This is the first chapter of a several part story; comments and critiques are always appreciated! This is my first attempt at a 3rd person story—enjoy! All characters are over 18.
Window Shopping
Two Sugars, Extra Cream
James was like most twenty somethings in suburbia, and he knew it. In fact he banked on it.
He drove his silver Honda Accord out of the neighborhood streets and set for the highway, lazily heading for the city. James took the time to signal and merge appropriately while consulting his GPS frequently. He knew the area well but wanted to seem like every other lost Joe in a car—out for a weekend drive and oblivious to the world rushing around his sensible car. Except he wasn't oblivious.
Some might call it OCD, but his meticulous nature is what suited him best for his job as a building inspector. At least that's what he told himself and anyone who asked. On the agenda today was a large upscale mall—Crowne Plaza—five stories of modern steel trusses, high density "glass" and concrete with ample public space. A large atrium and fountain occupied the center of the mall; movie theaters, an opera hall and a 5-star hotel dotted the perimeter. Everything was connected by elevated walkways, escalators, and elevators with see through bottoms; a mezzanine overlooked the bay and Crowne Yacht Club. All in all, Crowne Plaza was a marvel of engineering and construction expertise.
Today's visit would be unofficial though. James liked to take in the sights before getting to work, and nothing got him ready for work like a day of window shopping. Today he was just another face in the Saturday shopping crowd, minding his Smartphone and Cinnabun more than where he was walking.
The mall was packed with back to school shoppers and teenagers enjoying the last few days of summer. The stores were gearing up for the prime shopping season that was just around the corner—new clerks, new layouts, and new policies. Extra security guards had been added for the upcoming seasonal rush and were being put through their paces by the full time staff. James took the time to notice them all.
He saw every couple and flirty girl, newbie clerk and guard, every seasonal vendor and every janitor. That was his gift, being able to see everything and process it at once. James made a point to leisurely walk each wing, noting each store's orientation to the service halls, before ducking into the Barnes and Noble magazine rack. It was always easier to people watch from behind a magazine. So, after selecting the latest edition of Popular Science, he backed into a corner of the Starbucks. There he sipped his hot chocolate and pretended to be too engrossed in the latest generation of turbine technology to notice his surroundings.
But he did notice them. In particular he noticed that only one guard came through the store in over an hour. She was a compact woman dressed in a sharp officer's uniform. Her olive skin complimented her jet black hair, which was pulled into a taut ponytail. She moved briskly around the exterior of the store, scanning the shelves systematically, but not seeming to look for anything in particular.
After her rounds she walked past James' corner to the cute barista behind the counter. The guard was noticeably trim and athletic with a hint of muscle bristling beneath her soft skin. Her utility belt and tactical pants did little to hide her round ass from view and before he knew it, she was departing with her coffee. James made a mental note to introduce himself to the guard at some point during his business stay. Now that she had left, James found himself making eye contact with the barista who flashed him a warm smile.
"Hey there, do you need a refill?" the young barista asked while approaching James.
She appeared college age, or perhaps just out of college; a petite blonde with her hair in a sloppy bun and sporting a slightly too large Starbucks polo beneath her black apron. She looked a bit frazzled from a long day at work, but her blue eyes still sparkled and her cute face was well framed with a small nose and a dash of freckles.
"Sure, that'd be great," James responded, standing to hand her the cup—"gah!" James staggered off balance, knocking the packets of sweeteners to the floor and making a general mess of his cocoa.
"Oh, are you ok?" the barista asked.
"Yea—uh, I'm fine. I'm so sorry—I'm very clumsy," James explained as he stooped down with the barista to begin picking up the mess.
"It's ok, I am too," she stated, as the clumsy pair knelt on the floor.
"Well not quite fine, I spilled my drink all over my pants," James feigned a sheepish smile. "Is there a place I could wash up?" he asked as the last of the packets were put back in place.
"Oh, you DID make a mess didn't you?" The barista blushed, looking down at the cocoa covered slacks and noticing a bulge in his crotch, "Yeah, right this way."
"Thanks, I'm James," he stated, extending his hand for a firm shake that was neither wimpy nor overbearing.
"Sandi. No problem," she replied while eyeing her dashing customer. James was a lean 5'11" with a strong jaw-line and a well groomed, clean cut look. His black hair matched his dark brown eyes and light unshaven stubble that rounded out his dominant, but friendly image. Sandi's mind flashed again to his tented pants and she wondered just how big his cock was while trying to avoid staring.
It occurred to her this was his sly attempt at a pickup—and a fairly good attempt thus far. Sandi wrestled with ways to innocently tear his pants off or politely excuse herself from the situation. Her petite figure led the way and she gave a little extra wiggle to her ass, taunting James as the two went into the service entrance.
She quelled the butterflies in her stomach attempting to remind her how many policies she was breaking for this stranger—the
least
