I was wandering through the mall after doing a bit of late night shopping on Thursday night. There weren't many people around so I figured enough was enough and headed for the exit.
I was passing one of those classy little boutiques that pop up in the mall every so often. They thrive for a while and then seem to vanish again. What attracted my attention was the woman lounging bored on the counter at the back of the store.
Cherri had been my girlfriend a few years back. I say girlfriend advisedly, as it had never been more than a boy/girl sort of thing. Me wanting, but not really knowing what I wanted, and too nervous to ask her in case she did know and laughed at me. I thought I'd wander in and say hullo.
Cherri was surprised to have a customer enter, even more surprised to find it was an old wannabe boyfriend. She laughed in surprise and we fell to talking about the things that we'd done over the last few years, catching up on mutual friends that had drifted away from one or the other of us.
I mentioned that there seemed to be a lack of custom right then, and Cherri laughed.
"You've got that right," she said. "This time of the evening is dead. It may pick up for a short while just before we close, but right now, nothing."
"Then that gives me an idea," I said, smiling. "I assume that you're allowed to take the occasional break if you need one?"
At her nod, I continued.
"One of the things I really regret from when we were together is the fact that I was always too nervous to get into your pants. Why don't you shut up for a short while and let me take you into the back room and make up for what I missed."
Cherri giggled. "Right," she said. "As though that's going to happen."
I just continued smiling at her. "Why not?"
"Why not? Because people just don't do that sort of thing," she told me.
"Of course they do. All the time. I bet that twenty percent of the staff in this place have been screwed while at work. Actually, it's probably nearer fifty percent. These places are real dens on iniquity."
"Well I haven't," Cherri said, thinking that this would finish the conversation.
"Then why should you miss out? All you need to do is stick up a little 'back in ten minutes' sign, and then I can take you out back and slowly peel those clothes off you, tasting your breasts as I take off your bra, cupping your pussy through your panties so you can anticipate what is going to happen once I peel them down."
Cherri flushed. "You're certainly not as nervous as you used to be," she observed. "But we could get caught. They're cameras in the back room."
"They're only checked if stuff goes missing," I pointed out, "and there won't be cameras in the changing room. We can use one of those. The biggest one you have," I added. "With mirrors in it."
"I couldn't," said Cherri, but I didn't reply this time. She'd stopped arguing with me and was now arguing with herself.
"No, really," she said, looking at me. "We'd never get away with it."
"Why not? You're entitled to a short break if nature calls and nature is definitely calling. It's not your fault that there's no-one to take over. Just shut up for a little while and be open before the last half hour rush starts."
She was tempted, I could see. An illicit break during work, and the thought of some forbidden sex was also appealing. She'd be able to giggle with her friends and say 'one night at work...'.
Suddenly she opened a drawer under the counter and pulled out some keys and a small sign. She closed the doors and locked them before hanging up the sign. Then she returned and indicated that I should follow her.
Cherri didn't take me to the back room but into a large changing room, with mirrors all around.
"We use this room for groups," she told me. "Especially bridesmaids all trying on the same type of dress. This'll be a first for this room."
Looking around, I shook my head.
"I wouldn't bet on it," I told her. "A room like this, some of the other staff have probably been tempted, possibly even during busy periods. Ever have a staff member go missing at times."
Cherri looked shocked, then her eyes opened and she suddenly seemed very thoughtful. I wondered who she suspected of being up to sexual shenanigans?
Cherri seemed to relax more once it occurred to her that she wasn't the only one to make illicit use of the changing room. She smiled at me and reached up to undo her blouse, and looked slightly startled when I stopped her.