Authors note: I really wasn't planning on writing something else for the Winter Holidays Story Contest, but as I viewed social media with disgust as Black Friday unfolded, I had a sudden idea and churned out this short, sexy satire. It's completely different than my previous entry. Again its satire, so of course it's unrealistic (at least, parts of it). No minors under the age of 18 are involved in any sexual situations. Comments appreciated!
* It was 3:45 am on Friday, November 28
th
, 2014; otherwise known as Black Friday in the States. There were already hundreds of shoppers crowded by the entrance of Big Box Mart, hoping to get the best deals. Flat screen TVs from $99.97! Tablets from 39.99! Buy two get one free blenders!
In the sea of suburbanite women with dyed hair, jeweled jeans, and purses the size of dog carriers, two Black Friday participants stood apart from the crowd. Technically, they were definitely in the crowd and fairly close to the front doors too, meaning they must've arrived especially early to guarantee getting the best sales.
Joe was one of the relatively few men in the crowd, towering above the others. Also different was the fact that you couldn't even tell what brand his jeans were, one of his shoes were held together by duct tape, and he was wearing just a plain blue flannel. Joe had messy short black hair and a 5 o'clock shadow. He was holding hands with a very attractive, thin woman, also appearing to be in her late 20s, with long, bleach-blond hair and eyes made up in three shades of purple that coordinated well with her plum lips. She was wearing a gray sweater dress with leggings, a decorative scarf, and knee-length, high-heeled black boots.
A few feet away stood a woman who also didn't seem to fit in. Gina was of a short, curvy build; wearing yoga pants, a State University hoodie, and tennis shoes. Her black hair was pulled up into a messy pony tail, which didn't look like it had been brushed at all, and she wore thick eyeglasses. She wore no make-up on her olive-toned skin, and was sipping coffee from a heavy-duty mug. She was accompanied by an older woman with similar facial features, who was a bit shorter and a lot thicker than Gina. Her black hair was streaked with silver, and she used a cane.
Joe and Gina stood next to their companions in miserable silence wishing they were still in bed, but now eager for Black Friday to just go ahead and get started and over with. It was finally 3:59 am and the Big Box Mart store clerks were unlocking the store doors with trembling hands and nervous glances at the crowd.
The crowd all rushed in at once to dire consequences. A shopper towards the front tripped and fell, leading to a chain reaction until nearly all the shoppers were in a huge mass of fallen bodies -- hundreds and hundreds of shoppers, all piled on top of each other. The pile of shoppers spanned the entire space of the large store lobby, from floor to ceiling, from the women's casual wear department on the left, to the women's dress wear department on the right, and to the women's sportswear department straight ahead.
Joe and his girlfriend landed near the bottom-center of the pile of shoppers, nestled right next to Gina and her mom. They were, perhaps, four to six body-widths up from the bottom. Gina's mom provided a nice cushion for Gina and Joe, who were immediately next to each other, while Joe's girlfriend was stretched crosswise above them. Extra arms, legs, and other appendages came in from all directions. Gina's right eye was dangerously close to someone's spiked heel, and she had lost her glasses somewhere. She squirmed a little closer to Joe, the best she could, to avoid getting her eye stabbed out.
"Jesus fucking Christ!" Joe complained loudly, "Who the fuck needs three blenders anyways?"
"Joe!" his girlfriend corrected, irritably, "We're not here for the blenders, we got those last year. I swear, you don't pay attention to anything. You're going straight to electronics for iPhone speakers while I go to the shoe department. Got it?"
"Oh dear," muttered Gina's mom, "Do you think I can still get a TV for a hundred bucks?"
"I don't even want to hear it, Mom. Ok, just shut it. This is it. I can't fucking believe it. This is definitely the worst I have ever seen Black Friday get. We've never been in a huge fucking pile of people like this before! I've had it. This is the last time I'm doing Black Friday with you, or anyone, and this time I mean it! You know, I even put my coffee in a spill-proof mug this year. But guess what, Mom, it spilt! Again! And this time, someone below us probably has a second degree burn. How do you feel about that, Mom? Huh, how do you feel about that? Is a cheap TV still fucking worth it?"
"Well, honestly, I feel a little bad about that, honey. Because you're so damn grouchy without your coffee -- talking to your mom like that. And you don't have to swear like a sailor in front of all these nice people."
They didn't seem to mind Gina's swearing, but they also didn't seem to truly grasp the severity of their situation. Shoppers from all sides expressed concern about the sales they were missing. A woman at Joe's left side was in tears because she just knew she wouldn't get the 12-piece cookie press set, which she explained had the only Christmas cookie cutter shape she didn't already own - baby Jesus himself.
A young woman near Gina was freaking out that she couldn't reach her iPhone to text her bestie. She became more hysterical with every second she couldn't wrestle her phone out of her back pocket, desperately pleading, "Anyone, can anyone text my bestie for me, tell her I want 5 pairs of those $2 leggings -- in black, purple, nude, teal, and pink -- hot pink, not soft pink. Please, anyone, please? Help me!"
Gina was getting more pissed by the minute, especially about her spilled coffee and lost glasses. She could barely see a thing - only those closest to her. Joe was also credulous, but at least appreciated the position of his girlfriend, Ashley, laying prone above him.
After a few minutes of such complaints, the Big Box Mart speaker system announced, "Thank you for shopping at Big Box Mart. We value your business. Do not worry, we prepared for an event of this sort. This is not an emergency, we repeat, this is not an emergency. But to be on the safe side, we are supplying extra oxygen into the crowd."
"It's a clusterfuck, not a crowd! A big fucking pile of sweaty, crazy shoppers!." Joe bitterly interjected. Gina thought Joe was the only person who made any sense.
The store announcement continued, "Safety Associates have arrived and will assist women and children first. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused for you. To show our appreciation for your patience and patronage, we are extending our Black Friday specials by one hour and shoppers today will get an extra 10% off of all holiday items. We have increased the volume of our holiday music so that even those in the center of the crowd can continue enjoying the holiday cheer while you await further assistance."
The pile of shoppers cheered.
"Safety Associates?" questioned Gina, "Try, rescue workers. Ugh. At least I'll never, ever, have to do this again. Got that mom -- never, ever again!"
"I hear you, Gina. Geez. You're such a poor sport anyways. Agreed, but on the condition that we stop by the holiday section before leaving today. An extra 10%! And they already had all the Christmas tree ornaments buy one get one half off!"
"Mom! We're Jewish!"