First Floor: Cosmetics

By Jorja Lovett

Take one younger man, add some illicit outdoor sex, and Maggie Fenton is inclined to forget she's the oldest cosmetics girl at Kelsey's Department Store.

From the outside, it looks as though Maggie Fenton has it all. The glamorous head of the cosmetics department lives a life of luxury, but money definitely hasn't bought her happiness. In reality, she's married to a serial cheat who has made her life a misery for over a decade. With her husband chasing younger women, and her teenage co-workers' catty comments ringing in her ears, Maggie's resigned herself to being on the scrap heap. Until Jonah Hamilton puts temptation in her way and reminds her she's still a red-blooded woman.

Commitment is a four letter word as far as Jonah is concerned. He has no intention of settling down when he has the whole world at his feet. The only reason he takes a summer job at Kelsey's is to fund his travels. Well, that, and the sexy older woman he can't help flirting with over the makeup counter. Maggie soon becomes a good friend and someone who shows him how good love can be.

The chemistry between them is undeniable but is a fling enough to satisfy their desires, or is it simply the start of something bigger?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Totally Bound Publishing
• Release date: Aug 15, 2014
• ISBN: 9781784301187

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A Totally Bound Publication

First Floor: Cosmetics

ISBN # 978-1-78430-118-7

©Copyright Jorja Lovett 2014

Cover Art by Posh Gosh ©Copyright July 2014

Edited by Sue Meadows

Totally Bound Publishing

This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Totally Bound Publishing.

Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Totally Bound Publishing. Unauthorized or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.

The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.

Published in 2014 by Totally Bound Publishing, Newland House, The Point, Weaver Road, Lincoln, LN6 3QN

Warning:

This book contains sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature readers. This story has a heat rating of Totally Sizzling and a Sexometer of 3.

The Department Store

FIRST FLOOR: COSMETICS

Jorja Lovett

Book two in the Department Store series

Take one younger man, add some illicit outdoor sex, and Maggie Fenton is inclined to forget she’s the oldest cosmetics girl at Kelsey’s Department Store.

From the outside, it looks as though Maggie Fenton has it all. The glamorous head of the cosmetics department lives a life of luxury, but money definitely hasn’t bought her happiness. In reality, she’s married to a serial cheat who has made her life a misery for over a decade. With her husband chasing younger women, and her teenage co-workers’ catty comments ringing in her ears, Maggie’s resigned herself to being on the scrap heap. Until Jonah Hamilton puts temptation in her way and reminds her she’s still a red-blooded woman.

Commitment is a four letter word as far as Jonah is concerned. He has no intention of settling down when he has the whole world at his feet. The only reason he takes a summer job at Kelsey’s is to fund his travels. Well, that, and the sexy older woman he can’t help flirting with over the makeup counter. Maggie soon becomes a good friend and someone who shows him how good love can be.

The chemistry between them is undeniable but is a fling enough to satisfy their desires, or is it simply the start of something bigger?

Dedication

For Sinead and Christine—thanks for the gossip and the laughs.

Missing all my Antrim ladies xx

Trademarks Acknowledgement

The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:

Volkswagen Beetle: Volkswagen

The Stepford Wives: Ira Levin

Lolita: Vladimir Nabokov

The Times: News UK

Chapter One

Maggie drove along the M2, letting her tears fall without fear of someone seeing her. Here in the confines of her light blue Volkswagen Beetle was the only place she felt free to be herself. Once she reached Kelsey’s Department Store in Belfast’s city center, she would plaster a smile on as she always did and pretend everything was rosy in Maggie Felton’s garden.

Somehow she would have to gloss over the fact that her husband was having an affair and carry on as normal. She didn’t know which part of the whole thing concerned her more about the state of their marriage—that he didn’t even try to hide it, rolling in at all hours smelling of perfume and sex, or that she was glad she wasn’t the one sleeping with him.

For the last decade, their sex life had been almost non-existent, and that had suited her fine. It had become just one of her wifely duties she had to perform every now and then, like hosting dinner parties for the partners at Peter’s law firm. However, these tears weren’t for her lost marriage. Rather, for her lost life.

Nevertheless, once she was inside the hallowed halls of the stately Victorian building, Maggie would slip on the mask and smile sweetly at the customers as she did every day.

As she slowed to a snail’s pace in the rush hour traffic, she caught a glimpse of a luxury cruise liner anchored in Belfast Lough. Sometimes she imagined what it would be like to sail off to exotic climes and start again.

An impatient driver sounded his disapproval of her daydreaming as the lights turned green.

Sorry, she mouthed into the rear-view mirror at the sound of the car horn.

Ten minutes later, she turned into the staff car park, hoping to avoid the glamour girls until she could make some essential repairs to her makeup. No such luck.

Oh, Margaret. You look positively washed out. Shona rushed over to greet her with the first two jibes of the morning.

Maggie hated anyone using her full name. It sounded like she should be wearing a twin set and pearls. And Shona believed anyone whose complexion was a shade lighter than burnt sienna on a paint chart wasn’t socially acceptable. Especially for a sales woman on Kelsey’s cosmetics counter.

Lorraine clip-clopped across the tarmac on her impossibly tall heels. If you’re not feeling well, we could cover for you.

Thanks. I’m okay. Nothing a bit of warpaint won’t fix. Maggie bared her teeth in a humorless smile.

The bleached blonde, buxom dolly-birds couldn’t wait to push her out of the department and claim her seniority. At thirty-nine, Maggie was nearly twice their age, but her hair was naturally golden and her blue eyes sparkled more than their shark eyes ever would. At a guess, she would’ve said it was young Mr Kelsey who’d hired these two back when he’d still been in his playboy stage. These days his partner Jen from the toy department would probably have something to say on the subject.

After a quick spruce up in the ladies’ bathroom, Maggie left her home life behind to stand at her counter. The first customers started to roll in as soon as the doors opened. Jamie Kelsey had recently started work on remarketing the store and the increased footfall marked his success so far.

Maggie was glad to see people milling around. It made the working day more enjoyable to serve the public rather than listen to the gossipy glamour girls.

Would you like to try a sample of our new age defying moisturizer? She held the tub of cream in her hands as if it was a star prize on a game show, and targeted a sophisticated older woman.

No thanks. The curt reply was more than the complete denial of her existence Maggie had become accustomed to during these promotions.

Have a nice day, Maggie called after her with her smile still in place.

She did her best not to be offended when the customer lingered with her colleagues instead, but a sigh escaped her painted pink lips as she lost another one to the gravitational pull of youth. More often than not, Maggie’s clientele consisted of elderly ladies more interested in a chat than buying.

This is our new face lift in a jar, she tempted passers-by, although she remained doubtful about the claims. Peter had hinted on more than one occasion that she should think about having some work done.

She turned the pot over in her hands to study the dazzling list of ingredients. What the hell was ‘elasticum plumptivium’ anyway?

I’ll try some if it’ll cheer you up.

The remark came from the young man beside her. He was a strange mix of wild beast and business man, dressed in a smart black suit with the top buttons of his white shirt open and his blue tie hanging loosely around his neck. His dark hair was slicked back but the dark stubble lining his jaw gave the impression that he was more at home wearing board shorts and flip-flops.

Thanks. Maggie rewarded his kindness with a genuine smile for brightening up her day before moving on to the next potential customer. Would you like to try our new moisturizer, madam?

The woman blanked her in another walk-by.

It works, you know. I’m actually sixty-three. The smart arse in the suit stopped the woman in her tracks.

Maggie didn’t know whether it was the joke or the in-store hottie that had caught her attention, but she launched into her full sales patter regardless. The dashing young man carried on his way through the store and turned back to give her a quick grin. One that gave Maggie more of a thrill than her first sale of the day.

He remained a source of interest for her long after he’d gone. In the throng of customers, she found herself wondering about the purpose of his visit. Business or pleasure? A lot of sales reps passed through the doors on a daily basis now that Kelsey’s status in Northern Ireland had come to the fore again. Young men of his age rarely shopped in the store unless it was a present for someone special. For some reason she preferred to think he was seeking something for his mum or grandmother, rather than for a significant other.

Silly old bag, she mumbled to herself as her imagination distracted her from the job at hand. "Good morning, madam. Can