Mantasy
Copyright Gary Weston 2012
Smashwords Edition
Mantasy
Intro
It was all down to the world wide financial melt down. Now, there's a phrase. Some idiot came up with that and off it took. All the landlords sold their so called investment properties for cash, rentals became like hens teeth, rents went through the roof, nearly everyone got made homeless, and all bunked in together. If you were half way lucky, you bunked in with somebody who didn't do smack, ran an escort agency, did strange things sitting crossed legs on the floor in the lotus position with candles threatening to set off the smoke alarms and would, on a good day, pay their share of the rent and didn't leave their tights soaking in the bath. Twenty two year old Jodie Kennedy lived with two other women.
Chapter 1
The problem with sharing an apartment with a witch, is never knowing quite what you'll find when you wake up. Jodie Kennedy was pleasantly relieved to find...well, not a lot really. No peculiar smells were emanating from the kitchen of strange things simmering in her cauldron, no little dolls made of straw hanging from bits of string often stuck with sharp objects or feathers. Just the normal Saturday morning untidiness.
Friday night was usually girls' night in. Take out, followed by wine, chocolate and chick flick, curled up together in blankets on the sofa, never costing more than forty bucks, split three ways. Men were for any other night of the week, with the odd exception of course. Like it wasn't cast in stone. And last night had been just the three of them, so the place looked like a dump. Jodie Kennedy was feeling particularly fragile. Sophia Carter, the witch, was already up and dressed, Gail Fletcher wouldn't be out of bed before noon.
'This came this morning,' said Sophia.
Jodie could tell from her expression it wasn't anything good. She found her reading glasses and read the letter.
'Crap. He can't do that, can he?'
'Apparently so.'
'But sixty bucks extra a week. That's a heck of a hike. Hey. We have a written agreement fixing the rent don't we?'
'For six months. That's up next weekend. We can fix the new rent for another six months.'
'And then what? Another rise? We could barely afford the old rent.'
Sophia went to the kitchen. 'Coffee?' she called out.
'Yeah. Thanks. Any ideas?'
'Not really. We could try and find somewhere cheaper, I suppose.'
Jodie knew all the slums were taken. They had been lucky to find the apartment, a bedroom each, partly furnished. It was convenient for getting to and from work for both herself and Gail. Sophia had lost her job so existed on a combination of wits and her paltry welfare cheque. Sophia brought two mugs of black coffee.
'Out of milk,' she said.
'Can we afford milk?'
'We'll manage. Something will turn up. I might even get a job soon.'
'Always the optimist.' Jodie sipped the strong cheap coffee. It was worse than ever without milk. She knew Sophia had really tried to find work, but with hundreds chasing every vacancy, and having negligible qualifications, she was up against it.
'Look. Three young and talented girls like us can come up with something. I'm off to get a few essentials. Bread, milk. Anything else we need?'
'Toilet rolls. I just used the last and Gail will only moan if she hasn't got any.'
'Right. I don't suppose you'd lend me ten, would you? I'll give it you back on Monday.'
Sophia was already short of her rent money and had agreed to get some supplies in as soon she could afford it.
'Yeah. Here you go. Then when Princess Gail finally crawls out of her pit, we'll have a conference about money, or lack of it.'
'Ooh, goody. A conference. Such joy.'
'Go. Toilet paper.'
Chapter 2
Sophia believed that opportunity was always around the corner. Around the corner from the apartment, a hundred yards before the little supermarket, was an adult products store. The R U 18 neon sign flickered ominously in the frosted plate-glass window. It was the piece of paper underneath it that caught her eye.
“Evening assistant required, Monday to Thursday, seven to eleven. Full training provided.”
She didn't have to think about going inside. The door alarm made a strange wolf whistling sound as she entered. Behind the counter, drinking tea and reading a newspaper, was a middle aged man. Armed with a bad comb over and two front teeth missing, and glasses with lenses so thick they made his eyes appear twice their actual size, to say he wasn't God's gift to women, would be putting it politely. It was hard not to burst out laughing when he forced a smile.
'Morning,' he said. 'Anything in particular? If you're just browsing, hardware is to the left, software to the right.'
'What? No. Actually. I'm applying for the evening job.'
The man was so stunned he was unable to speak, so he removed his glasses, and started polishing the lenses with a non too clean handkerchief.
Sophia tried again. 'The assistant's job. Still going is it?'
'Right. I only put that sign up an hour a go. Sorry. You're a young woman.'
'Damn. Is it that obvious?'
'A very attractive young woman, if you don't mind me saying so.'
'I've had much worse said about me.'
'It's the woman part I have trouble with. You see, this store sells sex toys and adult films and books.'
'Mind if I borrow your glasses? Thanks. Ooh! Will you look at all this,' she said, pretending to stare through the glasses. 'I kinda figured that out before I came in.'
He shook his head. 'I'm not sexist. I'm thinking that we do get some...interesting clientèle in here during the evenings. Often a bit worse for the drink, if you know what I mean?'
'And you don't think I could handle it?'
He laughed. 'It's them handling you I'd be concerned about.'
From her bag, Sophia took out her Mace pepper spray and her zapper. 'He'd only try it once.'
He stared at the arsenal. 'Impressive. I'm still not sure.'
Thinking fast she asked, 'Get many women customers in here, do you?'
He shrugged. 'One or two. Too embarrassed, most of them.'
'Exactly. Now I'm not, see. In fact, I bought a vibrator from a store like this in town. But if a woman wanted something and word got out a woman was serving, which shop do you think would get the most business?'
He rubbed his chin as he digested that. 'You know, I was thinking about a ladies only night, for that very reason.'
'Let's do that, then. Pick your quietest two nights, we'll make them ladies only, the other two nights can be mixed.' She almost had him.
'I really don't...'
'And of course,' she said, thrusting out her breasts at him. 'I'll be eye candy for the men.'
Defeated he said, 'Well,...'
Chapter 3
'Two things,' said Jodie as Sophia walked through the door. 'What are you looking so pleased about, and where's the shopping?'
'Crap. I'll go get it.'
A voice from the bathroom cried out. 'And don't be all day about it, will ya? I've been sat here for ages.'
'Sorry, Gail. Hey. Guess what? I gotta job.'
'Brilliant,' said Gail. 'Tell us all about it when you get back.'
Taking the hint, Sophia skipped happily out the door again.
Fifteen minutes later, they were sitting at the kitchen table eating toast and drinking tea as Sophia told them about the job.
'In a sex shop,' said Gail.
'Yeah. Why not? We've all gone into one at sometime or other. Jodie got that sexy gear to wear for that boyfriend she had a while ago, you bought a couple of films when we hit a dry spell, and we all have our little toys.'
'I'm not knocking sex shops, Sophia, I'm just trying to picture you working in one, that's all.'
Sophia said. 'I'm actually looking forward to it. The pay isn't too bad, but not so much as I'd lose my welfare money. If I can get him to take me on full time, I'll come off welfare for good.'
'We need all we can scrape together, with the rent going up,' said Jodie.
'Hey,' said Gail, with a cheeky grin. 'Will you get any discounts off the stuff?'
'Let me get my foot in the door.'
Jodie asked, 'When do you start?'
'Monday evening. Allan's been working night and day since he fired his last assistant. Got caught with his hand in the till. He's going to work the week with me and teach me all I need to know.'
Gail warned, 'You watch he doesn't try anything on with you.'
'Ugh!' Sophia shuddered at the idea of being groped by Allan.
'We should celebrate,' Jodie suggested.
'What with, buttons?' said Sophia. 'I'm flat broke.'
'You're a witch,' said Jodie. 'Can't you magic up a bit of cash?'
'I wish it worked like that, but it doesn't. I have to earn it, like everyone else.'
'She's teasing,' said Gail. 'We can get dolled up and go for a drink. Maybe pick up a couple of millionaires.'
'Dream on,' said Sophia.
Chapter 4
'Aren't we hot babes,' said Gail.
'And it only took five hours to look this naturally great,' said Jodie.
Because of the tight money situation, they decided to walk the three blocks to Maxine's. Ron the doorman recognised them immediately.
'Now you three, I hope you are all over eighteen,' he quipped.
'I was eighteen yesterday,' joked Gail.
'And I was eighteen once,' said Jodie.
'I refuse to be any older than seventeen and that's final,' added Sophia.
'Well, either way, you all look gorgeous. In you go, ladies.'
Maxine's was a halfway decent club which often showcased local singers to perform with their small resident band. The club had a retro feel to it, because little had changed for forty years. It had gone in and out of fashion several times, but somehow, it had survived. The girl's liked it, plus the fact only men had to pay to go in, and the drinks were only a little overpriced. The free entry for women made sure plenty of men frequented the place, too. One brief experiment to make customers pay equally, lasted one disastrous week before returning to normal.
The band was jamming on the tiny corner stage; rhythm guitar, keyboard and drums, all warming up. The Tribute's had been part of the furniture for years, and like the club itself, hadn't bowed to musical changes much. Len the keyboard player blew the girls a kiss as they elbowed their way to the bar.