"Mr. Karch is it time to close as yet?", twenty-three year old Marie asked as she finished organizing the glass vase on the shelf.

Kevin Karch looked up from the cash register, " well its 6 o' clock and the shop is empty and besides you look very tired". Karch has being running this Haberdashery for thirty years now after his parents passed away, being the only child of his parents. He gave Marie a job 4 years ago. She went out job hunting and she stood out from the other applicants who didn't seem to know proper customer service manners.

Marie is a hard worker and her parents taught her that anything she is doing she should always put out her best effort.

"I'll be fine Mr. Kar. All I need is a good night sleep and I'm good to go", she replied, hugging him.

He then grabbed the keys exit and started bolting the door of the Haberdashery.

" Let me help you with that sir", she offered.

He smiled at her, " don't worry i'll manage, my legs may be weak but my hands are still working fine".

Ever since he employed Marie, he has grown fond of her, especially since she almost lost her mom from a car accident.

" You got it sir", she replied.

Then they said their good byes and separated.

MARIE'S POV

One of the best thing about going home is Danny, I thought. We have been dating for five years now. I was eighteen when I first met him, at that time I was living with my mom in Brontie. We just started seeing each other until a year later he had to move because he got a job opportunity to work as a manager at one of the biggest corporations here in Wildman Street. I loved him so I decided to migrate with him ..... "honey are you ok?", Dan interrupted my thought.

I ran towards him and kiss him. I felt the warm of our gliding lips dispersed throughout my body. His lips felt the same as I've always remember them. I slowly pulled away , "why wouldn't I be babe?.. mwah", he kissed me again and clinging to my lower lip, "...I was just thinking just about you and how we met"

"hmmm, oh that!", Danny said taking hold of my tongue again. Something felt off with him from the past few weeks and he seems so distant at times.

I pulled away from him, "I think I'm the one who should be asking you that..." he barely met my eyes with his "....you have being acting strange lately and i'm concerned about that." He hugged me, "don't worry baby, I'm fine, come, kiss me!"

I didn't make any effort to move so he took a step forward and smirked, " come..", another step, ".. kiss", my heart started to race, oh stop that heart!, I thought, remember that you're upset, "... Me", he said closing the distance.

My heart stopped as I felt the tease of his lips on mine, so soft and welcoming. Lingering kisses tracing my neck lower and lower. Hmmm! I groaned as he glazed his wet tongue on the arch of my neck.

I felt my limbs going weak, then he seized the moment and kissed my lips with intense fire. He has always been a good kisser. I ran my hands through his hair and returned the kiss. I felt him lift me and was carrying me towards the bedroom...

Danny's POV

I don't know what to do because I don't love Marie anymore. My work gives me the opportunity to meet many people especially other women. She is a beautiful, loving person but I fell in love with Kerry, my co- worker. It wasn't intentional. Sex with Kerry is just way better. She just ignites something in me and I can't keep my manhood down when I'm around her. We are leaving the country in two days. Kerry knows that I'm living with Marie and its getting harder to keep up with this act any longer.

"...don't worry baby I'm fine, come, kiss me!', I command her. She didn't move so I went to her and kiss her the way I know she likes it. When she touched my hair I knew I had her so I lift her and deepen the kiss. I took her to the bedroom, throw her on the bed and started removing her blouse, I felt her hands fiddling with the buttons on my shirt....

I woke up. She had her hands over my belly and her face buried in my chest. I paused to take in her figure once more then slowing remove myself from her hold...

...***************...

Marie's POV

I woke up smiling and stretching my hand feeling for Dan but all i felt was a piece of paper.

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Marie's POV

'Paper?', I thought, '...wait, shouldn't a chest be hard? And not empty, crispy and flat?...'

As my curiosity rose I suddenly jumped up from the pillow.

'A letter?', I paused, 'what's this doing here?'.

I took the letter and examined it. It read ' Marie'. My heart stopped. I got up from the bed still holding the letter and I smiled.

Awww!  I wonder what surprise he has for me, probably some secret dinner to make up for yesterday... Yesterday?...', I stopped ".... I almost forgot...I've been getting some bad vibes lately... Oh snap out of it and just open the letter'.

I opened the letter. It read:

...'I decided to leave...' ...

My heart stopped beating and my vision blurred from tears. No no no no this couldn't be happening.

'The truth is', I read on, 'that you're a wonderful woman but I've grown out of love for you. Don't bother searching for me because you won't find me.'

                                      Dan

I ripped the letter in two and ran towards the closet, slamming the door open in a bang. Most of his clothes was gone. I cried even harder. I kicked the door and with a pull, the remaining clothes crashed to the floor.

Suddenly the telephone rang. Wiping my face with the back of my hands I sniffed and picked up the telephone

"Da Dan?", I answered

"Ah... I'm sorry but its Mr. Karch", he countered.

Sitting on the bed, resting my forehead in my hand I replied, " Mr. Karch... What's up?"

"You are running a bit late so I was checking if you're on your way to work.", he enquired.

"Wo..work?" , I stuttered and looked at the time. It was 9: 45. I suddenly became alert. I was the only employee, "I'm on my way sir".

I ran to the shower.

...*************...

"Good morning Mr. Kar", Marie greeted her boss

Mr. Karch looked up at her "good mor....", he sensed something was different about her today, "are you OK?"

Marie thought back to the events leading up to work, " you know me, I'm doing super"

He knew that something was wrong but he knows she will talk about it when she's ready.

"Alright let's get to work then. Morrisons is coming today with the  cosmetic products you ordered from last week so you can make some adjustment to the shelf to accommodate them"

She got to work and started by spring cleaning the show case made of glass which displayed the beautiful necklaces.

She struggled throughout the day and with the customers distracting her she thought that was enough...

SPLAK!! A cream with glass jar fell from the shelf and broke then she started to cry.

Mr. Karch ran to her aid, " OK that's it. I've had enough. Please tell me what is wrong Marie... I've being watching you all day and it pains my heart to see you struggling like this"

She slam into Mr. Karch, " mmmm", she sniffed, " Its Danny he's gone...mmm", sniff sniff.

He pulled her away from him and questioned, " what do u mean he's gone".

"I don't know.... I...I just woke up... And.. And I found a letter on the bed beside me sa..saying that he didn't love me anymore"' she yelled.

"What!!", Mr. Karch shouted, " how could he do this"

He buried her face in his chest, " don't worry Marie you'll get through this"

He closed early and demanded that she should come to his house to stay the night because he knew her house would be a reminder of the recent events.

...***********...

"You can stay in the guess room upstairs", Mr. Karch looked at Marie. She seemed so fragile and yet here stands wonderful young lady.

She always wanted to be a nurse ever since she almost lost her mother during a car accident.  She's caring and others always try to take advantage of her, "Just try to sleep and get some rest and you can take a few days off I'll get Grace to help me at the shop"

She nodded and went off to bed. That night she twisted and turn with fatigue until she eventually fell asleep.

MARIE'S POV

It has been a week since Dan left. I got up from bed and decided to call my mom. I removed my cell phone from my purse and dialled her number.

"Hello good morning", my mom answered.

She always gives me a warm feeling inside, " hey mom'.

"How are you", she asked. Then I started to cry.

"Honey what's wrong?", she asked and I told her everything.

" Baby I know you're a strong girl and like I taught u, use this as an opportunity to create something better for yourself. Just ask yourself what of you want?", my mom just always knows what to say.

"OK mom I understand thank you"....

I went to work the next day. I was feeling a bit better as I'm not gonna make this kill me...

The day was going OK until a guy walks in wearing a white sleeveless shirt revealing his tattoo filled shoulder. He looked beautiful. Handsome is just not enough. He had dark hair, nice shaped lips and eyes dark as night and clinging to his left arm is a slim girl chewing gum. She looked stuck up and feisty with all that zombie looking makeup.

He came up to me and asked, "can I have that J. Gibbon's perfume?"

"Yeah, sure it cost $5000", I said as I handed it to him.

He looked at me angrily and raised his voice, " I didn't ask you the price".

I didn't answer him.

"I'm talking to u", he shouted

He slammed the perfume on the counter.

I looked at him," you are a arrogant person... Looks like your parents didn't taught u properly"

I grabbed the perfume from the counter and he tried doing the same. SPLAM!!!! the perfume fell off the counter and broke wetting up his shoes.

He stamped his feet and yell, "you ruined my shoes"

"Freak!!!", the zombie beside him yelled.

Mr. Karch came running, "what's going on?"

"This freaking girl broke the perfume on my shoe  and now its ruined", the guy yelled.

Mr. Karch explained, " I'm sure she didn't mean it, I'll compensate you"

He smirked, " I need compensation alright.... I don't need a replica. I want that same perfume that she broke"....

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Jerrique's POV

As Bonnie and I exited my apartment, I thought back to the fact that I just banged her. It wasn't that great.

"Do I get that perfume now?", she asked pulling me from my thought. She's being nagging me about getting her a J. Gibbons perfume 3 days now since I met her.

"OK here's a shop....I hope they sell perfume so you can stop nagging me after this", I said as we entered......

...A minute later......

"I need compensation alright... I don't need a replica. I want the same perfume that she broke", I shouted to the manager.

The counter clerk broke the perfume I wanted. She doesn't know who she's dealing with. Arrogant girl.

I felt Bonnie put her hands around my waist, " let's just go Jerr, this place is bad business"

I stepped towards Marie. I saw the name written on her name card, " this ain't over" and pointed to the manager then exit..

Marie's POV

"Thank God that's over because that guy is very rude", I turned towards Mr. Karch, " I'm sorry for the trouble sir"

He squeezed my shoulder and replied, " Its OK , there will always be trouble makers. It comes with the job description"

When I reached home, I felt tired. It seemed like that man's arrogance withdrew some of my energy. I went to to the refrigerator and grabbed something to eat then sat on the couch but all I could think about was Dan. How could he do this?, I thought. We made love the night before and I guess that didn't mean anything to him... A tear ran down my cheek and then I recall that crazy guy who disturbed the shop.

Putting away the content in the refrigerator, I went to shower then to bed.

I still haven't been sleeping properly. The bed smelt of him. Sigh! I need to get him off my mind. I need something to focus on. My last thought before I drifted off to sleep.

I woke up to my cell phone ringing. I slowly stretched my hands towards the nightstand, took it up and answered without checking the caller ID.

"Helloooo" , I yearned with my eyes still closed.

"Hey Marie, please tell me you're not sleeping?, its 11 am and it's Sunday girl", Abby screamed.

"Nooo, I'm not up as yet", I growled covering my head with the pillow, " if I knew it was you I wouldn't have answered".

Abby and I have been friends 2 years now. She has a big mouth so I don't really talk to her when I have my issues.

"Really!! Marie? Anyway get up because we're going to Jim's barbeque" , she replied.

"I'll have to think about it...hmmmm", I said, messing with her.

"What the hell do you mean you're thinking about it?", she yelled.

"Ha ha ha... I'm just playing with you", I surrendered, " I'm gonna shower and get dressed now"

"OK I'll pick you up in half hour", she said then hang up.

BEEEEEEEP!! I heard Abby's car outside. I finished applying my lipgloss and glared at myself in the mirror. I was wearing a black pencil foot jeans that displayed my broad hips paired with a pink crop top. Feeling satisfied I locked the apartment door and walked towards her car.

"Heeeey and what silly green hat is that you're wearing?", I greeted her while I entered the car.

"It's complement of Kevin. We went to the bowling alley yesterday and he won me the hat", she answered then drove off

We arrived at the barbeque an hour later. We walked up to the door and knocked.

The door opened,"Good afternoon come on in", Mrs. Tyndale greeted us.

"Good afternoon", we replied in unison and gave her a hug.

We entered the house and she lead us towards her backyard, "come on Jim is outside".

"Marie! Abby! Get over here", we heard Jason yelled from over the grill, "Marie you look fine as usual, maybe you should be the on this grill"

"Really now, I've always imagined you as the type to break one day and turning on your own kind, you cannibal", I countered him.

"You break my heart M", he replied pointing the fork at me.

Abby stepped in the middle and yelled, " guys cut it out". Then she looked at me and said "Jim said that one of his high school friend is coming to the barbeque and wants us to meet him".

"Another one of your ugly friends again Jim", I said smirking.

Jim paused and cut in , " I don't have any ugly friends so that's a dumb question".

"Hahaha... What about Kenroy? He ain't cute", Abby fold her hand and shouted to him. Oh oh! Once Abbey joins in, this will never end.

I left them argueing about who is cute from who's not and decided to mingle with the other folks. It was about 25 persons present different from the Jim's family members.

Being at the brabeque made me reflected on my mom. My family never kept barbeques. We only attend our neighbours' own and that's because my family didn't have enough money to host a barbeque.

Jerrique's POV

I knocked on Jim's door. And some slim girl wearing a funny green tam opened the door. She invited me in and I led my self to the backyard.

"Hey Jim, long time no see", I said as I walked toward Jim and hug him.

"Hey bro", he smiled. We talked and catch up until he said, "I want you to meet my two friends, they are around here somewhere, oh there's Marie over there"

"Let's go then", I said with curiosity...

Marie's POV

I was was talking to Jim's father when I heard Jim called me from behind me,"Marie! There's someone that I want you to mee...." I turned around as he spoke "what the hel....?", I whispered as the arrogant bastard customer from the store looked me in the eyes......

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