The car's headlights appeared out of the mist and rumbled into the parking lot. Theirs was the only car in sight, save one vintage (rusty) auto, which looked like it was on its last legs. Emma stepped out first.
"Are you sure about this place? It looks almost...abandoned."
Sam stood up, stretched out his long, lean, athletic frame and ignored her concerns.
"I'm sure it's part of the "ambiance," he smirked. "These pop-up Halloween places are meant to be spooky."
"I guess," shrugged Emma who was not at all convinced.
There were in a small strip of businesses, on the divided highway between the two nearest towns, both small and quaint. There had been companies occupying these fronts before, as it looked like there may have been a Subway, a Starbucks or the like. The Halloween store was at the end of the line of former stores. All the rest were boarded up, with paper covering the windows, many of which were broken.
"See? There's a light on," grinned Sam. "Hallowerotica," I'm not sure who came up with the idea to combine a Halloween store with a sex shop, but I like it!"
"I'm surprised we haven't heard about it," Emma said nervously. "I mean, this is a conservative area, you'd think we'd have heard about a sex store opening, and about the resulting uproar."
"Eh, maybe people get tired of covering up their true desires," Sam laughed.
He'd actually only discovered the place due to a paper flyer that stuck to his foot, just outside his house. It was ripped in half, only the store name and address were visible. He'd ignored it until the next day when a similar flyer was stuck to the side of the house by the wind.
It was just days before Halloween and it was a very big deal in their small town, as there wasn't much else to celebrate, other than high school football. Sam had been a local star the last two years, quarterbacking a team to the State quarterfinals both years. The team was miserable this year, no doubt due to the fact that Sam was now graduated. He was the homecoming king and one of the "popular" kids. Emma was the girl next door, a natural beauty with dark hair and eyes. Sam was loud, boisterous, Emma was soft spoken and demure. They say opposites attract, but in fact they were together mostly due to their parents urging. They both came to the store with different hopes.
Sam pushed the door open and barged in, before even considering letting Emma in, as was usual. Around the store were the requisite skeletons, mummies, spider webs. The place was illuminated by candles, which Emma was certain was against the fire code. Behind the counter was an elderly looking couple. The woman was tall, statuesque, with horned rimmed glasses, attached by a chain. Her hair was grey but immaculately well tended. The man was shorter, squatty, with hair poking out of the top of his shirt. He had grey hair only on his temples, the rest of his head was smooth, its shininess perfected no doubt by the passage of time.
Sam scanned the shelves for anything of interest. There were rows and rows of sex toys, lubes, paraphernalia. In the corner there were racks of costumes. He had hopes for something for Emma.
The older gentleman approached Sam.
"May I help you find something?"
"Yeah, I kind of want to find something for her."
"Oh? A toy, perhaps?"
"No, well maybe, but mostly an outfit. She's uh...reluctant to come up with anything sexy so I figured there'd be stuff here that might convince her."
"Yes, yes, we have many "daring" outfits. Reluctant you say? Are you sure this is for her? Costumes work better when they work with the person's personality."
"Yeah, she's a bit...cold," Sam offered freely. "Is there anything here that....might help put her in the mood? I mean, I smell incense or something, but does this triple as a weed shop too?" he said, only half joking.
"We have....concoctions that can....help in that area, yes," the man smiled knowingly. "Is it for you, too?"
"Me? Hell no! I'm fine in that area."
"But she's cold, surely that affects you as well."
"Oh, I'm doing fine. She may be cool at times, but some of her friends aren't, if you know what I'm saying? I kind of just...hoped there was something for her....like that."
The older man rubbed his chin, as if considering something. "Be right back." He walked away abruptly.
At the same time, Emma was approached by the woman.
"Can I help you, dear?"
"I don't know. I'm just here for him," Emma said, gesturing to Sam across the store.
"Is everything all right "in that area?" she asked with a pleasant smile.
"Oh, it's fine," Emma lied, before reconsidering, she didn't like lying, even to strangers.
"It's just that, I enjoy sex with him... a lot, but he's....well, he's kind of selfish."
"In what way, dear?" said the woman empathetically.
"Well, he loves getting head, I mean loves it," she said, her face reddening at telling a complete stranger about her sex life.
"Most guys I've ever met, do," the woman laughed.
"I know, and I love pleasing him...and it gives me pleasure doing it, but he won't...you know....return the favor. He says that "good girls" shouldn't want that because it is dirty."
"Wait, so he wants you to suck him off, but he won't go down on you?"
Emma nodded with embarrassment.
"Well that's just absurd. So what did you think you could get here to help that?"
"I don't know, maybe an outfit that might spark his interest, unless you have some kind of love potion or spell in the back room," Emma joked.
"Hmmm, interesting, be right back," the woman said before walking away, just as abruptly as the man had.
