Don’t you think it might be a bad idea to let a coin flip determine what you should do?

Timeline/World: Story – Fire
Current Date: October 22, 2023

Character: Lyle Kingston
Race: Human
Age: 32
Current residence: Battle Creek, Michigan
 

---

We really do get all types here in the store. It’s not a bad thing, though. Younger folks, older folks, folks with plenty of sexual experience, and others who are just discovering themselves or trying to discover something new. Some people seem to think that the only people to ever set foot in a store like ours are perverts or even sex workers. I don’t understand how that mindset happened, last alone why it still persists in this day and age. People are far more open to things now than when I was a kid, but I guess that even there’s a limit to that. It’s one of those things, really.

Not quite legal folks coming in, thinking they’d be able to buy whatever they wanted without any issues; conservative types who step in, in hopes of turning the place upside down for some reason, the parents coming in with their kid in tow; I’ve seen it all, it feels like. The latter hasn’t been that much of an issue, but I’ve seen parents with preteens coming in and that’s one of those things I really don’t get. Not that there’s any shame in not hiding these things from those little eyes and little minds but, to me, it feels too early for these kids to even really learn about this stuff.

Then again, it’s not my decision to make so I know I have to let it slide.

Of all of those people I’ve seen, met, and spoken to during the years, there certainly was one thing that I hadn’t ever encountered before, and it did leave me fairly… I don’t know that the right word would be confused; I wasn’t confused, I was sort of unsettled in a weird way. I really can’t explain my own feelings on the situation all that way.

I’ll try to make what feels like a long story short, though; here’s something. In comes this couple. It’s clear they’re together. Hand-holding, the little not-so-subtle glances they throw at one another; the fact that they shared a really messy as hell kiss out front before they stepped in too. It’s in the little things. If they’re not a couple, they’re sexually active together which was the reason for their stepping into the store.

The man clearly knows where he’s going, he’s nearly dragging his partner—a beautiful woman—towards the back section where the double penetrators are settled. If he’d taken her to the strap-on wall, I’d have figured he was curious about his own discoveries, but the double penetrators aren’t for everyone. I’ve heard plenty of women talking about how they don’t mind their husbands experimenting, but that filling the two at once is just too much.

From the look on her face, she looked completely uncertain about the idea and if he hadn’t been holding on to her hand the way he was, I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t really have been anywhere near that section at all. They’re quietly talking, I don’t really hear much of what they’re saying, but at one point, her words are a little louder and all I hear is her asking him if he thinks it might really be a good idea at all to flip a coin to determine which one he wanted because she wasn’t even sure if she felt ready for any of it.

Now, usually, I mind my own damned business. I’ve only ever had to call the cops once in the years I’ve worked here and that was more than enough, if you’re asking me. We’d had a group of jocks coming in—they were a few years younger than me, but I did remember them from school. It wasn’t quite right to call them jocks anymore, I guess, but it was the type. They were clearly boozed up and ready to cause issues. They only managed to throw a few displays to the ground before the cops were in to deal with them.

This couple, though; I didn’t have to do a thing. As it so happened, Reina waltzed right in, a little late as usual but it just meant my pay cheque was a little bigger than it should have been. She’s such a loud soul that it’s hard for anyone to not look up from what they are doing to her when she makes her entrance. It always makes me smile.

I saw the woman slink right on out past Reina moments after my coworker had made her entrance. Her partner called out to her a few times moments later, as though somehow, he hadn’t seen her slip out, and, a few minutes later, as though it would take that long to go through the whole store to try and find someone, he was walking out of that door too.

Reina looked confused and asked me what that was all about, I relayed the info just in case they came back and, well yeah, that was it. I clocked out and I was plenty content to just be on my way home.

Final Word Count: 842

I was wondering when you’d get the courage to confess your feelings.

 
Timeline/World: Story – Fire
Characters: Lyle Kingston
Race: Human
Age: 30
Current residence: Battle Creek, Michigan
Final Word Count: 764 words
 

---

I know that there’s a saying about there being a first time for everything, but I admit that this s something that I’ve gotten used to while working here in this sex shop. There always are new people, they’re often either uncertain as to what they’re looking for, or they know exactly what they want and don’t need anything from us. We get a good range of shy people, outgoing people, and the ones who end up looking mortified at some point during their visits.

Through all of these delightful people, I can admit readily that I’ve never actually witnessed an actual confession between two people. You wouldn’t think that this is the place for that kind of thing, mostly. It still makes me shake my head a little when I think about it.

It’s not all that unusual that we’ll get little groups coming in. Most come in alone, but I’ve had some coming in, in pairs, in trios, groups of four now and again but only once did I have someone come in with more than four. There were seven of them in the store at once, it made the place very cramped but hey, they all bought something, on that day.

Earlier today while dealing with another delivery, meaning Reina was manning the front and I was fine unpacking our deliveries since she hates to, the drama queen, we had a trio come in through the door. Now, it’s early in the new year, our visitors usually fluctuate. We get people that were dumped and that are looking for a replacement partner—that one always makes me smile—we get others that are mock-regulars and who come in a few times a year, at times just to look, at times to replace a well-worn item.

I was mostly in the back, but with the new items I was unpacking, I was moving to the front to move older items elsewhere so I could make room for the new ones. It rotates the stock around the store and gives a place of honour for the new stuff.

I was moving a mostly empty display further to the back since I knew how little it sold and we weren’t going to get any new ones, as was, when I came across our three shoppers. All three girls, probably not very far into their eighteenth year of delightful life. I mean, we are a sex shop, if you’re not eighteen, you’re not supposed to come in. Some do come in at sixteen or seventeen, but we card everyone when they come to the register. At least, if they’re buying something other than some of the lingerie, we card them. It’s a weird way to go at things, but our boss is lenient on letting them get away with buying sexy clothes. It’s good for our sales.

Anyway, the girls were looking at a small display of portable, battery-operated little fun ones that are pretty popular with most of our visitors. I’m quiet on my feet so they probably didn’t really hear me come up, they were quietly chatting together, just looking at what was on display. I was only a few paces away after having dropped the other display further back. I was setting up a new collection and they were talking about this cute new guy that was in their class.

It’s sweet, in a way, to hear others talk about things like these, especially when they gently start to tease one another about finally gathering the courage to confess. If it had sounded like more than just friendly banter, I admit that I would have actually stepped in, but as it was clear they were all very close to one another and it was playful teasing, I let it be. Eventually, though I did clear my throat to let them know I was there since I needed to go exactly to the spot where they were at, but that was it.

They startled at the sound of me, looking wide-eyed and almost redder than some of the fire-red fantasy stuff we sell. That part always amuses me to no end, though I never really tease about it. Not everyone is comfortable while buying sex toys and I’m here to just make sure our visitors get what they might be looking for. It’s that simple, in the end.

I let Reina take care of them, though. I’m pretty sure she’d been ogling them all the while they’d been inside anyway. I was just happy to finish taking care of the delivery, in the end.

They’ve known each other for years. They’re dating! Shouldn’t they be over the whole awkward phase?

 
Timeline/World: Story – Fire
Characters: Lyle Kingston
Race: Human
Age: 29
Final Word Count: 728 words
 

---

“Some people just don’t get over their awkward phases, just leave them alone.” Reina shoots me a look that screams, ‘what do you know?’ and I can only quirk a brow. It’s not because I’ve only ever had Spencer in my life and as a partner that I don’t know about potentially having an awkward phase. We were friends forever and we sort of transitioned into dating pretty smoothly, at least once we’d figured things out and had gotten Daniela to stop acting like a princess who owned it all but still.

Going out on dates was awkward; we were just so used to being friends that just adding on the hand-holding or anything more was a little strange but with a little time, it became second nature. What made things awkward was my twin still giving us the stink-eye every so often but it’s one of those things. It’s why we moved out as soon as we could. She’s my twin; I would have given her the moon if she’d just given me a meagre amount of respect.

To her, I think I was just that slightly older brother—though she argued that point often—who she could use as a step-stool to get to everything that was possibly just barely out of her reach. I wasn’t really so much her brother as I was a useful tool for her. She never let me have anything of mine, not really. That’s for another story, however, and I don’t think I want to get into that. Not when I still have a couple of hours at work and Reina is still giving me weird looks.

The place is empty. It’s rare we both work at the same time except when we get big deliveries as we need someone at the back to unpack and someone manning the front. Today so happened to be one of these days and I let her man the front while I unpack stuff and put it out on the shelves. I rotate our stock, so to speak. I move one themed set of items from spot A, move it to spot B, so spot A can be used for new stuff and so on. I’m pretty sure most stores are this way.

“Seriously. They’ve known one another for years. They’re dating. They should be over that awkward phase by now, it was cute at first but now it’s just weird.”

It’s tempting to just ignore her but that would only get her on my case. This is the woman who lusts after every pretty curvy woman that enters the store. I don’t think she knows what awkward is. I don’t remember the last time she mentioned a relationship. She much prefers one-night stands and the presence of battery-operated significant others.

“Reina, your brother will get over his awkward phase with his partner whenever it happens. I’m sure it can be strange for him at this point. They might have known one another for years but it doesn’t change the fact that people change over the years and when you move from being someone’s friend to being their partner, things are different. Which, by the way, you can’t exactly argue your way out of, as far as I know, you’ve never been in a relationship.”

Her dramatic sigh does make me roll my eyes as I go back to unpacking stuff and putting it away. At least now I’ll have some peace. She brightens up as the bell above the door rings and I just turn back to my work. I’m only supposed to be here until I’m done with this and I told Spencer I’d be done in time for lunch. The delivery was late, so that worked against my favour but I sent him a quick text during my break to let him know that things were doing well and that if my ever-loving but bratty coworker could stop being a distraction, I’d be done on time for our lunch date.

You don’t know how much I’m looking forward to that date; I can’t even put it into words. We’re supposed to go to this little pop-up place that we’ve been eyeing all week and they’ll be gone in a few more days, so it’s now or never. So I really gotta finish this up.

It can be very loud.

 
Timeline/World: Story – Fire
Characters: Lyle Kingston
Race: Human
Age: 27
Final Word Count: 630 words
 

---

“You don’t have to talk to me this way, you know.” The look she gives me is one of uptight arrogance and I find myself blinking once, twice, before I look back down to the item on the counter and then back up to her.

“I apologize, I’m not sure what you mean, and I’m just pointing out that this particular item tends to be much louder than the other ones in the series, I meant no disrespect.” Usually, buttering it on pretty thick helps to calm these kinds of people down. Some people are nervous about being in the shop while others usually waltz in like this is nothing more than a pit stop in their lives. Some come in out of dare—the younger crowd usually—and others because they’re trying to explore something new.

I’ve seen all kinds.

Like I’ve been around her type before. She thinks she’s all that. The slightly exaggerated makeup that still defines her and gives her a sort of surreal beauty is nice but it looks more for show than anything else and I’m tempted to peg her for a webcam girl—well, woman. She’s here at least once a month, buying a new toy and more lubricant. Usually, so far, she’d bought items with no batteries or items that had a very low hum power, so I know that warning her that this new buy of hers isn’t going to be as quiet as everything else isn’t all that far-fetched.

She huffs a little as she wanders back out into the aisles and I shake my head, watching her go. I know she’ll buy it; she’ll probably buy something else to go with it. I admit I might have goaded her a little. The last time—three months ago—it happened on accident but it made me realize that a little nudge in a particular direction got her to spend more money than I’m sure she was planning but since she was back the following month, it hadn’t been such a bad thing. Isn’t that what being a good salesperson is about?

The store is a little different from the other ones like it. Sure, we’ve got the sexy outfits, we’ve got the basic BDSM items, and the toys but we also branch out into the somewhat more fantasy side of things. We partnered up with a group here in the city that creates sex toys based on animals, mostly fantasy and some regular ones too. We have a whole corner designated for them and our sales have rocketed since they were brought in.

I’m pretty sure I would have lost my job two years ago if that little work partnership hadn’t been signed up. The sales were way down low, they couldn’t afford to keep me on the payroll but now I work full time and they even have someone else come in now and again because the line of fantasy item sells so well.

Finally, she comes back to the counter and I offer her my best smile. She sets down an item—a slender number from the fantasy side—down and levels me with a look that’s reminding me to ‘know my place’. So I do. I ring her up, tell her what her total is, she pays, I bag up her items and slip in the little sample I’m asked to when a buyer buys for more than a certain amount and I bid her a good day.

If my coworker were here, she’d be staring at the sway of that ass as it went all the way to the door and out. Reina can have that woman, I’m not interested. I’m a one-guy guy and the ring on my finger is all I need.

Look, I can’t even touch my toes.

Timeline/World: Story: Fire
Characters: Lyle Kingston
Race: Human
Age: 26
Final Word Count: 589 words

---

I broke my leg a year or so ago. It was a less than pleasant experience, not even so much for the fact of the cast but for everything else I had to put on hold until I healed and until I could walk again.

By that point, I jogged every morning and every other afternoon, I ran every other weekend, I’d just, in a general sort of way, do a lot of exercise because, well for one it kept me fit, and for two, it just was more comfortable that way for me. I liked to be out there, no matter the temperature.

I don’t even want to remember how the whole break-my-leg thing happened. I don’t want to but I do because the scar that came from this still is vivid against my skin and I hate it with every fibre of my being. I was out jogging, it was a little rainy but still warm so I was wearing my reflective bands, I always do even during the daylight hours, I’ve learned this the hard way. I jog in place on a corner, just waiting for my pedestrian light to turn green and once it does, I start across but no, this asshole just so happens to turn into the lane I was crossing, on his red light and at a speed that defied most physics because he should never have been going this quickly, not in this neighbourhood. Next thing I know, I’m on the ground, howling in pain and he’s nowhere to be seen. The rest is fuzzy except for Spencer sort of magically appearing over me while I was there and no one else seemed to come around.

Ambulance, hospital, nurses and doctors, policemen and one pretty policewoman and just, when I next really came to, I was in a room, leg in a full cast held up by one of those things I’d only ever seen in movies and I wanted to cry.

The time spent at home was just as horrible as I had expected it, too. Not because Spencer wasn’t doting and our mutual friends, as well as our parents, didn’t visit often to keep me company but I hated being stuck in place, I couldn’t even get to the bathroom by myself during the first couple of weeks.

Cast or not cast, I kept up what little exercise I could and I complained about it often enough, usually more out of tired amusement than anything else. I’d do my stretches, trying to lean down to touch my toes, I’ve always been limber for that and it never was an issue but I couldn’t. Trying to do that would pull muscles in my leg and made it ache in a bad way. That one almost made me give it all up but Spencer kept on pushing me in little ways, it was comforting.

I did get better. Little by little, I could eventually touch my toes again and that particular tidbit just made me feel so much better about everything. Once the cast came off, I had to keep things slow. I wanted to jump right back into my exercise routine but my leg still needed some time and I started things back up with slow walks. I’ve only been jogging for a couple of months now, it took so much longer than I wanted to get back to the level I was at but everyone around me was more than a little patience and I’m grateful.

Fire v1.0 – scene 1

“There’s something I have to tell you, Spencer, think we could go elsewhere? It’s a little, uh, private.” Lyle offering the words as clearly as he dared to keep them quiet. There was a lot of people, loud music and he could barely keep track of his own thoughts.

Still he turned his eyes to his childhood friend, desperately hoping they could indeed go elsewhere to talk. What he had to tell his friend couldn’t be spoken about in public. His hopes for a private talk were thwarted as Daniella sat down between them.