Bag Serials: Nutcracker #2

It’s 5:15am. I’m behind the Oscars on Rodeo and off the clock. The store doesn’t open for 2 hours anyway. Plenty of time, especially considering that he will be gone until the next 3rd Tuesday of the next odd month of the year. Which would be. Hmm. January 16th. That’s, like, a whole other season!

We mostly stick to the sweaters. This winter they are re-releasing this gorgeous little wool turtleneck, eggplant purple with a thin white corded belt. All piled up, they give under us them like hands through warm fresh cookie dough. And there’s tons of this stuff back here: big puffy winter coats, furry hats, those tiny black gloves everyone is wearing. Oh, and these cute Santa throw pillows, which are SO convenient when we start, you know, getting more creative.

You know.

And it’s SO nice in the back of truck, not cold and harsh like you’d expect at all. He put a red light in there, just like out of a movie or something. And it’s nice and warm and just climbing though all those clothes, thousands of dollars worth, before anyone buys them. I have to admit; it kind of turns me on. I wonder sometimes-this is so embarrassing but-sometimes when I ring a customer up I sniff their purchase a little just to, you know, see if there is a trace of us still in there. Once, I swear, I caught a little white dab right on the collar of a dress-casual button-up the day after he left. Sooooo embarrassing.

I think I am going to use my discount to get some of those pants this year. The new ones. They were fun. Nice fabric, long as you watch out for the studded side. “Spoiled” maybe. Or, maybe “Slut.” I don’t know. Besides, I mean, I’m getting a pair for Kimberly anyway. And I deserve a Christmas gift for myself, for a change. A keepsake. I bet he would get a kick out of them come January.
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‘bout 20 miles to Los Angeles. Don’t even need a road sign at this distance. Every city’s got a tell. Just have to ride enough; keep your eyes open. LA is one of the easier ones. That alien lookin’ haze in the sky just creeps right up on you. Not the biggest fan of LA, not by a long shot, but that sky is kinda pretty sometimes. Some good people in LA.

It’s the usual load for this time of the year. Stacks of cheap clothes for rich people. Boxes of furry boots and tight pants. I’m not a man for fashion, ‘specially in this town. All shinny and loud like on those cheap strippers on rap videos. I just don’t get it.

Money is money though. And the ride from Seattle is nice enough. I miss the leaves back on the home though. Nothin like a midwest fall.