Judge Me Not - Maggie Cole Page 0,2

the money, I will.

I just wish the answer was clear on how to get it.

2

Jasmine

"Did you try the new scent yet?" Karla asks.

I groan. "My nose can't handle anything else. It takes me all week to breathe right and then I come back and get to violate my nostrils all over again." I'm at Claudio's for my weekend job. It's a high-end department store in Manhattan. I take several busses to get here, but the money is worth it, especially right now during the holiday season. The cosmetic department pays a salary and commission, and there isn't anything here under fifty dollars. The women who come in are used to paying a fortune for their personal products. The men mostly come for gifts and will buy anything you tell them they need.

Karla nods. "It's powerful, so go easy when you do."

"Thanks for the warning."

"Hey, how did your appointment go yesterday?"

My chest tightens, and I take a deep breath to calm my emotions. I tell Karla what the doctor said about the treatments and how much it's going to cost.

"That's highway robbery!" she cries out.

"Tell me about it."

A woman comes over wearing a fur coat and carrying a dog purse. A small, white puppy is inside it.

Karla rolls her eyes, and I furrow my brows for her to behave. I would help her, but I have to finish wrapping the last order I took. The customer is at another makeup counter while I complete it.

"Can I help you?" Karla asks.

The woman purses her lips. "Just looking."

Karla puts on a fake smile. To everyone, it looks genuine. But I've known her for too long. "I'm here if you need me."

I pack all the items I wrapped into a bag and walk around the corner to the woman who bought them. "All wrapped. Do you need anything else?"

She turns and draws her eyebrows together. Her eyes travel down my body and back to my face. It's the second time she's done it. Her scrutiny threw me off when I helped her, but there are many strange people in New York. I ignored it earlier, but it gives me the creeps right now. "Can we talk for a quick moment?"

This is weird.

She's rich. Most people who have money are.

Okay, that isn't fair.

Maybe she'll buy more.

I can't afford to turn any customers away.

I force a smile. "Sure." I walk to the edge of my counter, where it isn't crowded. "Can I help you find something else?"

"You've got a sweet look about you."

"Umm...thanks?"

"You've got a great body."

Is she hitting on me?

"Thank you. Is there something else you wanted to look at?" I hold up a bottle of perfume. "This just came in. I can give you a sample if you'd like?"

Her full, red lips twitch. "How much do they pay you here?"

"I'm sorry?"

She crosses her arms and plays with her long blonde hair. It's beautiful, but she must pay a fortune for her extensions. Her thick, black eyelashes flutter. "My guess is they don't pay you near as much as what you could earn."

I nervously laugh. "Are you offering me another job? I'll take five-thousand dollars per day, in cash, please." I lean in to say under my breath, "Don't tell Uncle Sam."

She raises her eyebrows. "Five thousand. Is that all you think you're worth?"

Oh, wait. Is she recruiting me to be a prostitute?

"Umm...I was kidding. I'm happy here. Really."

She smirks then her face becomes serious.

Abby needs treatment.

I couldn't do that.

If you don't do something, she's going to die.

"Wait. Are you..." I glance around me then lower my voice. "Recruiting me to be a...well, you know."

Her eyes turn to slits. "A what?"

Oh, crap. Now I've insulted her.

"I'm sorry. I'm confused by what's going on right now."

She tilts her head then puts her arm around me. "Let's take a walk."

"I'm supposed to stay around the counter."

She turns to Karla. "Are you able to cover the counter while Ms..." she turns to me and looks at my name tag, "Jasmine, helps me with a special request?"

Karla tries to cover her "you're with a crazy lady" expression. "Sure."

Way to have my back.

What is this lady trying to get me involved in?

She leads me to the corner of the store, where the lingerie department is. "Your breasts. They're natural?"

"Excuse me?"

She softly laughs. "Natural breasts like yours are hard to find. You'll get paid more for them."

I open my mouth to tell her I'm not doing anything that pays me for my breasts, but then Abby's face comes to my mind,