Hello everybody. This will be the third 1st chapter story that I have started, but I wanted to make it clear that I do intend on moving on to the next chapter of each of my stories as soon as time allows :)
This story is one with a fairly slow start, but one which will rapidly speed up and benefit from some of the character development featured in this chapter.
Enjoy! :)
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Aurora
My name is Aurora Gladstone and I am overworked, underpaid and underappreciated. I am 33 years old and disappointed with what my life has become.
I work as a pharmacist for a popular chain of stores that sells everything from pain killers to makeup removal. I have been told by my customers that I am "very sweet." Usually old ladies and lecherous men tell me this. Is it surprising that I find such a compliment so hard to believe? Even if it were true, is sweet simply another word for 'small' or 'not assertive?'
When I wake up for work in the morning I tell myself that I will be okay, but oftentimes I feel so nervous and scared about being judged by people, that I really feel the need to put a lot of make up on! My friend Eliza tells me that I don't need to wear make-up, but my boss says that it's mandatory. Eliza tells me that I am "beautiful and kind," but deep down I know that I am worthless and that I will never be as confident or valuable as other people in my field. I feel like the work that I am doing is often arbitrary and, at its worst, soul destroying.
On Saturday nights I like to go out and dance. I particularly enjoy putting on my favourite coloured contacts (green), a shiny diamond pendant, crimson red lipstick, mascara and my lovely blue capri dress. When I dress like this, I feel, even if just for a little while, a little bit special and protected from the scrutiny of others.
This Saturday, my BFF Eliza has agreed to come out with me. Eliza is 27, an architect, and if you ask me, she is amazingly talented. She has worked really hard designing one of the biggest skyscrapers in the whole city! She showed me the blueprints once, and while it was difficult to gauge how it would look in reality, I could tell that it would be thin, elegant and impressive, just like Eliza.
Eliza says that she will come and pick me up soon, so that we can go together to club Helios. I have never been before, and I hope that the music will be something that both of us can dance too. I am sitting on the end of the bannister from the short staircase that leads up to my room. I don't know why, but I feel a strange mix of nervousness and excitement. I have not seen Eliza for so long! While I do have some friends at work and from high school, no other friend is as kind, funny and bubbly as Eliza. When I do not see her for a while, it often feels like a light has gone out above my head. As corny as it sounds, she really is the light in my life. Out of nervousness I begin to rub my legs together. I am so grateful that I have shaved them, and I really hope that I did a perfect job and that there are not any errant hairs that I missed.
After pulling out my phone and checking the top reddit links for the day, I hear a quick rap on the door followed by a squeal.
"Eliza!"
I open the door, and barely have time to register the blur before it is on me with her arms around me.
"Hi honey!"
We put our cheeks together and do air kisses to prevent out make up from smudging.
"How are you?" She asks while beaming.
Eliza is 6'2, has shoulder blade length auburn blonde hair with dark blue eyes, and a knock out figure. We like to go the gym together and I know from experience how nicely toned her bum, abs and shoulders are.
"Not too bad. How about you bubble butt?" I give her bum a small complementary squeeze, and she returns the favour.
"Rock hard!" We say, while giggling at the same time.
We developed this joke after noticing this muscly, bald and especially creepy guy staring lecherously at us in the gym a few months ago while we were riding the exercise bikes. I suspect that Eliza predicted me to feel awkward and self-conscious and as such, she did her best to distract me. She started by grabbing my bum with her right hand, pushing my shoulder length ash brown hair aside with her left hand and kissing my left cheek. "What a rock hard ass darling!" She said while winking.
Instead of feeling nervous as I thought I would at such an expected turn of events, I comfortably leaned into her and said, just loud enough for the guy behind to hear me:
"with comments like that, it's no wonder you are the girl for me!"