by Deb Julienne
”Mind if I ask what magazine?” The saleswoman regarded Sabrina with a somber curiosity.
“It’s for Skin Deep. Do you know it?”
She grinned, her persona effervescent. “Sure do and I love it. They have a beauty aids editor that has brilliant insight in the average American woman. Maybe you know her?”
“Maybe.”
“Her by-line says Sabrina Thompson but there’s no picture of her.”
Sabrina held out her hand. “Glad to meet you, I’m Sabrina.”
“Really?”
“This is wonderful. I’m Angeline Talbot. You can call me Angel. I’m the owner. I’d be more than happy to talk to you. Any chance of a mention of the store in your magazine? With the economy the way it is we can all use some free publicity.
“Count on it. Now before we start I have a confession to make. The magazine in the process of a major revamp. That said, where our focus was mostly on women, we’ve opted to make it more versatile and add sections for men as well. We also want to add a different spin to some of the articles.” She took a breath and tried to slow down, as adrenaline rushed through her. “One of the articles I’m writing is on the topic of love and the other is on sex. I have the one on love covered but I’ve hit a brick wall for the right angle on sex. I’m not sure I can pull it off.”
“What’s the title?”
Sabrina took another deep breath and charged on. “Fourteen Ways to Better Sex and Finding Her G-Spot.”
“Wow. That’ll be marvelous. I can’t wait to see what you do with it, especially when you consider how great your beauty aids have been. You have a terrific style. This should be fantastic.”
“Well, now it’s time for another confession. I have squat for experience. I feel like a complete fraud. I hoped maybe you’d have some ideas to help me figure a way around the obvious.” She grimaced apologetically.
“I see.” She chuckled. “I’m not laughing at your inexperience, but they put you in a heck of an awkward spot, didn’t they?” Angel moved to the nearest table of lingerie and folded a navy blue chemise.
“No shit. Oops, sorry.” She covered her mouth. “I’m in a crazy panic over this.”
“How about we start with some of the lingerie? Believe it or not, simply viewing lingerie might open you up your senses.” Angel sifted through the hangers as if in search for something particular.
“What do you mean?”
Angel held up a black laced teddy. “What’s the first thing that comes to mind?”
“Sexy.” She wondered if this would excite Travis.
“Or what about this?” Angel held up a tapered pale pink confection.
“Delicate, but sweet.” Would it render him breathless as she was now?
“What about this one?” It was a long ivory gown.
“Virginal.” Too puritanical or maybe it’d pique his curiosity.
“This?”
She deliberated over the dusky rose baby doll, and how she believed the lovely color complimented her skin. “Feminine.”
Maybe the scarlet one would completely drive him out of his mind. The anticipation of Travis’ reaction soaked her underwear. Clothes definitely had the capability to incite a reaction. What a delicious idea to wear any of these creations accompanied by spiked footwear aimed to appeal to the male senses. She wanted to know how it felt to wear something decadent and sinful. Contemplating the possibilities made her better understand the power a woman wielded simply entering a room. She made notes of the styles she’d secretly love to own. Who knew? Maybe she’d be back for one of them soon.
“See what I mean, and this is just lingerie. Let’s try something else.” Angel led her to the aisles of products.
“Fragrances and perfumes?”
“No, pheromones. Fragrances are every bit as erotic as lingerie.” Angel sprayed a number of scents onto paper. “Any one of these is guaranteed to entice a partner.”
None of them were as pleasing as the Bora Bora Sabrina wore.
“We also have lotions and oils offering to heightened sexual gratification.”
Rows upon rows of bottles and jars of promised sensual pleasure, gimmicks pledging passion, labels with testimonies of sensations of every kind seemed to taunt her. Why did the concept of folks in desperate need for the sake of a relationship sound and feel so wrong.
“Do any of them appeal to you?”
“They’re all pleasant.” Sabrina didn’t buy into the ideas of these ploys necessarily, but what intrigued her most was that people actually spent time and hard-earned money investing in the age-old courtship of fascination, flirtation, and flings.
“Billions of dollars are spent every year on perfumes, colognes, and fragrances. All designed to entice the opposite sex.”
“Wow, I had no idea.” Sex versus love. Love versus sex. Passion was definitely a moneymaking marvel of the marketing world. She felt downright exotic cruising the store where fantasy, glamour, mystery, and excitement could be purchased.
“Think about it this way. All men and women fantasize. Think about your fantasy man. Which negligee would he like? What would he do if he caught a hint of one of those fragrances on you? Where would you be? Home? The office? In public? And what would happen when he did?”
Fantasy or fairy tale, the idealization a person achieved from a simple venture to the right store. No wonder illicit affairs touted mystery and excitement. If married couples put this much effort into the continued seduction of their spouses no one ever needed to look elsewhere for romance. What a powerful incentive to maintain a fresh, healthy, sexual relationship. Make the most of your hanky-panky rendezvous. Plan your next fling with your husband or boyfriend. Loving the liaison. Vivid, delectable ideas poured into her head.
She took out her note pad and scribbled frantically. “This is great stuff, but let me ask you something. Put yourself in my shoes. How do I come up with the powerful, knock-your-socks-off topic for our first edition?”
Two cute sixty-something, blue-haired, little old ladies walked in the door. Bold as can be they tossed out a wave and “Hi Angel” and headed for the personal care section.
Angeline put her finger to her mouth and whispered. “Just listen to these two. The shorter one is Mitzi, and the other is Vera. They come in every week, like clockwork, in search of new products to try on their men.”
“What?”
“You heard me.” She nodded, beckoning Sabrina to follow.
As soon as they were an aisle over Angel whispered, “Come on. We’ll follow them. I want you to hear them. I think you just found your angle. I’ll pretend to show you a variety of objects while we listen, and by the way pay attention to those products, they will be top of the line.” Angel winked.
They worked their way down the one row after another. Mitzi raved about the lotion she’d purchased the week before. “Oh Vera, you should have seen George when I rubbed the lotion on him. He bellyached to high heaven how he was going to get all sweaty from it. Well, by the time we were done he was sweaty alright, it was the best sex we’ve had in years.”
Angel covered her mouth and Sabrina turned away afraid she’d start to laugh if their eavesdropping was discovered.
Not to be outdone Vera piped in. “I tried the bubble bath Angel suggested. Jasper came in to brush his dentures, smelled it, and said he liked the scent. I told him to get in. We were prunes when we got out, but then Jasper surprised me. He didn’t even need his little blue pill that night. He did it all on his own. I swear it was the bubble bath.”
Angel grabbed Sabrina and pulled her into the back room where they both unleashed the hysteria. “As you can see sex isn’t just about the act. It’s about what makes people feel good. Sure you can read a manual and follow it to the letter, but the act is still an act. Nothing more. Sex, when love is present is the want and ability to make your partner feel good, not just about the relationship, but about themselves as well. Mitzi and Vera have been coming in for over a year. They arrive on the bus from th
e Time of Your Life Retirement Home. At first they came in for toys for self-gratification. As they opened up I started offering products and items for them to share with their husbands and tips on how to do it without their men figuring out they came to a place like this.”
“Wow.”
“That’s only the tip of it. Quite a few from the home come in here now. Well, the women that is. Each in search of ways to wake their men up and realize they aren’t dead yet.”
“Unbelievable.”
“I know.”
“People view this place in one of two ways. Either they think I’m a cover for a prostitution ring and run the other way with their noses in the air. Or folks come in check out the store and give a few products a try and keep coming back for more.”
“Wow, I’m sold.” Her stomach clenched, feeling guilty that she too fit the first description.
Angel went to the front of the store to ring up Mitzi and Vera’s purchases. Sabrina followed Angel out and continued perusing the shelves.
“By the way, Angel, we went to the Satin Slipper like you suggested and it’s nothing like what you have here. No need for concern. They’ll never do the business you do,” Mitzi said.
“And we won’t go back. The gal who runs it looks like a hooker, dresses like one too. She has no business sense. Didn’t know a thing about the products she sold,” Vera said.
“Glad to hear it. See you girls next week.”
“Count on it, Angel. Bye.” With a wave, they disappeared.
Sabrina touched Angel’s arm. “I can’t tell you how much better I feel about this article.”
“Can I share a piece of advice?”
“By all means.”
“I’ll bet you’re the proverbial good girl, like me. Always did what was asked of you. I suspect many of your morals and beliefs are what you learned from your parents. Am I right?”
“Uh—yes.” Why did her admission embarrass her?
“Hey, don’t look so down. There is nothing wrong with that. I’ll bet when you do something your parents frowned upon, you argue with yourself, the good versus the evil.”
“Don’t get the twins started. I hate when they start in on me.”
“Exactly.” Angel chuckled. “I have my own twins. I’ve learned to put them on time out when they piss me off. For the most part they behave.”
Sabrina laughed. Amused someone else battled those two brats. “How did this store come about, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“That’s a long story.”
“I’m listening.”
“The condensed version is with the downward spiral of the economy, what you see here is my current business, but I used to run the Bridal Salon next door.”
“There’s a bridal shop next door?”
“After years of special requests from brides for their wedding nights, based on the feedback I received, I opened this section of the store when this part of the building opened up. The salon was my childhood dream. But when the economy tanked I closed it. I did some soul searching and decided it was time to make a drastic change.”
“You’ve done a great job. Tasteful. Very classy.”
“Thank you. It was a strange time for me. Like you, I have my own demons, but I learned from my customers and I grew with them.”
“How do you decide what to carry?”
“That’s a bit harder. I’m not exactly a poster child for erotic or exotic sexy, but I’ve come to learn what my audience wants. For the most part, I try to imagine what I can see myself in. But if I want sales I have to be practical. I have to put aside my fears and expand my comfort zone. Believe me, owning this store has opened by eyes to a great deal of relationship issues.”
“I’ll bet. Any chance you’d care to share?”
“When I first opened the Bridal Salon, I also sold intimate apparel. My own designs. Once my designs sold, I kept getting more and more requests for lace work. I started to making just the under garments. I got so swamped with custom orders I actually sold my designs to a well-known company, but I still dabble in the design side. In fact, this store only sells my designs. I had less time to focus on my wedding designs, so I closed that part for the time being.”
“I’ll bet that was hard since it was your dream.”
“It was, but you have to change with the times. As the requests came in I started to add fragrances, lotions, and topical products. That’s when I saw how well sex sells. I decided to take advantage of it and pushed the bar as far as it would go. I actually hired a sex therapist, brought her in here, introduced her to my vision for the store, and this is what it turned into.” Angel smiled proudly as she surveyed her store.
“Holy mackerel.” Angel’s story intrigued her. This excursion provided more information than anticipated.
“I hope to someday reopen the salon. Until then I only do custom orders.”
“That’s exciting.”
“You’re in the middle of a battle right now and I want you to know I understand.”
“I believe you do.” Sabrina explained her situation Travis and how weird everything was.
Angel cringed. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
“I don’t know. I’ve heard it’s a stupid thing to do. Yet, it feels right. My roommates have advised me it’s time for me to seduce him. I hate the word. At the same time I do want to pursue the relationship.”
“Are you in pursuit of the relationship because of their suggestion or because you have genuine feelings for him?”
“I’m not ready to write him off just yet. I really like him, a lot.”
“If so, you should probably be prepared, it’s a situation that for most people is bound to bite you in the butt. I bet your friends have already had sex. If so, maybe they’re a bit jaded? Perhaps they haven’t had much success with men and need something more out of life.”
“Exactly. Kat hasn’t dated anyone in ages. She’s gone back to school to in an effort to find a new career. Jill works, goes to school, and they both love to dance to relieve tension. Me, I don’t have a rhythmic bone in my body. My outlet is movies. I like to be mindlessly entertained.”
“What about marriage? Is your boss someone you see in your future?”
“Absolutely.”
“Do you truly think you’re ready for it or more in the future? I ask because what I perceived from modern women is they think they know what they want then conclude if it doesn’t work they’ll divorce and make it a do-over. Marriage is anything but a do-over.”
“I agree. It’s for the long haul or nothing.”
“Then all I can say is think long and hard before you listen to your friends. I know they mean well, but best friends don’t always provide the best advice.” Her brows drew down and together ever so slightly, she touched Sabrina’s arm.
“If and when you find you’re ready for the big step, you let me know. I have all the ammunition you’ll ever need. Please be sure, that’s all I ask. Sorry, my history has left me suspicious. Our emotions are involved and sometimes we fall in love with the idea of being in love.”
“Funny, you’re in the business of selling sex and your best advice is not to do it.”
“No, that’s not what I’m saying. If the topic of this conversation is sex and writing your article, start with the sex products, I can help there. If this is about you and Travis, that’s a different story altogether.”
“Okay. Talk to me about sex. I have a job to do and I need focus on how to start, topics, and to figure out how I can possibly help anyone when I’m clueless.”
“I think you have it. Mitzi and Vera. Go there. Let it be about the ability to bring the fun back in a marriage. Make it about how to create those special, magical, intimate moments. Also about how it transcends age limits like with Mitzi and Vera. I can show you the products, tell you what to expect, and give tips to ensure your results.”
“I like that.”
Angel pointed to several products she personally recommended and expl
ained why. From Mitzi’s lotion, the one that made nerve endings more sensitive, to Vera’s bubble bath with a wonderful fresh ocean aroma. It reminded her of a South Pacific island. No wonder Jasper joined Vera in the tub.
Sabrina experienced a rare glimmer of hope that her article was no longer destined to be a dismal failure. And it wasn’t about her, but how she could help others.
She and Angel talked for another hour. Sabrina asked questions based on the notes she’d taken. Angel shared unconditionally not expecting a sale, but to show clear, irrefutable evidence of the value of her shop to couples everywhere.
When she departed Angel handed her a bag of samples and a few products to try and give feedback on. She included a few fragrances to try on Travis as well as relevant suggestions for future articles.
Sabrina promised to give Angel first view of the finished article and give her all the credit for her inventive ideas. When she left the shop, she felt forty pounds lighter. Excitement coursed through her to race back to the office. She couldn’t wait to tell Kat and Jill about Angel, the store, and the products. There was no way they’d be able to resist the urge to find their way to the shop in the next week or helping themselves to the merchandise.
When she reached the office, Sabrina tucked the bag and her purse in her desk drawer. But first she took one of the sample fragrances and rubbed the moist pad behind her ears, at her wrists, behind her knees and between her breasts. She put the sample back in the bag, with the plan to use what was left as an air freshener in her car, as Angel suggested.
She loved the scent. It smelled like a spring rain, fresh cut lawn, and a bouquet of flowers rolled into one scent. Angel said this one contained synthetic pheromones and although the fragrance alone was nice. The effect, guaranteed to speak for itself.
She was anxious to see what kind of reaction she’d get from Travis.
When he headed to the kitchenette, she went to his office and marched around fanning her arms, spreading the scent throughout the room. She took a seat and waited for him.