He looked visibly relieved. "True, she would, wouldn't she? Okay. That one please, Freya."
Usually we gift-wrapped items, but John asked me to just put it in the box and in the bag. He paid and then he just hovered in the doorway.
"Erm, is everything okay, John?" I asked him, noticing he seemed a bit nervous and jumpy. Oh no.
My fears became reality as he walked back into the store and dropped to his knees. What was even worse was Joelle was at the side of me now having finished with her customer. My humiliation was going to be witnessed by my enemy.
John fumbled with the bag, discarding it to the floor. Customers gathered around watching as he opened the ring box.
He took a deep breath. "Will you marry me?" He said.
"John, no. Don't be ridiculous." I yelled.
As Joelle screamed, "Yes."
I stood back and watched stunned as he put the ring on her finger.
A customer laughed to another as she pointed at me. "Poor girl, thought he meant her."
I looked from Joelle to John and back again. Clearly, John had some jewellery fetish, and I began to wonder if there'd ever been a fiancée number one.
Joelle wagged her finger at me and grinned. "Oh look, I have your man now. That's whose pubes I was looking for in between my teeth. You didn't deserve him, ditching him to go fangirl over rock stars you'd never have a chance with."
"Good morning." A voice growled out. "I've come to buy an excessive amount of jewellery and I absolutely insist on Freya serving me."
I spun on my heel to see Rex standing at the side of me.
"Actually, Susan was our next available assistant." Eddie said.
Rex stood up straight and flexed his biceps. "Do you know who I am?" He snarled.
Eddie almost shit his pants. He visibly shrank. "Well, Freya, what are you waiting for? Serve our customer."
"Would you like to come over to my table?" I grinned at Rex. I'd never been so happy to see someone. The customers had lost all interest in the proposal and Joelle's face looked like she'd been forced to eat rabbit droppings.
"Before I go over here, let's say congratulations to the happy couple." I shouted. There was a muted attempt at congratulations and applause, like you'd expected Take That to cut the ribbon at a store and turned up to find a tribute act instead. Eddie quickly got the rest of the staff engaged with the current customers and anyone who'd just rolled in to stare at Rex cleared from the shop. I wanted to punch the air because Joelle was stuck with my ex-boyfriend and had realised now that she was wearing a bargain priced engagement ring. It was just too funny.
I sat down at the table with Rex. "So, before I offer you a drink like I do most customers, would you like to explain what you were doing outside the store?"
He sat back in the chair opposite me and unfolded his legs. They were like frikking tree trunks and stretched his jeans to the max. The bloke was big, but in a stacked and ripped way. As I compared him to my ex, I decided his cock must be three times the size and I swear my core screamed 'I'm not ready' in fear. It certainly had a little flutter.
"Well, while your undies and pillow got me through the night, babe; this morning, I had to come see you for my daily fix." He shrugged. "That, and of course, I wanted to make sure you were okay after your night of indulgence."
"Hmmm. Coffee was it?" I said, and I got up and went into the back room, to the sounds of his laughter ringing in my ears.
I returned with a coffee for us each. "I apologise for um, calling you a dipshit." I reluctantly uttered. "I don't remember, but Erica told me I did it, so I'm sorry, and thank you for getting her to call around."
"You're right. I was a dipshit, not shagging you when I had the chance." He said.
I sat dumbstruck for a moment and then I put my hands over my eyes. "Please tell me I did not say that." I begged.
"Well, I could, but I'd be lying."
Rex decided to save me from any further embarrassment by surreptitiously nodding over towards where Joelle stood with my ex. "So that's your ex and he just proposed to one of the other assistants?"
"Yeah, I think he's got problems." I explained how I'd met him.
"He almost had bigger problems than that." Rex replied.
"Huh?"
"I was watching outside as the guy dropped on bended knee in front of my mate. If it had have been you he'd proposed to, I'd have picked him up and thrown him back out of the store like a javelin." I watched as he took several gulps and deep breaths. "As it is, I'm having problems knowing he's been inside you."
I watched my boss over Rex's shoulder. He kissed Joelle on the cheek, shook John's hand and then steered him out of the store. Then I saw his mouth utter, 'now get back to work'.
"So, that commission and the competitions you were telling me about." Rex stretched and showed me his stomach. I had all on not to drop to my knees and lick it, and I'm not sure I meant his stomach, but I’d start there for sure. I bet his skin would be all salty. I could lick him, take a shot of Tequila and then ride his cock. A Tequila Slam-Her.
"Hmmm, yeah, what about them…?" I no longer gave a shit to be honest. Well, until I felt eyes burning into my face and I turned and saw Joelle. All she needed was 101 Dalmatians and she'd be set.
"I think I should just buy a few really expensive pieces, don't you?" He winked. God, it would be so tempting, but it was like his saying I was his mate. If I got sales, I wanted it to be because I'd done it, that I'd beaten Joelle fair and square. My moral compass had been put in place ever since the guilt of taking someone's boyfriend from them a year ago. Mostly, anyway…
But John chose to walk back into the store then. "Freya. I realise she's not the one for me." He yelled. "I realise I was just trying to make you jealous." He walked over to a stunned Joelle, who took off her ring and threw it at him before running into the back of the store. Then he picked the discarded ring up, walked further towards me, and he started to bend down.
With the ring he'd just given someone else…
In front of the wolf shifter who said he was my mate…
Oh crap.
"Freya. Will you…"
He didn't get any further as Rex picked him up and threw him into the next table.
"She's MINE." He growled, and then he took a syringe out of his pocket and he stabbed himself in the butt. Oh, fuck, he was gonna go furry without it. I ran up and took the discarded syringe and put it safely away in my drawer at my desk.
It was still like witnessing Bruce Banner becoming the Hulk. He roared at John.
Eddie screamed at me. "Get him out of my store. He's scaring away all the customers and causing a commotion."
I went towards John. "Not him. HIM." He pointed at Rex.
I was about to say that Rex would be willing to spend a shitload of money to make up for the fuss, but as I stood there, I realised my career here was done. As much as I'd loved matching people with jewellery, this place would always now be tainted with what John had done, and let's face it Joelle wasn't going to get any better now after this fiasco. Instead, I walked over to Rex and I stroked his arm. It was the only thing I could think of that might calm him down and it seemed to work as he turned to look at me.