Trouble in Pandora

The weather was miserable - blustering wind buffeted sheets of icy rain through the streets of the City of London. Any unfortunate pedestrians quickly found themselves drenched despite futile attempts to keep the weather at bay with flimsy umbrellas.

Kelly was one of the few struggling with the regrettable weather as she trudged through the financial district. Her Ugg boots were doing their best to keep her feet warm but she could feel the rain slowly seeping in through the thick fabric.

Cursing under her breath, she fought to keep her umbrella upright while trying to tame the mini whirlwind of hair assaulting her face at the same time. It didn't take long before she gave up on trying to tuck her brunette locks behind her ears. Instead, she focused on huddling beneath her umbrella and angling it against the onslaught of sleet.

Her workplace was straight ahead; just a little further!

Bursting through the building's glass doors, she stood panting in the empty lobby for a moment as the heavy doors swung silently closed behind her. The warmth and quiet of the foyer slowly enveloped her as the rain dripped off her soaked overcoat onto the tiled marble floor.

She let out a sigh of relief, a tiny phew!, glad to finally be out of the rain. Running her fingers through her damp hair, Kelly absentmindedly mussed her long locks into some semblance of casual messiness. She just needed a minute to catch her breath, gather her thoughts.

Shaking off her umbrella, she headed towards her workplace. As she passed by various other shops, her eyes automatically drifted from one window display to another as her mind wandered.

Today was definitely one of those days when she wished she could've worked from home. But the holidays had just passed and she didn't want to start the new year by calling out on her first day back to work.

She found herself wondering whether it'd been worth it to trudge miserably through Mother Nature's tantrum when she could've spent it comfortably snug at home instead. The thought of her warm bed was incredibly tempting, especially now that her boots were slightly waterlogged. Chilly toes was not what she'd been promised when she'd bought her Uggs...

Her feet automatically steered her past the other stores until she entered Pandora's open doors. Smooth marble gave way to plush carpeting as she entered the jewelry store. A tall, handsome jeweler stood behind one of the many glass encased counters, organizing the display's sparkling rings in an orderly fashion.

He looked up at Kelly from beneath lightly styled bangs, dark green eyes glittering in amusement as he took in her tousled appearance. "Looks like the weather hasn't improved then, eh?"

She made a face at him before brushing past her manager, Kurt. "Afraid not, it's only managed to get worse."

Shrugging off her damp coat, she hung it up to dry in the back room. Speaking over her shoulder, she commented, "It felt like the wind was going to blow me away!"

Popping her umbrella open, she continued thoughtfully, "I wasn't sure my umbrella was going to make it." It'd proven to be sturdier than she expected. Impressed, she left it in the corner to dry before turning her attention to straightening her clothes.

She wore a simple white shirt and denim skirt. The shirt was cinched in and flared at the waist and sleeves, the angles flattered her slim figure. In addition to having a low cut, her top showed off her curves nicely while revealing just enough cleavage to be enticing yet professional. Her skirt hugged her hips, the bottom ending just above her knees. A long slit up the back stopped just below her pert ass.

Usually she would've changed out of her Uggs into proper heels, but she'd forgotten to bring a change of shoes in her mad rush out of the house that morning. Instead, she grabbed a hairbrush out of her bag and went to work taming her windswept mane.

Glancing out the employee's backroom into the shop, she saw that Kurt had nearly finished organizing the drawer he'd been working on. A bemused smile tugged at her lips as she quietly watched him carefully place each ring, every one perfectly centered.

The way he hunched over the displays, the look of intense concentration as he frowned at each piece of jewelry...Kelly found it both endearing and slightly comical. She wanted so badly to brush his bangs back away from his face, to reveal his somber green eyes concentrating on the task before him.

Instead, she casually asked, "Where's Adam? Out for lunch?"

"In the loo." Kurt didn't bother looking up from his task when he replied. On slow days like today, he kept himself busy with meticulously tidying and rearranging their wares. During her time working at Pandora with Kurt as her manager, Kelly had grown to admire how dedicated he was to his job and taking care of the store.

Nodding silently to herself, she ran the brush through her hair, gently yanking her tangles apart. Mulling over it, she would've been rather annoyed if Adam had gone out to get lunch after the fuss he'd made earlier...

Kelly was younger than both Kurt and Adam. She was still happily enjoying her early 20s. While she wasn't exactly sure how old Kurt and Adam were, she guessed that Adam was in his late 20s while Kurt was likely in his early to mid 30s. They'd quickly taken a liking to her and she'd found herself unwittingly "adopted" under their wing. As much as she appreciated that she wasn't simply another employee to them, she had to admit that the whole "little sister" friendzone could be rather frustrating.

Sometimes she just wanted to be heard and respected. Not coddled.

Adam had been rudely poking at her lack of foresight earlier, irritably pointing out how she had a tendency to never plan ahead - all a part of the Adulting 101 guidebook that she didn't seem to come equipped with. He finished by joking how she'd return looking like a drowned rat.

She was glad he hadn't been around to catch her bedraggled appearance when she'd returned. Remembering the conversation had her frowning as she scowled at herself in the mirror. She winced as she accidentally tugged on a particularly stubborn tangle.

Finally presentable again, she checked her reflection one last time. Makeup was on point, no smudges to be seen. Closing the door behind her, she joined Kurt on the sales floor, situating herself behind the displays across from him.

Instead of pulling her drawer out and reorganizing it like Kurt, she got herself settled and leaned against the glass counter while looking out the storefront idly. She wondered how many customers would stop by today. Considering the weather, they'd be lucky if even one person passed by. "So... anything interesting happen while I was gone?"

"Nope," he replied evenly. "Did you have a nice lunch?"

They chatted for a bit, passing the time companionably. Before long, Adam sauntered in through the entrance.

Despite dressing smartly in business attire, Adam somehow always managed to give off the impression of a charming degenerate. Meanwhile, Kurt was consistently the perfect picture of gentlemanly professionalism.

Was it the mischievous glint in his eyes? Or his cocky smirk? Perhaps it was his self-assured attitude, the arrogant way he carried himself. Kelly could never quite pinpoint what it was about Adam that rubbed her the wrong way.

Not that she disliked him.

Adam always treaded a fine line with Kelly. He'd tease her and be outright infuriating only to fluster her with how uncannily observant he could be when he sincerely complimented her. Sometimes she wanted to slap him, but sometimes he'd look at her and she'd just...freeze, like a deer caught in the headlights. He'd look at her like he was seeing all of her and every time it startled her...left her breathless while her pulse fluttered beneath his gaze.

It was a confusing mix of sensations to say the least.

"'Ey!" Adam flashed an easy grin at Kelly. "Looks like our drowned rat managed to stay a princess." His impish smirk only caused Kelly to scowl in return. "I guess even Mother Nature can't fluster our little ice queen."

Irritably, she noticed how his smirk brought out a dimple in his cheek. She hated how cute it made him look. Adam had a gift and it was knowing exactly how to capitalize on his boyish charm.

"That's no way to address royalty," she retorted with a glare.

Adam shrugged her complaint away and bent slightly at the waist instead, sweeping her a mock bow. That insufferable grin of his never left his lips.

"Now, now, children," Kurt's dry sarcasm always seemed to reign Adam in. "As Adam is so fond of saying, It's time to adult. Playtime's over." That was Kurt's way of telling them to look sharp, there were potential customers on the horizon.

Adam slinked off towards the backroom with one last wink in Kelly's direction. It was rare when all three of them were needed up front. Better to not overwhelm the customer with too many eager salespeople.

Kelly tried to make herself look nonchalantly busy while also trying to discreetly catch a glimpse of the potential customer Kurt had spotted. She didn't have to wait long.

A middle-aged man approached. After months of casual observation, Kelly could tell when someone was going to stop in and browse or just pass the store completely. Just a few glances let her know that this guy was most likely, absolutely definitely going to be stopping in the store to look around. Probably very likely to buy something as well!

Well...she was right two out of three times. That counts for something, right?

The man wasn't really window shopping, his attention seemed primarily focused on his destination. A few times, his eyes darted away, gaze briefly caught by something of interest. But his steps never faltered as he continued steadily towards Pandora.

Kurt was ready for him as he greeted the client with a warm smile. "Welcome! How may I help you today?"

"Hi, thank you." He nodded in return to Kurt's greeting. Kelly flashed him a little smile as she kept herself occupied at her own station.

His dark hair was a bit damp - buzzed short on the sides but kept in wavy medium length locks on top, it was both neat and fashionable. Very lightly tanned, he had a kind, easy demeanor and looked to be in his mid to late 40s. He looked like a typical businessman, complete with the usual overcoat, suit and messenger bag.

Stopping in front of Kurt's display, his dark eyes scanned the shining array of jewelry before him uncertainly. It was obvious that he was searching for something but not entirely sure what it was.

"You'll know it when you see it."

"I'm sorry?" The man looked up at Kurt quizzically.

Kurt motioned to the displays around the shop. "You'll know it when you see it. The perfect something that you're searching for."

"Oh," the man laughed, "that obvious, huh?"

As Kurt helped the man, Kelly glimpsed another person approaching. They were still too far for Kelly to guess the chances of them stopping in the store. Turning her attention back to her own display, she straightened a few necklaces before glancing up again. It looked like they were window shopping further down, pausing to check out one of the displays before slowly ambling off again only to stop at the next interesting display.

Probably unlikely that they'll be stopping in Pandora then.

Kelly was trying her best not to look bored and idle while Kurt helped the man. It was a surprise when she was startled by a polite "Excuse me," just a few minutes later.

"Yes!" Kelly replied automatically while jumping to attention. She nearly dropped the bracelets she'd been arranging. Realizing that there was a customer standing across from her, she followed her reply with a flustered "I'm sorry. Welcome!" Quickly returning the bracelets to their display, she composed herself and smiled at the woman. "How may I help you?"

The woman was dressed all in black, bundled up in a large winter coat with her hair hidden beneath a wool knit cap. Her dark eyes were looking inquisitively at Kelly while a friendly smile graced her lips. "My birthday's coming up in a few weeks and I was thinking that I'd treat myself to something nice this year."

"Happy early birthday!" Kelly smiled back enthusiastically. "That's so lovely. We should all remember to treat ourselves once in a while." The two exchanged a warm laugh. "So, what do you like? Any preferences on what type of gemstone you're looking for? Or what type of jewelry you'd prefer?"

While Kelly chatted with the woman, she noticed that Kurt was still patiently assisting the gentleman. A few discreet glances confirmed that Kurt was pulling out several engagement rings for him to look over.

As Kelly pulled out various lengths of necklaces and bracelets, holding each one out for the woman to examine, it became obvious that she'd very likely be making a purchase...if Kelly could manage to find a piece that caught her interest. Her first sale of the year on the first day back to work? What a great start that'd be. She hoped that Kurt was having similar luck.

After pondering over the selection for quite some time, the woman didn't seem particularly taken with anything from the display.

"If you tell me what you're looking for, I can assist you better." Kelly offered helpfully.

"Hmm," the woman replied while peering closely at a necklace studded with sapphires. "I suppose none of these are really drawing me to them. They all seem a bit..." She shrugged, almost apologetically. "I guess what I'm trying to say is...I'm looking for that missing wow factor? Something that I can really show off you know? A splurge like this, I want it to be noticed."

Kelly was starting to get a better idea of what she was asking for. "If you'd like, I could show you our more...exclusive selection?"

The woman's smile was all the indication Kelly needed to know she was on the right track. Except she didn't actually have access to the store's more expensive options. "If you'll follow me to this other display, my colleague can show you some more options that might suit your needs better."

To her surprise, Kurt had already navigated over to the middle display and was showing off their more high-end wares to the man. Just based on the slight frown marring his otherwise polite poker face, Kelly could tell that he wasn't seeing anything of interest. The woman Kelly was helping picked up on this immediately as well and gave the display a quick cursory glance before asking Kurt directly, "Is this all? Nothing more exclusive?"

Before Kurt could reply, she reached into her handbag, pulled out her wallet and deftly slid a single card across the counter. Kurt's eyebrows rose a fraction but he kept his usual cool demeanor and gave a little nod of acknowledgement to the woman.

"My apologies, miss...?"

"Grace," the woman offered helpfully with a flirtatious smile.

"My apologies, Ms. Grace. It would of course be our pleasure to help you find something that suits your needs."

Grace nodded to the man beside her and smiled in greeting. "I take it you're a kindred spirit? What are you looking for?"

He nodded back in acknowledgement. "Not for myself, but my...lady is a woman with luxurious tastes."

"What a lucky woman to have someone who makes sure she gets only the best." Grace turned her attention back to Kurt. "Well, it seems like the stars have aligned in your favor - having the two of us here." She gave Kurt a playful wink. "That is, assuming you're able to supply us with our heart's desires."

While the conversation continued, Kelly snuck a curious peek at the card Grace had shown Kurt. The black card with the white centurion was recognizable at a glance. Kelly tried not to gasp, tried not to look overly excited. She tried her best to play it cool, tried her best to channel Kurt's nonchalant poker face but undoubtedly failed.

AMEX Black - the centurion card. She could practically feel the cartoon dollar signs floating in front of her eyes as she imagined how much she'd make through today's commissions from this sale!

Potential sale, she chided herself mentally as she brought herself back down from Cloud 9. It wouldn't do to get ahead of herself. Focus! Head in the game.

"Indeed," Kurt replied without missing a beat. "Please," he gestured to the door behind him, the one leading to the back rooms. "Follow me."

Kelly stayed put - store protocol required at least one employee working the front at all times. The two patrons followed Kurt behind the counter but Grace paused at the door to look back at Kelly. "Are you not coming?"

Before Kelly could reply, Kurt intervened. "We need someone to stay at the front in case anyone else stops by."

"In this weather?" Grace laughed. "I think you've already used up all your luck today with the two of us!" She smiled at Kelly. "Besides, I like her. Kelly, right? She's been very helpful and I like her eye for detail. Can't you just lock up the front in the meantime?"

Kurt hesitated but seeing the excited look Kelly was shooting him, it wasn't hard to pick up on her psychic messages of pleasepleaseplease. "Why don't you lock up and put the sign up then join us in the back?"

She wanted to reply with an enthusiastic Of course! or ecstatic Yesss! but she chirped out a cheery "On it!" instead and sprung into action. It didn't take her long, maybe five to ten minutes at most. She was genuinely excited to see what was stored in the safe.

Making her way back through the store, she knocked politely before letting herself in and closing the door gently behind herself. Turning to survey the room, she immediately realized that something was...wrong.

"Ah, Kelly, you've finally joined us." Grace flashed her a friendly smile over her shoulder. She was seated with her back to Kelly. Kurt and Adam were seated across from her looking oddly grim and tense. Meanwhile the man was the only one sifting through the glimmering jewels gleaming on the table before them.

Unsure, Kelly made her way towards the group cautiously.

Adam was shooting her furious glances, not so subtly shaking his head at her. She wasn't sure why. Was he trying to tell her to keep her distance? Was it rude if she was hovering while they examined the jewelry? But she wanted to see too!

Meanwhile, Kurt was staring straight ahead at Grace with a dead eyed glare - silent but intense. Seriously, what was going on in here? What had she missed in those few minutes?

"Why don't you join us Kelly? My new friend and I are quite impressed with the selection your store has available here." Pulling a long necklace towards him, he let the diamond studded strand run over and dip through his fingers. Each gem sparkled intensely in the light, tiny rainbows reflecting everywhere as he scrutinized the strand carefully.

Kelly hated to admit it but she found herself a bit entranced by the jewels. She wished she could be the one examining them. But...wait a minute, that's odd. She could've sworn that the store policy only allowed employees to handle any of the pieces. Had Kurt decided to give them special permission since they're VIP clients?

Having made her way around the table, Kelly's smile faltered as she finally understood the tension in the room...

Held loosely in Grace's left hand, partially concealed by her long sleeves, was a small pocket pistol fitted perfectly in the palm of Grace's hand. Despite the mouse gun's small size, it was obvious that Grace meant business as she held it steadily before her. Kelly momentarily wondered if it had been hidden in her sleeve the entire time or if it'd been stored in her bag.

"Well, now that everyone's finally here, I suppose the fun can begin in earnest, hmm?" Grace tapped her chin thoughtfully with her right hand, gloved finger resting lightly against her ruby lips. "After all, it'll take some time for Roger to examine all the gorgeous pieces here. And we only want the ve~ery best!"