My name is Janice, but everyone except my grandparents calls me Jay or J.
I originally wrote this story 10 years ago when I was 20 years old.
It was published on a couple of sites back then.
At the time it was my little secret admission of guilt, like a Catholic confession of sorts.
A few years ago I came across it again online and saw that it was too brief and clumsy.
I intended to re-write it and then submit it.
Recently I received an email, the person wrote that they loved the story. They wanted to edit, credit (me) and publish it elsewhere.
I gave it some thought and it hit me, I couldn't do that.
This, the story really happened. As mentioned before, this was my confession and I couldn't have someone else go into the confession box.
Furthermore, I intended to write more.
Why? Because this was the beginning. It changed things and had me experience things I may not have.
Please note that 10 years on, we change, my language is more colorful.
I'm very forward now, where I was naive then.
Things that may have freaked me out then, I would now be open-minded about. They're just a few examples.
I mention it because while re-writing, I've tried to stay as that young woman but I apologize for those parts where I couldn't.
I am hoping the emailer and those that read this amended and more in-depth version, enjoy it.
I shall now try to redeem myself.
______________________
I was 20 years old and working in a very cool high retail clothing store.
The store had both male and female clothing
Being young, attractive and with long blond hair, the results? A lot of attention from males.
Almost daily, I found myself holding up my left hand and then, observing a look of disbelief.
That hand had a beautiful diamond ring alongside a simple gold band.
Their look was one that took me some time to work out.
A little about me now as I don't want you thinking I'm a hick or from a deeply religious cult where child brides are the norm.
I began modeling when I was just 8 years old.
At 15 it got to be a profession, my parents were very supportive.
On their part, a lot of driving and waiting up late nights.
I was almost fully grown around that time.
178 cms or 5 feet 10 inches in height, slim build from diet and rigorous exercise.
Natural blonde hair and from my part of the world, a natural tan as the sun is always shining.
Modeling, It's a lot of work, and at times I questioned why I was doing it.
The money was great but I was seeing very little as my parents had me put it straight into a bank account.
My husband Scott is 22 and now running the PR department of a large company.
We met two years ago, a modeling assignment for me, a PR advertising task for him.
It was his first taking the lead.
I treated him like all other men, politely, professionally and gently declining approaches toward a date.
He was... Persistent! I eventually gave him my number, well my home number knowing my parents would be my buffer.
He rang and with one call he had my mother wishing she could divorce my father and marry Scott.
She convinced me that I needed to get out, learn to be social and then went as far as committing me to go on a date.
Those two things did not endear Scott with my father.
Just over a year later we were married and yes, I was a virgin.
Being social, that was one of the big sacrifices of modeling, I never had a real social life as a teenager. I wasn't awkward, or even shy. I came across a lot more mature than I was. I didn't know that at the time.
That supposed maturity coupled with the aura of modeling alienated me at school.
Not one single male I went to school with ever asked me out.
Like any teenager I was interested in puppy love, there were a couple of boys I liked.
The only date, that I can remember, turned out to be a non-event.
It was about 6 months before I met Scott.
Emily was on the books at the same modeling agency as I was.
She had started young too. We had shared many things and were very close friends.
We had basically grown up together and it was a no brainer that she was my maid of honor.
Back to that one and only dating experience.
Emily, Em was pleading with me to go to the movies with her, a double date. She was really into this guy and his friend knew of me, they had watched us model. I was shaking my head no.
She begged, she'd owe me a big one. Trying to get out of it I asked what the movie was. It was actually something I really wanted to see. I had possibly organized with my mother to go later in the week.
What the hell I thought, not letting on and acting like the friend who sacrificed all, I agreed.
It was a non-event for me, I watched and enjoyed the movie.
I was naive, I can laugh now, my shh-ing him when he tried to engage me in whispers.
Still, it worked out for Em, he became boyfriend number xx for a period.
How and why this retail store and being promoted to Manager after 4 weeks.
It was a small compromise I had to make for my marriage.
I will say first that Scott had zero to do with it. It was my parent's advice, timing and the owner of the retail chain.
A short version is - stability, a base and for my mother, it showed I took my marriage seriously.
The Assistant Manager was the real manager, she was related to the owner and managed more than I did.
This wasn't because my work ethic was bad, it was because of my modeling assignments. As long as they were booked, I was off. That was how the owner and his wife sold me on their offer.
I only missed out on those emergency, last minute, chaotic assignments, and there were only a few of those. So all in all, it was a pretty sweet deal.
What wasn't so good was, now six or so months in, I was bored.
The same four walls, the stock came, the stock sold, some stock got returned.
Married life? In my case, a young person's first serious relationship.
We have a great relationship but our sex life had become dull.
Most of the time it was just once a week, going through the motions.
Occasionally a bonus romp, usually if we go out clubbing.
Why? I haven't worked it out but, he seems to get turned on when guys flirted with me. The sex then gets quite passionate which makes me happy.
Yes, I said happy, it will become clearer, why I used that word descriptively.
The store where I work is in the city center, located in a huge arcade.
By now I had gotten to know the people who work in the surrounding stores.
Some are just a casual wave hello, others a brief chat with.
Then there are some that I'll have lunch with, in the food court.
And, of those people, they are all females except for one, Dan.
A lot of the girls claim he is a flirt, if that is so, he had never shown that to me.
I, therefore, assumed it was because he knew I was married.
At that time he was a very good looking guy, but I had seen plenty of those in my career.
To me, he was just a fun lunchtime companion, good conversation and he loved a laugh.
There had been whispers, girly gossip about his prowess and even more about something else.
Which meant zero to me, because back then, I was clueless about any euphemisms relating to a large penis.
Once a month the roster had me working a late-night Friday shift, I start at 4 pm and finish at midnight.
It was on a late Friday shift, after 6 pm and it was very quiet in the store.
We had a very hot day, the beginning of summer and it felt like a heatwave.
The arcade had very few people around which confirmed it.
The casual, a young girl assisting me had been sniffling with a cold of all things, so I sent her home.
She had been fiddling around with the temperature settings so much that the shop was quite warm. I turned it as low as it would go but it barely made a difference, it was broken.
I was very bored, the displays, stock, all completed. now time just dragged on...
Then at about 10, Dan came in, we chatted as he looked at clothes.
He had the weekend free and decided to buy new threads tonight as he wanted to go out the following night.
I helped him pick out some clothing, then trailed him to the dressing room.
I stood outside and we resumed talking as he tried the clothes on.
