Chapter 3 Cyndi
It was another Saturday. Working in this store, I was used to all types of people coming in, including some who were stinking wealthy.
Those were the kinds I disliked because of how they treated everyone around them.
They were conceited bitches and pricks. They thought the rest of us were here to please them and allow them to abuse us.
I had no use for anyone who acted that way.
Therefore, when the door opened, and four men strolled inside, I was at first curious.
It was clear that they were good-looking men.
What woman didn’t appreciate some eye candy?
I glanced over at my best friend, Brenda.
We were fortunate to get jobs working in the same shop, which meant we shared the same hours.
I mainly dealt with the jewelry side, and she was the master scent maker.
She had a gift for combining the perfect fragrance for someone. Brenda had her eyes on the men.
When one of them turned more, I swallowed the gasp that almost escaped.
I recognized him and the other one right behind him.
They were Sean and Cormac O’Sheeran, sons of the O’Sheeran family.
Anyone who wasn’t a total hermit had heard of them and seen their photos on the news.
The O’Sheerans of Florida were rumored to be an Irish Mafia family. Not someone you wanted to fuck with.
A shiver ran through me. They exuded dangerous alpha energy.
You messed with them only if you had a death wish.
I lowered my head, but I couldn’t stop myself from peeking through my lashes.
Carlos practically ran over to kiss their asses.
He was such a kiss-up and a back-stabbing asshole.
He constantly cheated the rest of us out of commissions.
It was why Brenda and I were hunting for new jobs.
We preferred to work in the same place and shift, but if that weren’t possible, we’d deal as long as we could make a living and stay together as roommates in our tiny apartment. Brenda sidled up to me.
“Cyndi, am I seeing things, or is that Cormac and Sean O’Sheeran?” she whispered.
I nodded as I answered, “No, you’re not seeing things, Bren. It’s them. I’ve never heard of any of them coming in here. I wonder why they’re slumming?” I asked.
At that moment, the two men standing quietly behind the O’Sheerans turned their heads.
Their watchful gazes landed on us and stayed there.
Refusing to let them see me squirm, I peered back at them.
I knew my bestie was doing the same. The way they held themselves, combined with the fact that I saw another guy standing outside the shop’s door, suggested they had to be bodyguards.
I thought I saw one of the guards’ mouths twitch, but then it was gone.
I probably imagined it. They resumed scanning the place.
“Excuse me, miss, but I’d like to see this necklace,” a woman not far from us piped up.
She was here with a man. Since they both wore matching rings, I assumed they were married. Leaving Brenda, I hurried down the line of display cases to assist them. It took me a little while to get them taken care of. In the end, they walked out happy with their purchase.
Because Carlos was busy hovering close to the mobsters, I’d get the commission, unless he found a way on the back end to steal it.
That had happened in the past as well. When accused, there was always an excuse for why one of us hadn’t earned it.
The owner never came in, so there was no way to complain about Carlos.
For some reason, the owner trusted the weaselly prick to oversee the store and employees.
I trusted him as far as I could toss a car.
“Nice job, Cyn. Maybe this week we’ll be able to eat more than ramen.” Bren smiled.
“Thanks, and yes, we might. How about you? Did that woman buy a custom scent or one of the mass-produced perfumes?”
Brenda sighed. “The mass produced. She didn’t want to take the time to answer a few questions so that I could mix up something for her. I swear, I don’t understand why everyone wants to smell alike,” she grumbled.
I hugged her. “I don’t either. I love smelling like no one else. And we both constantly get compliments on how we smell, and people ask where we got it.”
“At this rate, I’ll never be able to open my own business making and selling them,” she said dejectedly. That was her dream.
“I think you will. We just have to be patient. And when you’re a raging success, don’t forget me.”
“I could never forget you,” she objected.
We were softly laughing when two massive bodies planted themselves across from us. Raising my gaze, I knew who it was before I saw his face. It was Cormac O’Sheeran. His brother was next to him, studying Brenda.
“We want you ladies to show us what in here you believe is the best gift. We’re looking for two of them,” Cormac stated.
Undoubtedly, to give to their latest floozies.
Besides the crimes they were suspected of being involved in, the other thing most reported on about this family was the women they were with.
They changed women like I changed my panties.
It was clear these guys weren’t looking for a real woman.
The kind that they could settle down with.
They were out for quantity and easy sex, a.k.a.
floozies. However, their personal lives weren’t what was important right now.
It was making a sale. Carlos was across the room, caught up by a regular customer he insisted he always wait on.
He was throwing panicked looks our way. I ignored him.
“We can do that. I can show you several pieces of jewelry that might be suitable. Brenda can mix custom scents if you’d prefer those.”
“Custom scents? You mean a perfume no one else has?” Sean asked, looking at Brenda.
“Yes, that’s exactly what I do. All I need is for you to fill out a short questionnaire about the lady you want the perfume for.
I use that and come up with a unique fragrance for each one.
I have dozens of essential oils that can be used,” Bren explained.
Her voice grew animated. It always did when she spoke of her beloved fragrances.
Sean turned to his brother. “What do you say, Cor? What do you think of the idea of getting them both a piece of jewelry and a custom perfume?”
“I think that sounds like a great idea. What do you want us to start first?” he directed to me.
Before I could answer, we were interrupted by an agitated Carlos.
“Ladies, run along. I’m taking care of these gentlemen. Why don’t you go clean up the storage room or dust? Just one of you stay out here in case other customers come in,” he instructed.
Knowing there was no use arguing with him, I turned away as I murmured, “If you’ll excuse me.”
It was all I was capable of squeezing out between my gritted teeth. One of these days, I’d tell Carlos where he could shove all these jewels. Brenda murmured something along the same lines and moved with me. We froze when Sean O’Sheeran growled menacingly.
“We want them, not you. They’ve consented to show us their recommendations in jewelry and how to have a unique perfume made for each lady.”
“I can show you numerous jewelry recommendations that I know you’ll love.
As for the perfume, Brenda will still mix up something.
Somehow, her silly questions supposedly help her determine what will work.
I think it’s all a guess. That way, there’s no muddying who the proper assistant is,” Carlos responded.
“You mean it won’t allow them to earn a commission. Do you often steal from your staff? You look like you do. Ladies, a question. Do you earn solely a wage, or a mix of salary and commission, or all by commission?” Cormac asked.
“We get a small base pay, and then the rest has to be earned by our commissions,” I told him. Carlos glared at me.
“And how often does Carlos swoop in and take the customers for himself?” Sean asked. His gaze was locked with Brenda’s. She hesitated a few seconds, then answered him.
“Seventy percent of the time, though, we can do all the work, and he still ends up with the commission, so the percentage is higher when you take that into consideration.”
“Misters O’Sheeran, I can assure you I do no such thing. These two are jealous that my work earns way more than theirs. I’ve told them that if they worked harder, they could earn a higher income. Plus, as the manager, it’s my place to assist our top customers.”
I clenched my fists to keep from taking a swipe at him. I heard a barely audible chuckle from one of the four men across the case from me.
“We don’t have time for bullshit. Either these two ladies help us and get the commission, or we leave. What’s it to be? Don’t think your boss will be happy to hear you screwed him out of profit because you were greedy,” Sean said.
It left me with a deep sense of glee seeing Carlos wilt and back down.
I held in my cheer somehow. In two minutes or less, we were alone with the mobsters.
Carlos had gone to the far side of the store.
His eyes were shooting daggers at us. Determined to make this sale, I smiled and got to work with Brenda.