The Leader, The Badass, & The Freak

His stomach lurched when his father made an unsettling declaration. Stunned, Josh glared at his father's back as he left the store for his lunch break. He stared at the shutting front door, scowling, arms crossed. Josh wasn't sure how to break the news to his friends, his coworkers. Their tight trio was about to be interrupted if his dad went through with his plan. Even as store manager and the owner's son, he had no say in his father's decision.

With no customers in the store, Josh forwent the fake, warm smile he had to force on his face. He gave the door his father left through the finger and went to the back of the store. He passed through the huge shelves full of used books crowding the small space and threw open the back office's door. His two colleagues had already decided to take a lunch break since business was slow that day. Josh felt too sick to eat and plopped down on the ragged couch.

He rubbed his forehead and moaned. "This fucking sucks," he said with a drawn out whine.

"What, Chief?" one of them asked as he tipped a near empty bag of chips to his mouth. Josh moaned in response.

"Just fuckin say it," the other man said as he lit up his second cigarette, the only thing he ever had for lunch. "I'm fired, right?"

"My dad isn't going to fire you 'cause you missed a few days." He sighed and smiled bitterly. "We're getting a new employee."

The two of them stared at their manager. Both of them felt just as ill. "Well," Freak shrugged and tossed the empty, crumpled bag, "maybe he would make us a quartet. Gotta look at the bright side of things. But if it doesn't work out, we'll just get him fired."

Josh's hands curled into fists. "My dad's hiring a woman."

"Fuck me," Badass said and looked at the clock, hoping to get another cigarette in before his lunch break was up.

"Can't you fight him on this?" Freak asked.

"I'll try." He got up and went to his small locker. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes and lit one. "She's gonna ruin everything we have here." He shook his head. "I guess it's to make him look better. Make him not look like a sexist for only hiring men or some shit like that."

The three of them grieved in silence. The store was their domain. They had a system, they had secrets, they had parties after hours – parties that would get all, including Josh, fired if his father found out. They bent the rules, but Josh, the ringleader, kept the other two in line if they went too far. With a woman working there they would have to be well-mannered at all times. Josh cringed at the thought of smiling and being charming all day long. It was difficult enough putting on a show for his father when he visited the store two days a week. His visits decreased as his trust in his son's management skills grew. Josh laughed at his dad's ignorance. If only he knew what went on while he was gone.

"Fuck it," Josh said and tapped the cigarette into the ash tray. "I'll figure something out."

The bells on the front door jingled, signaling a customer. Josh groaned and flicked the smoldering stick away. "Freak, finish dusting the back row," he said and stood.

"When this woman comes along, can we make her do the tedious work?" Freak asked. His leader said nothing and closed the door behind him.

Josh approached the front counter and put a reluctant smile on his face. The young woman was already browsing the first shelf.

"Hello, Miss. Can I be of any assistance?"

The brunette turned to him. Her heart fluttered at the sight of the handsome man in front of her. His smile was sweet. His eyes were dark yet sparkling. There was a welcoming warmth about him. She adjusted her thick-framed glasses and ducked her head when she felt herself blushing.

"I was just checking this place out. What do you have here?" Her timid speech and slumped shoulders annoyed him. Her attire was pitiful and screamed geek. Her blunt hair was half pulled back – a sweet and dull style. Her makeup was as simple as mascara and blush. She was barely beautiful.

"We have anything and everything," he said with his arms spread. He dropped them to his sides. "Let me know if you need anything." He did an about face then took a step back when she called out to him. He quickly smiled and turned back to her.

"Actually...I was wondering..." She cleared her throat and stood straight. "I am passionate about books." The corners of his lips dropped a little. He knew what was coming next. "And I'm looking for a job." His annoyance turned to unreasonable hatred. "So, I was curious. Are you guys hiring?"

His head started to shake but stopped when his dad came into the shop. Startled by the bells, she turned to the older man carrying a paper bag with his to-go lunch inside. "Hello, welcome," he greeted her. "Can I help you?" Josh's smile dropped entirely.

"Yes, I was wondering if you were hiring?" she asked. Josh gritted his teeth from her high pitched voice.

The relieved smile of his father's face made his son even more nauseated. "Talk about being at the right place at the right time! As a matter of fact, we are hiring." His father ducked behind the front counter and took an application from a dusty stack of papers. Josh studied her smile and felt more irritable than ever. She turned to him with a smile; he reciprocated with one although he was far from amused. "Here you go," he handed her the paper. She examined it briefly. "And your name is..."

"Charlotte." They shook hands, then she nodded to Josh who was backing away slowly. "I will fill this out ASAP." She turned to the door. "Thanks!" she squeaked and left.

Josh turned to his father. "If you hire her, I'm quitting."

"And where will you go?" His question silenced his son. When Josh had no answer, his father walked away, shaking his head. "Spoiled rotten..." he mumbled. His son resented his father holding his job over his head. He failed at every job he tried for because of his passive aggressive attitude and problems with authority. Pissed at his father's threat, he sulked throughout the day and avoided him. The woman had returned with the application. Josh hid as his father took care of it.

Just after seven when the store closed, his father gathered the three of them for a meeting to announce that the sweet, young lady that stopped by that day was hired. He went on about how her charm would help the store's image, that it also needed a feminine touch. Looking directly at his son, he said that her cheery attitude would make the customers feel more welcome and willing to come back. Josh comprehended the silent message. He was a light switch. He was seemingly charming until a customer gave him problems. His dark nature was powerful and impulsive. As his father continued, Josh looked to the side and said nothing.

"She starts tomorrow. I expect that she'll be treated with respect. Watch your language and abide by the rules." He narrowed his eyes on his son. "I'm expecting you to be on your best behavior around this young lady."

He shot a glare at his father. "I'm twenty-five. You don't need to speak to me like I'm a child."

"Then stop acting like one." Josh rolled his eyes like he did at thirteen. "You're a manager, dammit. You won't be for very long if you keep this up."

"Then where will I go?" he asked, his voice heavy with sarcasm.

"Honestly, I don't care anymore. I'm done helping you." The two others heard the father-son argument many times before, but they never heard the owner give up on his son. "I expect all of you to be on time," he said and tossed a "goodnight" over his shoulder as he left. Freak and Badass responded with a "goodnight" back. Neither hated their boss. He was fair and lenient with them.

A moment of quiet passed before Josh stood. "Lock up," he told the others. "I have to go." On the way back to his apartment, he fought temptation to call his therapist and rant. He didn't care if he was intruding on her personal time again. The last session made him leave early in rage. He couldn't bear to hear the revelations about his apathetic and dark feelings that they spent months deciphering. He hated having to go. It was a condition by his father for him to keep working at the shop.

The last session from two days ago played in his head.

For once during an appointment, he kept his eyes off of her legs and paid attention. He mostly looked at the floor then raised his eyes when she said she reached a conclusion about his problems.

"The repressed sadomasochistic feelings are going to make you last out," she said, hands folded on her crossed legs.

"But I get plenty of it at the parties. And prostitutes help."

"But that's just sex. You have no emotional connections to your playmates." Her eyes squinted, thinking of how to get him to understand. "You have no romantic partner in your life to do these sessions with. You're alone even though you're surrounded by sex." Her smile was grim yet sympathetic. "You need a woman, a woman you can love, a woman who can love you and fulfill the emotional hole you've created by making SM solely physical." She looked him straight in the eye. "With her, sex will have meaning."

The last sentences felt like an attack. He reacted inappropriately by storming out and slamming her door shut. It was normal for him to act like a child when listening to truths about him, truths that he refused to face. He ignored it all by delving into BDSM to cure his sexual needs, but sessions with strangers didn't take all of the hurt away. He acknowledged he was headed down a destructive path. He felt the damage he had done would never attract a woman, especially one willing to be a submissive. He needed a woman to save him, one that would love him back and serve his needs.

~

Freak moped and regarded his two friends with cuss words and a "fuck it" attitude. Badass's lips were tight and remained that way. Josh didn't greet the other two as he came in for work. He found a letter from his father, a list of things to teach the new woman. He added a short comment about respecting and being patient with her. His father had suspected Josh's lust for control made him degrade women who didn't listen to him. His sexual impulses showed through normal interactions with females. Fortunately for his father, no customers had complained about his subtle harassments and sexual invitations.

He crumpled the paper and tossed it in the trash. "Freak," he yelled to the other side of the store. "Go clean the back of evidence." Freak knew what his leader meant. Like a whirlwind, he flew through the back offices, hiding anything that would make the new girl tattle on them.

The twenty minutes until Charlotte's shift was excruciatingly long as Josh waited at the front counter. He preoccupied himself with tedious tasks as he kept an eye on the door. Just five minutes before, the woman entered with a bright smile and different yet same nerdy attire. He exaggerated his smile.

"Hi!" she said with a small wave. "I'm on time, right?"

"Exactly when we wanted you here." His sexiness made her blush. She never had an opportunity to talk to a man as handsome as Josh. Her courage was weak. And never had a man of his caliber smile upon her as Josh did.

"Great!" She slipped her backpack off her shoulders. "What do you want me to do, Boss?" Her words gave him hope. The little sign of submission made him smile in a twisted way. Controlling her would be easy. Keeping her in line would be just as simple.

"Follow," he said and turned. She followed him to the back room where the two other employees were getting ready for the store to open. Josh pointed to them. "Your two colleagues."

"Hi," she said and went to Freak, hand extended. "I'm Charlotte."

"Topher," he said, shaking her hand and openly looking her up and down. He tried searching for some bit of sexiness in her and gave up. Nothing about her was suggestive. Her skinny body and boobs were covered with ill-fitted clothing.

She turned and headed for the man behind a computer. "And you are?"

"Wayne," he said and looked back at the screen, pretending not to notice her extended hand. She dropped it after a few seconds.

"Well, it was nice to meet you both. I'm sure we can get along. I'm not a bitch or anything like that. I'm actually very agreeable."

"Isn't that nice," Badass said, eyes still on the screen. Charlotte glanced at him again and frowned at his leather and motorcycle apparel. For working at a bookstore, it seemed inappropriate. Looking at Freak, she noted that he wasn't dressed much better. Across his shirt was a sexual reference that revealed itself upon closer inspection. Her eyes went back to Josh. He was different – well dressed, tame hair, clean shaven, and nothing dark about him.

After giving her a tour, Josh opened the store and continued her training. For the rest of her shift, she followed him around, a puppy at his heels, with never ending questions and always asking for reassurance that she was doing something correctly. But as annoying as that was, she obeyed all commands and never complained. He appreciated that she was a fast-learner. He hated that her geek-like tendencies didn't subside. It got worse. He felt that he encouraged it by smiling at every stupid joke she made. The other irritable thing about her was her passion for following the rules no matter how strict there were.

At the end of her shift, she said a cheerful goodbye. "I'm soooo glad to be working here. You guys are great. See ya tomorrow!" she said and almost skipped out the front door.

Josh let his mouth muscles relax. "We're screwed," Freak said and brought the weed out.

"Fucking wait until after work!" Josh snapped. Freak bowed his head and put the pot back. "I don't think we'll have much a problem soon. She's a good girl. She does what she's told. With enough training, I'll get her to follow our rules. The two of you hang back. I'll work on her first. Then it will be your turns. With the three of us above her, she wouldn't dare let my father know what we do here."

"You mean we're going to end up using her?" Freak asked, salivating at the thought.

"Fuck no. She's ugly as hell. We're only training her to keep her quiet." A wicked smile came to his face. "She likes pleasing me. It won't take long at all." He nodded to them. "As I said, I'll go first. Stay back until I give you the OK to groom her."

Badass gave him his usual half-assed grin. "And if she resists?"

"Then we'll get her fired."

"Or punish her?" Freak suggested. His mind was spinning a million miles per hour, fantasizing of what he could do to her. Josh scowled at the thought, though he was excited about her need to obey. But her hideous clothes and exaggerated eagerness was something he had to get past if he was ever going to use her for his and their purposes.

~

After one week with Charlotte, Josh was ready to let her go or quit himself. She made it clear that she was happy working there and had no plans to leave. His father was satisfied that she brought in the customers. The three of them suffered her kindness and smiled back even though they despised her. Josh hated looking up from his work and seeing her stare at him. He charmed her back with a teasing smile that he regretted doing every time. Her questions started to become personal; her interest in him was growing. Deflecting her inquiries was difficult with the devil within him ready to lash out at her.

Josh checked the time again. Charlotte was due for her shift in five minutes, yet she wasn't there. His eyes followed the minute hand; his excitement that she could be late put a grin on his face. He needed her to break the rules. He needed a reason to punish her. And he really needed a reason to fire her.

But her sunny smile appeared in front of him three minutes later.

"Hello, my guys," she greeted Josh and Freak. Both stopped what they were doing and stared. She brushed her loose hair out of her face and put her hands on her hips. "I said, hello." Neither could tear their eyes away from the cleavage exposed by her deep 'v' neck shirt. "Never mind." She rolled her eyes and went to the back. A minute later, Badass came from the back and pointed behind him.

"Did you see that?" he asked his silent friends.

"That's new and sudden. Wonder who she's trying to impress..." Freak smirked at Josh.

"You gonna blow the whistle on her for dressing like a slut?" Badass asked.

Josh shook his head. "I've seen worse in public. I don't have enough ammo." He bit his lip, trying to hide a smile. "I wanna see how far this goes."

She dared to go further when a couple days later, she showed up in a miniskirt. A day later, she was wearing heels. A day after that, she sported a new haircut – still long but layered. Josh did what he could to pretend that he didn't notice the woman transforming before him, though he was weakening at each painful attempt she made to get his attention. Her laugh was deeper and cut shorter. Her smile was more confident. She often bit her lip in a coy, suggestive manner. Her perkiness turned to slight arrogance.

Freak and Badass were aware of the changes and were chomping at the bit for the opportunity to make her their plaything. Josh tightened their reigns, reminding them that he was first. The time to test her was near.

Charlotte entered the store, passing her employer by with a "Hey, Josh," as a greeting. He looked up from the front computer and narrowed his eyes on her. Part of her midriff was showing – a strip of flesh revealing tight abs. Her breasts spilled from her top. Her shorts barely covered her ass. He frowned at her. "We need to talk," he said. "Follow me."

Her lips trembled. The thought that she did something wrong brought tears to her eyes. Head down, she followed him to the back and into his dad's empty office. Josh shut the door behind them. "Did I do something wrong, Boss?"

"It's the way you've been dressing," he said with crossed arms. She lowered her eyes and bit her lip. "It's slutty." A tiny gasp escaped her lips. Her eyes became glossy. "Tomorrow, I expect you to dress-"

"I'm sorry! I will never do this again, I swear! Please don't do anything. I'll only wear conservative clothing from now on-"

"Shut up." She startled at his harsh command. "You didn't let me finish." Defeated and about to cry, she hung her head. "Tomorrow I want you to wear an even shorter skirt than that one you wear often. Make it a leather miniskirt. And a black corset top. Wear three inch heels, also black. No jewelry. Keep your hair down. Go heavy on the makeup. Slutty not hideous." Her frightened eyes looked up at him. She was expecting him to break out in laughter and say that it was all a joke, but his serious eyes pierced through hers. He walked just past her and stopped. "That will be all," he growled into her ear.

She avoided Josh the rest of the day and rushed out the door without a goodbye to any of them. Freak and Badass approached their leader when she left. "I know she'll do as I say," Josh said. "I can't be wrong." The others didn't share his confidence and feared their jobs were at stake. The three impatiently waited for her shift to start the next day. And while Josh stared at the clock before his shift, he started to understand his friends' fears.

He shifted his gaze from clock to door and back again. At a minute before she was supposed to start, he felt nausea turn his stomach. The countdown made him sweat. His mouth went dry. With ten seconds to spare, she entered with her head down.

He stopped breathing when she entered. Her face was hidden by sexy, sleek hair. Her corset encompassed her tiny waist and C cup breasts. The leather skirt just covered her cunt. Her heels were exactly three inches. The new and extremely attractive woman peeked up at him. Josh's cock hardened without his permission. He nodded to her, acknowledging that she obeyed his orders.