made her something of a friend. Alice looked particularly good today, wearing an emerald green sleeveless day dress with a pleated skirt. Maisie thought the dress would look even better with an asymmetrical hem line to show off her slender legs. Oh, and perhaps a garter with extra ruffles, just enough to peek through the bottom of the dress to hint at what other secrets might be hiding under the clothes. She fought down a stab of envy that today’s fashions looked so much better on Alice than they ever would on her. “I’m afraid Will’s back in the stock room today,” she said. “I’ll let him know you stopped by.”
“I actually came to see you, Maisie,” Alice replied. She came close enough for Maisie to catch a whiff of her perfume, a lovely floral scent that suited her. “I’m organizing another staff outing. Dancing and drinks at the club. Do say you’ll join us this time.”
Maisie rolled her eyes. “I’ve heard about your staff outings. Betsy calls them veiled excuses for mutual groping.”
Alice made a face. “Betsy’s a prude. It’s nothing like that, just a chance to get together and know each other a little better.” She leaned against the counter, laying one hand over Maisie’s. “Going in a group lets us mingle and see people from other departments. It’s a great way to build up working relationships. What do you say?” She gave Maisie an imploring, wide-eyed puppy dog look.
Maisie had a hard time saying no to those pleading green eyes. She dropped her gaze to the counter, where Alice’s warm hand was still on top of hers. The elegant fingers looked so pale on top of her darker skin, almost like alabaster. “Will Kilcoyne be there? I spend enough time avoiding a ‘working relationship’ with him all day, I don’t need to dodge him at night as well.”
Alice gave a tinkling little laugh. “He’s the senior clerk, of course he’ll be there! Besides, Kilcoyne’s not so bad, just give him a little attention and he’ll move on to the next girl. If you’re worried, make sure Will comes along,” she said, patting Maisie’s hand, then giving it a little squeeze.
And there it was. Alice wasn’t so much concerned with Maisie putting in an appearance as she was with getting Will to her gathering. She glanced back up at Alice with a shrewd look. “If you want Will to be there you should ask him directly.”
Alice returned her look with an impish grin. “You caught me! I don’t want to come across as too forward. He’ll show up if you tell him you’re going to be there. And it’s not as if the two of you are seriously dating. Say you’ll be there. Pleeeeease?”
It was on the tip of Maisie’s tongue to say no, but she simply couldn’t take the risk of dashing the sparkle out of those emerald eyes. “I’ll be there, and I’ll make sure Will knows about it.”
Alice let out a little squeal of delight. “Thank you! I’ll let you know the time and place. You’re the best!” She leaned in and kissed Maisie on the cheek before turning to leave.
Maisie moved her hand to her cheek as she watched Alice’s well-toned calves take her back to the perfume department. Her skin tingled there, and she felt the smear of lip paint beneath her fingers. She’d better get that cleaned off before she found Will and told him the news. She hoped she wouldn’t regret this outing.
*********
The outing turned out to be a marvelous time. Maisie danced with Will, of course, but she also met several other young men capable of talking to her face while leading her around the dance floor. She even managed to dodge Kilcoyne. It was an enjoyable few hours right up until Maisie felt her brassiere give way.
Fortunately she made it to the end of the set without embarrassing herself and discretely made her way to the restroom. A quick check under the stalls showed she was alone, so she wiggled out of her dress to assess the damage. The boning was out of place and no longer restraining her breasts. She felt along her spine and discovered some of the hooks had ripped out of their seams. Why was it so hard to find decent underclothes for women her size?
The door opened, startling Maisie. Alice slipped into the restroom. “I saw you leave the dance floor, are you…oh, I see,” she said, taking in Maisie’s half undressed state. “Too much of a good thing, huh? I think I can fix it, let me just…” And before Maisie knew it, Alice descended on her torn garments.
At first Maisie just stood there in shock. Alice ran her hands along her back, nimble fingers slipping under the garment where the torn hooks exposed Maisie’s bare flesh. “I have a safety pin, I think I can fix this. I need to bend some of these bones back into place. Suck in a bit, there’s a good girl,” Alice ordered. Maisie obeyed, pulling in her stomach while Alice reached around her to bend the supports into different shapes. Alice was warm from dancing, her heat soaking through the fabric of their clothing into Maisie’s skin as she wrapped her in an embarrassingly intimate embrace. Her floral scent filled Maisie’s nose and her breathing hitched, nipples tightening in response to her nearness. Little puffs of Alice’s breath caught on the fine hairs at the back of Maisie’s neck, sending tingles through her overheated skin. Was Alice doing this on purpose? Did she know what her closeness was doing to her? Maisie’s eyes flew to the mirror, but Alice wasn’t looking at her. She was diligently pulling on fabric and attempting to repair the damage a night of energetic dancing had wrought. Maisie didn’t know if she was grateful or disappointed at this impersonal treatment.
Maisie bore it all in silence, trying to make sense of what her body was telling her. Two hours of dancing with men like Will Darling merely left her feeling sweaty. Two minutes with Alice dispassionally treating her like a mannequin left her weak-kneed and wanting… something more. Alice continued to pull and prod until she managed to get everything stuffed back into the remains of her brassiere, then fastened it together with a safety pin.
“All done!” she declared, resting her hands on Maisie’s shoulders and smiling at her in the mirror. Maisie was relieved her dark skin hid her flush of arousal. “That won’t hold for long, but it’s better than nothing. Let’s get you back in that dress.”
“I’ve got it now, thanks,” Maisie told her, needing to get away from her closeness long enough to find her composure. She took her time sliding back into her dress, trying not to think about alabaster hands and nimble fingers.
She was dressed but still flustered when Alice noted, “You might want to stick to slow dances for the rest of the night. Ready?”
For a brief moment Maisie thought Alice was offering to slow dance with her. Then she realized with some disappointment that the poor woman wanted to leave the restroom but didn’t want to abandon a friend. Maisie needed some time alone to try to understand why Alice’s touch set her pulse racing faster than dancing the foxtrot. “I don’t think I’m ready for any slow dances. I just want to go home. Thank you for helping me here. I suppose I should let WIll know I’m leaving.”
“I’m just happy I could help. If you’d like, I can tell Will what happened and why you had to leave,” Alice offered. Maisie must have made a face at that because Alice went on. “It’ll be absolutely no trouble at all. In fact you’d be doing me a favor. This gives me a good reason to chat him up, maybe even get another dance out of him.”
Alice looked eager to get more than a dance out of Will, and he was likely to oblige her. Maisie didn’t know how she felt about that, which was part and parcel of why she needed to leave now. “In that case, thank you again. Stop by my department on Monday and tell me how the night went.” With that, Maisie summoned the shreds of her dignity along with her clothes and managed to get a taxi without encountering anyone else.
*********
Maisie did not enjoy the rest of the weekend. She spent Sunday reliving that moment in the bathroom when she thought Alice was offering something more. That night she dreamt about Alice going home with Will. Sometimes her dream self took the part of Alice, and she could feel Will’s hard body, like she did when they danced together. Other times she took the part of Will, and dreamed of running hands over alabaster skin.
By the time Monday came around Maisie was still unsettled. She came in a little early and went straight to the storeroom to start her shift. It wasn’t that she was avoiding Alice and Will, not exactly. But this way, if either of them came to talk to her, she could continue to work without having to look them in the eye.
All too soon she heard the door open. Without turning around Maisie called out, “So, how did the evening go? Did you have a good time?”
An unexpected but all too familiar man’s voice replied. “It would have been better if you hadn’t run off,” Kilcoyne said.
Maisie spun around to face him and found herself boxed in by his arms on either side of her. “I waited all night for a dance. I thought you were one of the smart shop girls. A smart shop girl knows they need to be friendly with the senior clerk. Why don’t you show me how friendly you can be?”
Maisie tried to shove her way past him but Kilcoyne leaned in close, forcing her back. “Ah-ah-ah. You have to pay the toll. One kiss and I’ll think about letting you pass,” he said with a smarmy grin. She shouted for help until he pressed her against the wall, knocking the air out of her. Then she tried to knee him in the groin, but he was ready for that and blocked her with his leg. “That wasn’t very nice. Or smart. I’m going to need a lot more than a kiss now.”
Maisie continued to struggle as Kilcoyne ground against her. Then suddenly he was gone, and she could breathe again. As she gulped in air, she gaped at what she saw. It was Will Darling, throwing Kilcoyne around like he was a sack of potatoes. She’d witnessed a number of dock fights in Cardiff, but nothing like the one sided take down going on in front of her eyes. Kilcoyne never stood a chance. Gone was Will the grumpy stockboy or Will the carefree dancer. The Will in front of her was a professional warrior, and the look on his face was one of intense satisfaction at performing his work. He dragged Kilcoyne to the front of the shop and applied his boot with some force. “And don’t ever let me catch you harassing another woman again, you wanker!” he shouted. Then he turned back to her. “Are you all right, Maisie?”
“Yes, fine. Or rather, I think I need to sit down.” She was still in shock after her close call and the sudden violence that just happened in front of her. Someone took her arm and led her to a chair, and it took her a moment to realize it was Alice. By this time a crowd had gathered, including the floor manager, who whisked Will away into his office. Maise gathered herself to go follow them, but Alice made her sit.
“Stay here, you’re in enough trouble as it is,” Alice hissed in a low whisper. “Really, Maisie, why did you put up such a fuss? I told you before that all Kilcoyne wants is a little attention.”
Maisie’s jaw dropped. She couldn’t have heard that right. Or maybe Alice just didn’t understand. “He wanted something more than a little attention! Kilcoyne was trying to assault me! That’s not normal, that’s not right!”
Alice rolled her eyes. “Now you’re just being dramatic. A little groping, a little rubbing, and he's off to change his pants. Honestly, you’re awfully high strung, even for a Taffy.” She added a condescending little pat of the hand as she went on. “But don’t you worry, pet. Will is rather clever for a rustic. He’s smart enough to grovel a little, offer an apology to Kilcoyne, and you’ll both keep your jobs. Only this time you’ll be a smart girl and show Kilcoyne a little attention, won’t you?” She offered this last bit with a patronizing little smirk.
Maisie was too stunned at the casual use of slurs to offer a proper response. That and she was so angry she momentarily lost her English. How had she missed this side of Alice? Blinded by a pretty face and flawless skin, obviously. She should have listened when Ma told her handsome is as handsome does.
Before Maisie found the words to tell Alice just how wrong she was about Will Darling, the man himself made the need irrelevant. The manager’s door flung open as Will shouted, “...can shove that where the sun doesn’t shine! No, don’t bother calling security, I can find my own way out.” He slammed the door shut and stormed out of the building.
Maisie shrugged off Alice’s hand and ran after Will, calling out for him to stop. She caught up about halfway down the block. “Will, I can’t thank you enough. I’m so sorry you lost your job.”
His blood was obviously still up, but he slowed down enough to growl out a response. “Worth it. I hate bullies,” he said, starting to pick up the pace again.
She reached out and grabbed his arm. “Hold on. Promise me you’ll meet me at the Lyons at noon. You left without your hat and coat, the least I can do is get them for you.” He nodded agreement and she let him go.
Maisie trudged back to the shop, thinking furiously. She worked out a few things to say to Alice, assuming the nasty blonde had the nerve to show her face around Maisie. Then she’d avoid any friends of Kilcoyne, pick up Will’s things, and meet him for lunch. She might not be able to offer him the something more he wanted from her, but she wasn’t about to let the brave, stubborn, prideful man just walk out of her life.
With that goal firmly in mind, Maisie was ready to face whatever came next.