Author Jessica/Wolfie

 

Being a Vampire in Retail Sucks:

Description: Scarlet Summers has been through hell since her last mission left her in the hands of an evil necromancer. She got out thanks to the Moon Wolf pack, but not without a price. When three of the werewolves in the pack go missing it is up to her to solve the case. In order to do this she has to go undercover at a supernatural retail store called Fiona’s Corner and Café to find the missing girls.

 

Excerpt:

Prologue:

I killed my ex-boyfriend, but that was because he killed my lover. I also killed Kelsey. She deserved it for going after vampires who were harmless to society, and especially since she killed Dante’s family. Not that I go around ending lives for the hell of it. I worked for the Killer Contract Agency–hired to rid the Crystal Crest realm of society’s slugs. Like rapists, pedophiles, and hunters who go after innocent supernatural creatures. The weapon made me insane, and after an undercover case, I decided to be a detective instead of an assassin. My name is Scarlet Summers, and I’ve been through hell.

The Moon Wolf Pack are the werewolves who helped me escape from the evil necromancer, Rick. A mystery is on my hands when some of the girls went missing. Oh, and the girls all had one more thing in common. They worked at Fiona’s Corner and Café, a retail store in the Luxor realm that allows creatures to buy the items they need to survive. Here is my story of these events.

 

Chapter 1:

A fire is burning in the fireplace and it makes the living room warm to combat the cold air conditioning running through the rest of the house. I use this time off to banish the memories of my last case, and the previous ones when I was with the agency. I finally have a chance to try to get my mind off my past once and for all.

It all started when Nathan killed Zion, my lover, since he was an abusive and jealous jerk. My grief led to me wanting retribution so fiercely that I was hired by The Killer Contract Agency. I then went on a killing frenzy eliminating Nicole, Megan, Kelsey, Kyle, and Nathan. I got my revenge, but not without a price. My final step was to swallow Nathan’s soul but, it caused me to go crazy and I ended up gunning down innocents. I was changed into a vampire to stop the rage from consuming me. Once I turned, the rage stopped and I became sane again. Then I was captured by a crazy necromancer named Rick, and he tried to turn humans into creatures by performing horrible experiments on them. I stopped Rick with help of the Moon Wolf pack. All of the old case files went into the fireplace, and the bracelet I still have as a reminder of what I have been through. I turn away from the fire and the past.

I look around the apartment I love. We moved into it after I became a vampire and we transferred to the Luxor realm.  It is a big place with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, an office, kitchen, and even a library piled high with books. The walls in the living room are charcoal black and the carpeting is the color of warm blood with a gothic theme throughout the house: cobweb wallpapers with candelabras, and magical statues of wolves and dragons placed in the house to guard it from intruders.

Sitting down on the black leather sofa, I let the warm fire relax me. There is incense burning and the smell of apples and cinnamon take me to a place of comfort. The necromancer situation still haunts me, since I was tortured horribly. I don’t want to go into details, but I hate them. The asylum case was just as horrid. Especially seeing all those supernatural creatures hurt when they did not deserve it. I exhale and let it all go. I am on my vacation after all.

Dante, my lover, is rustling around papers in the office we share. Since I have nothing better to do, I go see what he was doing in the office. And maybe play around a bit on the computer.

“Come in.,” he replies after I knock on the door since he loves to keep the door closed to concentrate.

“What are you working on?” I ask as I walk into the room and stand behind him, peering at his screen. I know he hates it when I do that but I just can’t help but rile him a bit. He sighs and stretches, making me stare at the muscles flexing underneath his shirt.

“Shit loads thanks to the damn necromancer-werewolf-agency issues. I dislike Rick, and his bullshit about falsely helping people without powers. He just had to work in the Crystal Crest realm with the psychics to experiment on innocent creatures. At least the asylum is a black crater in the ground now. And all of their data on us is destroyed. “

“Fun, I love paperwork. But at least we no longer have to worry about the Crystal Crest realm becoming like ours.”

He laughs and it lights up his entire face, making his soft silky black hair undulate around his handsome face. I stare at his muscles as they ripple with the simple gesture of him sweeping his hair out of his eyes. He turns his attention back to the screen in front of him and I sit down in a plush chair in the corner and watch him work.

I don’t pay attention to the time until I feel a gentle hand brush my long red hair behind my ear. My green eyes come back into focus after staring at nothing but remembering the experiments.

“Brooding again?” He asks concern in his brown eyes. He knows I dwell too much on the past, especially since it was a shock to my system.

“Yes,” I reply sheepishly, “I was just thinking about our latest mission. All of the things the necromancer said he would do to my friend’s dead body still haunt me.” I shudder, trying not to think about it, and try to block out the images that are flooding my mind.

“Thinking of it only makes it worse. He is dead. The Asylum is a graveyard. You are going to drive yourself bonkers if you keep thinking about it. I agree with how horrible the whole situation was, and I wish I could pass on my extra abilities on to you. Then you would never have to fear. Do you think I like seeing you like this?” He asks.

“No, and I know it was hard on you as well. I’m sorry I still get lost in the past. At least the werewolves were able to save me.” I say with a smile trying to focus on the good side of my experiences.

“They did but it also means you owe them a favor. Werewolves always collect their favors and sometimes it is dangerous. I know I owed them once, and payback nearly made me tied to a member of their pack.” I sigh, not wanting to think about what they will want in return for saving my life.

“I want to check my email,” and I hop behind the desk across from Dante’s. My mind jumps to more essential everyday things like work and coupon shopping. I need some new clothes from Gothic Gear and Witch Cauldron and I hope that there are some money off coupons in my inbox.

I quickly get comfortable in the leather chair since it fits the shape of my body perfectly. I turn on my high-powered desktop and log into my personal email. I am disappointed when my inbox has nothing but Spam. No, I don’t want another vampire groupie, not after the last one died. Nope, I don’t want to meet single vampires in my area. Absolutely no to getting the biggest erection of my vampire life. All junk and no fun coupons for me. Frustrated, I decide to check my work email. Even though I am on vacation there might be something interesting going on to take my attention.

“Hey, look at this,” I tell Dante and he moves behind my chair. He looks over my shoulders to read what is on my computer screen.

“Why does he want to see you? I thought you were on vacation. I was looking forward to relaxing with you.” He sighs, “Do you want me to go with you to the office?”

I nodded, “Special assignment sounds fun, but it also sounds like a handful. I just hope a necromancer isn’t involved in this one. I hate those guys.” I shudder again and push away the images from my past. Necromancers are notorious for getting zombies to do their dirty work. It is helpful to send one after someone you want dead because they are hard to kill. The only way to stop them is to cut off their head. “Let’s change, and then hit the road.”

A little bit later, we slide into Dante’s Strider X, the fastest type of car in the realm. We quickly get to the store since Derrick is impatient. The sun is a horrid ball of heat frying everything in its path. The soft tank top I am wearing allows the cool leather from my seat to relieve my skin from the inferno. I don’t like the heat. I would rather it be an in-between temperature, not too hot or too cold.

Roger’s Video store is a front for the detective agency in the Luxor realm. King Alexander and Queen Diana Battle don’t want anyone to know about either Derrick’s Detective Agency or its partner the Killer Contract Agency. They work together to help solve crime and catch criminals for the crown.

Dante looks up at the sun. “At least the sun here is not toxic to us. I was a surfer before I changed into a vampire you know. I like still being able to surf; it is more fun with powers. And the donors and blood bags definitely make life easier. What about you Scarlet, do you love it?”

I consider my transition to being a vampire, “I love it, and it is so much better being sane. Thank you for turning me. I love having my magical powers and my spirit guardian.”

“Of course I remained after you changed. You need me to guide you and help in combat.”  Nightshade speaks in her melodious voice in my head.

“I am happy to have you too. You have saved my ass plenty of times. I will always be grateful to have you in my life.” I commune back.

Nightshade has watched over me ever since I came into my power as a witch. I have been her charge to guide even before I received the bracelet. She became my permanent guardian when I put on the bracelet, and when I kept my powers during the transition she decided to stay with me. She is a spirit that stays by my left ear and is visible when she desires.

“It is amazing that you still remember when we first met,” She comments knowing I am brooding on the past again.

“I always will because you saved my ass more times than I can count.”

“I think we need to go into his office now,” Dante interrupts and I notice we have reached our destination. He knows about Nightshade and doesn’t mind when we talk, he talks to his guardians too. The hell hounds: Cloud and Enforcer. Derrick is an impatient man and we both want to see what he wants.

“Sorry.” I reply sheepishly.  “Nightshade was talking to me.” Dante is standing over me holding the door to the car for me to get out. He is such a gentleman! He takes my hand and squeezes it gently, then smiles warmly.

“Would you like it if I was in your mind more, not just when you are in danger?” Because Dante is my sire, we can talk telepathically. It comes in handy during battle or undercover cases when we need to speak privately. It also makes the romance between us so much better. I nod in response to his questions and we walk to the store to see what the boss wants.

Roger’s Videos store is a bright beige building with a black and white sign denoting the name on the front of the building. The bell tinkles as we go through the door. I look around the room with brightly lit shelves and neatly placed videos. We might need to rent one if the news sucks. Syron waves to us from behind the counter as we make our way to the back of the store. Past the public restrooms, we go into the office to find out what the boss wants.  

Derrick Sanders, the owner and head of the detective agency, sits at his desk wearing his favorite camouflage clothes. His constant self-imposed distractions tell me he has seen more horrors than he will admit to. I don’t want to interrupt him so I wait until he stops typing and looks up at me before I speak.

“You wanted to see me sir?”

“Yup Scarlet,” he replied in his former army tone. He leans back in his chair and continues in the voice he used when he sent troops out for battle. “There is an issue that has come up involving Fiona’s corner and Café, the retail establishment. Some of the women from the Moon Wolf Pack have gone missing and all of them worked for Fiona’s. ”

My eyes widen, “The ones who helped me escape from the asylum?”

He nods, “Afraid so. The last place they were seen was their work place. Here are the files on the girls who are missing.” He hands me the files, and I take them with caution wondering who the unlucky girls are, and if I know them. Shania Wolfson, Sonya Simone, and Merica Laker. Phew, I never knew them personally. They are all very beautiful, and belong to Rex’s pack. Since they are part of the pack that rescued me from the necromancer the least I can do is try to find them. All three girls disappeared a few weeks after starting to work at the store.

Terrific, a retail store gone rancid, why am I not surprised? Honestly, it is not surprising to hear, especially since the boss is a 1,000-year-old vampire who use to use the store as a front for hurting creatures through horrific experiments. Luckily, it had stopped thanks to Derrick’s Detective Agency. At least I thought it had.

“Is this another find the missing women case or an undercover one?”  I ask dreading the answer. I have a bad feeling I knew where this was going when his face changed to a look of sympathy.

“I want you to go undercover to find the missing girls. You will need to pose as an employee at the store. It is the best approach to get information on both the girls and the company. The werewolves have asked for you specifically, as payment for your debt.”

“I can’t wait to see you in an adorable little uniform!” Nightshade teases, he voice filled with mirth.

“Great,” I comment with feigned enthusiasm, “Just what I always wanted to do; work retail!” I sigh, and he gives me the rest of the paperwork that I need to go undercover. I have my new identity as a vampire named Lily Stone, as well as all of the legal documents to support the story.

Dante laughs, “At least there are no necromancers this time. This should be way easier than that was, and you don’t have to deal with crazy people.” His mirth is not concealed as he grins from ear to ear, “And it could be worse, you could be at Fang’s Fast Blood and have to deal with hungry vampires. Fast food would definitely be worse.”

“True.” I laugh, “I have been to one, and the vampires are way too picky about it what they want.”

Derrick joins our laughter, “No necromancers at all, unless they are customers buying their items. The only creatures you will have to deal with are a few vampires, witches and werewolves. There is also the sorceress who is the owner of the store and her vampire lover Ren.” He smiles at me and his next words change the mood in the room, “I am really happy to see you in one piece. I know the last case was not easy for you. After this assignment, I want you to take a long far away vacation.” He pauses, “then you have to come back for another case.”

“No worries, I will come back to work,” I grin at him, “Honestly, I think a trip to the islands is in order. I want to learn to surf.” I look at Dante and he smiles.

Dante and I leave, walking side by side on our way to the car. I am hoping that the case is straightforward, but my history has taught me otherwise. I browse through the files Derrick gave me as Dante drives back to our home. Derrick’s note point to his suspicions he has about Fiona Stagea and my main purpose is to spy on her. Werewolves never do well at her store; they either quit quickly or disappear. Ren, her lover, was the last person that was seen with Shania. The two had been seen fighting a week before and no one had seen her since.

As I think about what going undercover in retail means, I begin to get angry. I won’t have weekends off anymore, not that I ever shop on weekends. I don’t like crowds so I tend to stay away from stores when they are crowded. I will have to deal with customers and I have seen how nasty some people are to retail workers. Many people take out their own problems on the employees, using them as verbal punching bags, which is not right and now I will have to deal with it. I used to work retail, and I hated it. I had to deal with all of the problems while I was trying to pay my way through witch school. I think about the amount of time it usually takes me to solve a case. The asylum took a few months, and that was after Nightshade woke me up from the drugs they were making me take.

“Thanks for that by the way,” I intone to Nightshade and I hear her laughter ringing through my head. At least I am never alone. I go back to my brooding and think about my time frame. There are only four months until Christmas, and even less before the shopping season ramps up. So I don’t lose my sanity again I decide I have to solve the case before then.

Many of the creatures in the Luxor realm used to live in the Crystal Crest realm, like me, and we tend to keep up the habits of our human lives. We celebrate the same holidays because it helps remind us of our humanity. The other downside to working the busiest season of the year in retail means that I will probably slip up and bite someone. Blood bags and donors have helped me conquer the urge but when my temper is high, I have been known to lose control.

Dante and I spend a magical weekend together before my new nightmare begins.

 

Booklinks:

Amazon:

Kindle: http://amzn.to/2jNa5Bm

Audio: http://adbl.co/2g1fYre

Paperback: https://amzn.to/2JXANVQ

 

The customer is not always right! If you have ever worked retail then this is the book for you, department store style. The customers are crazy and the situations are hilarious. It will provide you with tips on how to make a retail worker happy with you. And show you what a day is like in a department store as well as show you stories of rude, crazy and even the stupid things customers say to retail workers. Some will make you laugh and some will make you want a drink. Get ready and let’s dive into the wacky world of department store stories. https://amzn.to/2R0TPwf 

Retailers: https://books2read.com/u/barok6

Barnes and Noble: Mina’s Department Store Stories by Jessica Samuels | NOOK Book (eBook) | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com)

Kobo: Mina’s Department Store Stories eBook by Jessica Samuels – 1230004033028 | Rakuten Kobo United States

Google Play: Mina’s Department Store Stories by Jessica Samuels – Books on Google Play

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1089238

“Do you work here?” a customer asked me while I was putting away clothes off a rack. I was also wearing my Nikki’s name badge with the name Mina. 

“Yes,” I look at my name badge so they can see how stupid it is to ask me that.

 She laughed oblivious to my joke. “Can you check me out since I can’t find anyone to help me check out?”

I look over at the few registers in the kids and intimate area. She was right. There was no one around. Of course my coworkers could be in the bathroom or putting away other clothes in different departments. This is why I hate taking returns in different areas. The register even had someone else panicking while waiting at the registers. 

“Yes, someone is here.” the customer in front of the register waiting at the counter said. And then she glared when she spotted me since it’s my fault I kept her waiting. “Where have you been? I have been waiting here for ten minutes and haven’t been able to find anyone!” 

“Cleaning the area. We don’t just stand behind the register the whole day.” I said. No need to be bitchy to me either since it’s not my fault. 

“Well, maybe you should since I can’t find you anyway. Nikki’s has only gotten worse over the years, they hire idiots, and most of you can’t do your jobs.” She said. Whatever. Impatient bitches happen all the time.

“Okay, let me ring you up and let you be on your way so you can abuse someone else.” I said. She was speechless. And I quickly rang her up and the other older lady. And they are why I drink. 

I don’t care if you complain to me about stuff I can’t control. I work retail at a department store where they don’t pay me enough to put up with bullshit. I am not a dumbass retail worker since I have my degree. My field is so competitive that I am stuck here until I find something else. I hope I do soon I graduated with my degree so I thought it would be easy to find something else instead it wasn’t. I have been working here for one year and seven months. I have spent countless nights questioning my life choices and wondering where it all went wrong. I have alcohol stocked up after work since after dealing with dumbasses all day I will need it to take the edge off. Something to dull the fact that I am a miserable retail worker who just graduated college and ended up in a mound of debt. I feel like a failure. Period. Stuck behind a register to be mocked at and laughed at by customers since they don’t think it is a real job. I was done with my pathetic life, and customers who treat me like I can’t read when they need help with their cards. The happiest day of my life is when I turned in my two week’s notice. The last day I worked and clocked out was the best feeling in the world and that is what this book is about. Me looking back on my time in retail, free of it and moving on. I kept track of all the mean customers, angry ones, and even have a few fun chapters, too. 

I work in a department store and it has crazy customers, long lines, and endless returns. Nikki’s is for people to afford nice shoes, clothes, and even stuff for their homes. I love the employees working here since they are close to one another. There is also a music track that doesn’t include freaking holiday songs instead it’s songs I can actually sing to and some I get sick of. But they do play holiday music in November, and having to endure music like that totally sucks. 

There are actually interesting stories since a department store closes and opens. And special holiday hours, too. And then there are times when listening to the Christmas music will drive you crazy, and all the register lines are out the door. You don’t just sit behind a register all day either like people think we do. We have to clean up fitting rooms full of clothes no one wants, put up items from racks that people stuff clothes on, and make sure the entire floor is clean while answering the many questions we get throughout the day. Questions like where is the bathroom, if the coupon works with the item, and where stuff is on mannequins. A lot of stuff is going on and we have to deal with people complaining we aren’t there when we are right in front of them.  

Retail is not for everyone either, and you have to actually like people to work in this field. Bonus points for patience since some of the transactions can get complicated due to miscommunication, and people trying to make it more complicated than it actually is. Customers will also talk down to you as if they are better then you just because you have a job in retail. I get looked down on just because I work. And it’s so easy I can practically be drunk while ringing up people. I get comments like, “Let me make this easy for you.” And ones like, “I feel sorry for you if this is what you have to do,” a customer said while looking at the enormous pile of shit someone left me to clean up. I mean I get hassled a lot by customers to the point where I zone out. Sorry if I don’t care about your sarcasm or humor when I was yelled at for the eighth time over a coupon not working for an old lady on an item. 

Some days during the week can be slow like Monday-Wednesday depending on if it’s a normal day, and some days are so busy with constant register lines, full fitting rooms, and people who ask you nonstop questions will make you wish you had vodka to chug after the shift. Don’t even get me started on holidays since it will be crazy to be there during Christmas and Black Friday. Especially some days before on a good day I wouldn’t touch that with a ten foot pole. Those days will make you wish you stocked up on alcohol. 

There are days when I love working at Nikki’s, and there are days I would love to just walk out since everything that can go wrong will go wrong. Hell, that one dipshit manager made me want to walk out and not finish my shift at all. It is not easy by any means and the comments from the customers just suck since some aren’t exactly nice.   

Also, I have seen a lot of stuff here, too and it’s not easy either since it can be like walking into a flaming car.  I could quite literally see people setting themselves on fire since the coupons didn’t work. People also can’t read signs either.  And if you loved Tales From Behind the Counter you will love this book since it has stories from a department store this time, and not a discount store. Welcome to high end retail where there are expensive brand named clothes, no alcohol is sold, and the customer base has more money to blow then bachelors in a strip club. My name is Mina, and I have been working in a department store for a while. 

This book will have stories, pet peeves, and some of the angriest and mean customers I have dealt with working in customer service and even working in the bra and kids area. I have also worked all over the store in different departments since when you work retail then you work everywhere. You also have to be pretty flexible if you want to work retail, and if there is a call out at the store they could call you to come in to work, which means there goes your only day off. And department stores are so short staffed they sometimes give away hours because they need all the help they can get. I have worked all over Nikki’s from Customer Service, Young Adults. Everywhere, and in that time I have accumulated tips, stories, and even some funny angry customer experiences to go with it. If you think the customer is always right then this isn’t the book for you. This book will show you they are anything but right, and some of these stories will have you go to your nearest bar ordering sympathy drinks. In fact, during the making of this while reading all these stories I have even drank in response to remember everything and all the shitty customers that stuck out. There are good points like someone giving me a card when I was going through family issues, and the managers who I liked were actually supportive when I went through a difficult time.  So, sit down and grab your drinks since these stories and tips will have you happy that you haven’t worked retail, and if you have, then you know the pain of having to walk a customer who can’t read a sign properly. There are some good to it like working at a department store means having some very close friends, and even some of the customers are friendly, too. Not all are bad, and it’s the angry, stupid ones that make these stories entertaining. I wish this was all I had to inconvenience my day. Not some of these customers; and some of them think it’s the end of the world since their item doesn’t work with a coupon. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy my stories of pain. And in the end, I left retail, and I am now in a happier place. Retail is also a thankless job, and something in between. It had moments where I was dreading to go in, and I wasn’t happy, so I got out of it and had something better lined up. It will also cause a drinking problem since conditions can suck due to understaffing, horrible customers, and the pay sucks, too. Retail jobs are minimum wage jobs, and it’s not enough to live off even full time.   

Tales From Behind the Counter:Angeline has been working at Kyle’s General Store for five years. She has seen it all: crazy, stupid and even mean customers torment her on a daily basis. She has worked in over five different departments with stories for each. There is a chapter where she gives advice on how to survive retail, and shares pet peeves for the departments she has worked in. Join her down memory lane as she tells her stories about crazy customers and the stupid questions they ask. Also, if you think the customer is always right then you’ve never worked at a place like Kyle’s before.  Mina’s Department Store Stories:The customer is not always right! If you have ever worked retail then this is the book for you, department store style. The customers are crazy and the situations are hilarious. It will provide you with tips on how to make a retail worker happy with you. And show you what a day is like in a department store as well as show you stories of rude, crazy and even the stupid things customers say to retail workers. Some will make you laugh and some will make you want a drink. Get ready and let’s dive into the wacky world of department store stories. https://amzn.to/38X1cf9

Retailers: https://books2read.com/u/meeKkz

Barnes and Noble: Mina and Angelines Retail Stories: by Jessica Samuels | NOOK Book (eBook) | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com)

Kobo: Mina and Angeline’s Retail Stories eBook by Jessica Samuels – 1230004033035 | Rakuten Kobo United States

Google Play: Mina and Angelines Retail Stories!: Tips and Stories from a Retail Worker by Jessica Samuels – Books on Google Play

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1089219