Malice Masterpieces 2

by K'Anne Meinel

  “Then you have to be careful what you say?” She laughed to show she was teasing “I studied German way back in high school, so what I know is a little out of date and probably I have forgotten more than I remembered.” Eliza took the $50 and made change.

  “Is this your store?”

  Nodding Eliza looked around. There were still a lot of open spaces but she had been filling those steadily but surely for days.

  “Yes we just opened, I’ve been wanting to do this for years” she answered proudly.

  “Why now?” the blonde asked curiously.

  “Well, I finally qualified for a loan” Eliza admitted sheepishly. “I’ve been making these signs for like 20 years” she added.

  “You make them?” the beautifully plucked eyebrows on the blonde raised high in astonishment “yourself?”

  Nodding Eliza looked around the store with pride. She had been working towards this for a long time. She had tried having a store before but had been too sick to really make a go of it before; she was ready now, 10 years ready! There was still a lot to do and she intended to do it!

  “Wow, you really have done a wonderful thing, these are so clever!” the blonde was looking admiredly at Eliza but she was oblivious as she looked around her store.

  “Thank you” she answered absentmindedly. Then she looked, really looked at the blonde. Tall with aristocratic features, fine bones and very very pretty. She wore expensive clothes despite the summer heat. Very well put together. Already Eliza could spot the ‘types’ of tourists who visited this tourist town in Wisconsin. Wisconsin Dells was a mecca for tourist shops and the tourists loved to vacation there for the water, the waterparks, the beautiful scenic trails, the incredible cliffs, and just the whole vacation theme of the town. Nearby Lake Delton was the same, in fact the two towns seemed to be just one continuous town to the unknowing.

  Eliza realized the look the woman was giving her was a little speculative and she couldn’t help but wonder herself. When a woman this attractive was checking her out she had to wonder if perhaps she was reading the ‘signs’ correctly. Smiling hopefully she held out her hand and said “Hi, I’m Eliza Schmidt, and this is my store.”

  The beautiful blonde shook her hand warmly squeezing it slightly in response to the warm ‘American’ styled welcome. “Ich bin Grafin Krystal Von Der Konigin” not even realizing she was speaking in German it was so automatic.

  “Grafin?” Eliza asked not sure of the word.

  Nodding Krystal waited for something, apparently waiting for a comment, but when Eliza didn’t ask anything more she turned and beckoned the second woman, a platinum blonde and said “Das ist Aarika Schultz mein guter freund.”

  Eliza shook Aarika’s hand as well. She looked between the two women wondering at their friendship and how good a friend Aarika really was. She didn’t realize that Krystal was watching her amused. “So how long are you two in town for?”

  “Oh I don’t know it depends on what amuses us. We found out about the Dells only recently when we were in Chicago visiting friends.” Krystal switched to English effortlessly. Her accent was enchanting.

  “Ah, then you should go ride the Ducks” Eliza told her with a grin. By the looks she got from both of her guests she had to laugh knowing they had totally misunderstood her. She wasn’t going to elaborate though, she was enjoying this too much.

  “Are there any good clubs here in town?” Aarika thought to ask. She was eyeing Krystal and she noted the interest that she was showing on this store owner.

  “Well it depends on what you are looking for but yes there are several.” Guessing at the age of her guests she made a suggestion “there is a nice 80’s club called Culture.”

  “Culture?” asked Aarika frowning.

  “Yes as in Culture Club, do you remember Boy George and his music?” Eliza waited for a telltale sign from either of them.

  Krystal’s face lit up at the double entendre that had been thrown to them. “Yes, I enjoyed his music immensely. Do you go there often?”

  Eliza grinned and shook her head. “No, I haven’t had time with the moving of my businesses down here and opening the store. But I hear it’s a good club if you like to dance.”

  Krystal smiled and answered “I love to dance.”

  Eliza grinned “Well, maybe I’ll see you there sometime; I’m due for some time off. All work and no play makes me very dull.”

  Krystal liked that answer. “Yes, maybe we will see you there. Perhaps tonight we will go there.”

  Aarika was done with their conversational play on words. She started heading for the door under the guise of looking at more of the signs on her way out. Krystal hesitated for only a moment as she gathered the bag Eliza had thoughtfully put her signs in as well as a business card.

  “Thank you! Have a nice day.” Eliza grinned one last time. She watched Krystal the whole length of the store as she walked out and was caught as Krystal turned one last time to look back. Blushing she pretended to be looking through another carton of signs.

  Another woman emerged from behind the wall at the back of the store that contained horizontal files on their sides which were full of signs. “Ah, we had a customer I see” she smiled.

  Nodding absentmindedly Eliza shook herself and looked at Lynn. “Yes, that makes two today. I guess opening and unlocking the doors was a good idea even if we aren’t all set-up.”

  Lynn laughed. Eliza had worked like crazy to get moved in and set up in just under a week. She had moved her entire warehouse from Wausau, Wisconsin into this store and divided it so that the production was done at the back and the front held stock and showcased what they made and sold. Her entire business had been primarily wholesale but she found she needed the input of the retail scene to keep growing and maintain a variety of products. She already made over 5000 different signs and was contemplating adding stickers and magnets. She wanted to make them herself though and the machinery to do it like she wanted cost more than her start up for this store so she was holding off to see how this went. She wanted to give it a year, maybe two to see how well it was received. If she got an offer to sell it all though she was prepared to move on as well. She was so excited about the prospect though, this had been a real achievement and a hell of a gamble on her part. No one believed she could do it but she knew her product, had done every aspect of her business at one time or another and was now ready to prove it to herself, the hell with the naysayers and there were a lot of them in the form of her family members.

  Lynn was a good friend who was fed up with factory work. Carpal tunnel syndrome had caught up with her and she had jumped at the chance of moving out of Fairfield and working with Eliza. They had known each other since their college days. Eliza had thrown into the deal an apartment that Lynn was fixing up upstairs for part of her pay. The insurance and the benefits made it a sweet deal for her. Eliza was just grateful to have someone she could trust who believed in what she was doing. They would have to eventually hire another person or two as summer progressed but this town was full of people looking for work.

  The fax machine went off as they were putting more stock on the shelves. Pulling the paper from the machine Eliza sighed in genuine regret. She had taken out several ads in several trade magazines and this was another request for a catalog. Everyone wanted a ‘free’ catalog but it was expensive to print as well as mail them out. With over 5000 signs people didn’t realize it. It was the wholesale side of her business though and she couldn’t gripe, it made a lot of money for her despite the economy. Quickly typing the name into the computer she printed out an address label and attached it to the pre-printed oversized envelope she had ready. She had collated many catalogs in advance of these requests and pulled one to put in the envelope as well as price sheets and terms and conditions. Sticking a printed stamp on the envelope she dropped it into an oversized mailbox they had by the doorway for the mailman. With so much going on at least the poor mailperson knew where to pick up and drop off the mail in this establi
shment.

  The day grew busier as tourists vacated their hotels and began shopping or taking advantage of the various amusements the town had to offer. There were so many that a one day trip wasn’t sensible unless you lived within a few hours distance. The hotels were already doing a booming business and Eliza had wanted to start her summer off right. She had gotten the loan and a week later had driven to the Dells to look at properties. It was fortunate that she had been persistent as this one barely had become vacant and she snatched it up immediately. The ensuing move had been achieved in two stages, first the business, then her personal items. She had hired big strong guys who wanted a quick buck but knew her through friends and were willing to lift all the heavy stuff for her. And there was a lot of heavy stuff! Aluminum was not light, especially in mass quantities.

  Finding a place to live hadn’t been easy but she had driven around looking for ‘for rent’ signs. Most were for ‘vacation’ rentals and were overpriced but she found one that was a ‘rent to own’ and intrigued had pursued it. The little old lady who owned the property was thrilled that Eliza appreciated her little gem and had allowed her to sign a one year lease nearly on the spot. Eliza was thrilled with the three bedroom bungalow she had to live in. She had been considering the apartment upstairs but had been happy to give that to Lynn to sweeten their deal. She hadn’t relished the idea of living on the premises anyway; she would never have gone home at night. She needed the definite break from home and work.

  All day in between helping customers Eliza hung signs. The beeping of her lift could be heard and it was driving Lynn nuts but the signs had to be hung and neither of them could have been on a ladder that tall. Eliza had acquired a really cool extendible bar that could unhang up to 12’ but the lift was necessary to the 16’ and 20’ heights. Eliza hadn’t hung any signs above the 16’ height instead leaving that for banners and promotional items. Finally though by the end of the day all the top signs were hung and she could put away the lift in its corner. It was available if they really needed to remove a sign from the high walls she had hung with grid wall.

  By seven they were both exhausted and ready to call it a day. All day long though Eliza had thought about the interesting German woman she had met that morning and wondered if she was too tired to go to the club. She hadn’t socialized in years and knew she was due for some fun. With only her and Lynn though she couldn’t afford to be tired all the time. Debating it back and forth all day she decided not to go. Heading home that night she was all set to put away her car and crawl into bed when she thought, ah what the heck. What’s the difference if I sit in bed for a few hours watching TV or reading a book or go to Culture for a few hours? She knew deep down though the real reason she was going was her interest in the German blonde.

  She quickly showered being careful not to get her hair wet. Pulling out the pins that held it back in its long pony tail she brushed it out enjoying its beautiful length, her pride and joy. She knew her hair made her look beautiful, noticeable but she also knew the hard work it made for her. She figured a couple of more years and she would have to keep it short as she would have enough gray then that it would look gross. Meanwhile she enjoyed the attention it garnered. It had a lovely red brown hugh with blonde highlights and its natural curl made it look lovely. Few people probably believed any of it was natural but she had it this way for thirty years and no one could color it or curl it that convincingly.

  She quickly shaved and primped freshening her makeup and putting on perfume before dressing in a little black dress with a matching shawl. Putting on some jewelry she took one last look in the mirror and was pleased with what she saw. As she had gotten older her looks had matured. She had been a plain Jane for as long as she remembered but the last few years something had changed. Perhaps it was maturity, perhaps she had grown into her looks, maybe it was confidence but suddenly and surprising she was now beautiful. A new exercise program this last year and changing her eating habits had slimmed down her figure that now she got second looks where before that was maybe only a first look. She knew that she was in her prime now and was enjoying her body and looks for the first time in her life. Not conceited in any way she took pleasure in knowing that she felt and looked good.

  With all that in mind she was at the club by 9. Paying her entrance fee she began to weave her way through the crowd. She was surprised that it was crowded at 9 already but then this was the Midwest, it wasn’t like the coasts where partying started at midnight and went until 5am. They still rolled up the sidewalks in places at 9 here! Too funny. Looking around she began checking out the bars and finding one that was fairly centrally located she ordered a sloe screw. As she would be driving later she sipped this as she people watched. Two guys asked her to dance and she thanked both of them but declined. It was nearly 10 before she spotted Aarika dancing on the floor with one of the men she had turned down! She immediately began looking around for Krystal but didn’t see her. Had she misinterpreted the interest that was so transparent? She hoped not! Just then she felt a tap on her shoulder and she turned.

  Staring her right in the face was the aristocratic beauty she had thought about all day. Wow was she dressed hot! She had put her hair up and the lines of her neck reminded Eliza of a beautiful Arabian horse. She was so clean cut and sleek! Taking all this in at a glance Eliza grinned and said “Guten Abend!”

  Krystal smiled at Eliza’s use of German “Guten Abend” she answered in her smooth lilting voice. “So you came?” she asked in English.

  “Yes, I couldn’t pass up a chance to have some fun” Eliza answered as she admired the beauty before her.

  “I thought perhaps you would be too tired?”

  Nodding Eliza had to agree with her, she was tired, she was exhausted but she was also interested in this woman before her and couldn’t pass up the chance to get to know her better. “I am tired, I’m exhausted really, but I guess I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” She answered quoting a popular song.

  “Well then we will have to make sure you have that fun you were looking for” Krystal smiled again as she admired what Eliza was wearing. She had incredible legs that had been hidden under the jeans she had been wearing in the store this morning. Now in her little black dress she looked very inviting. Krystal could look right down it with her heels and additional height and it wanted or screamed ‘look at me’ and Eliza filled it out in all the right places. Krystal loved the way her hair looked she wanted to run her fingers through it, imagining how soft it would feel in her hands. She reached out her hand to take Eliza’s in her own “come on, let’s dance!”

  Eliza tossed off the rest of her drink and left the glass on the bar before allowing Krystal to pull her towards the dance floor. She really should have eaten something earlier the drink was already relaxing her way too much but she was feeling good and she definitely wanted to dance with Krystal. As they both began to rock to the beat she admired the way Krystal moved. She was a pretty good dancer herself and enjoyed swaying to the music in front of the woman she found so interesting. The next song was a slow dance and Krystal never hesitated as she gathered Eliza into her arms to move right against her. Eliza thought really hard about the fact that she should have eaten something this was happening way too fast and she was too relaxed already. Having this sexy woman in her arms already was giving her ideas that were at least a couple of dates away. She was enjoying it though and she could smell the wonderful perfume that Krystal was wearing as she held her close.

  Krystal couldn’t believe how receptive Eliza was to her advances already. Given she was an American and probably thought Krystal was just having a holiday fling she was used to women giving off certain signs and Eliza wasn’t a quick lay. She had tried pushing the limit with the slow dance sure that she would object but instead she not only found Eliza willing but compliant. They danced wonderfully together. She caught Aarika’s eye as she danced chastely with some guy and grinned. Aarika gave her ‘I can’t believe you’ look shaking her head. Krystal fou
nd herself dancing a little more closely than she would have normally and perhaps brushing suggestively. Eliza didn’t object and Krystal heard her despite the loud music change her breathing.

  Eliza pulled back enough to ask “are you trying to drive me insane?”

  Doing her best to look innocent and failing miserably Krystal asked “what? Who me?” But she did back off a fraction.

  Grinning Eliza was a little tipped but not drunk and certainly not unaware of what Krystal had been doing already. Although it was a little soon and they didn’t know each other well enough she was becoming aroused by this beautiful woman in her arms. She tried at least to maintain her dignity while still welcoming the body language the woman was giving her. It had been so long since she had been with anyone but the instant attraction she had felt towards Krystal surprised her. She knew for Krystal it would just be a fling and no big deal but Eliza wasn’t built that way. She didn’t do one night stands. She had more respect for her body. It was fun though playing the game and she hoped harmless.

  Krystal tried to pull Eliza closer if that was possible. When her hand at Eliza’s back dipped a little low though Eliza pulled back with a look that said Krystal had gone too far and she let her go, for now. Krystal began telling Eliza about their trip that had started in New York and then gone on to Chicago. How friends had mentioned the Dells and on impulse she and Aarika had come up to see the sights. Eliza was surprised that they weren’t German but Austrian, but then it was a natural assumption since Austrian’s spoke German.

  Eliza began telling Krystal about her move into the store and a little about her business. Krystal was surprised to find she had been making signs for over 20 years for herself and a couple of years for someone else. She had quite a work ethic and despite the bad economy it had raised her family on the profits. Krystal was also surprised when Eliza told her she had two sons in college, she didn’t look that old but when Eliza confided she had started young Krystal assumed that was why because Eliza didn’t look very old. She guessed her to be at the most 36 to her own 37 which would mean she started at least at 16 maybe if her sons were just in college.