A sudden knock echoed through our small change room, breaking the solitary of our erotic make-out session.
“I know what’s going on in there,” a woman’s voice called out. “You need to leave immediately before I call security.”
Amanda shot up quickly and began pulling her clothes on. I was still wearing the board shorts I was trying on, and I knew I had made a mess of them with my pre-cum, so I decided just to keep them on. I ripped the tag off and threw a t-shirt on before straightening myself. It was pretty obvious I had an erection, so I held the clothes I was about to buy in-front of my crotch.
Once we had straightened up, Amanda opened the curtain and the outer door. A middle-aged woman stood there with a frown on her face and her hands on her hips. The first thing I noticed was she wasn’t wearing a uniform.
“Can I help you?” Amanda asked quietly, keenly aware of Craig in the other change rooms. He spoke rather boisterously with Paul, who was yelling back from his stall.
“It is very inappropriate of you two to be fornicating liken that in public,” she said, lowering her voice to a whisper towards the end. “I will not have it.”
“Do you work here?” I asked with a raised brow.
“That doesn’t matter!” the woman snapped back. “I don’t need to hear your filth while shopping.
The woman was beginning to sound shrill now, and one of the girls by the counter had noticed the interaction and rushed over.
“Is there a problem?” she asked, glancing between us and the woman.
“Yes,” the woman replied confidently. “These two were being inappropriate in the change rooms, and I want them removed.”
“I was just giving my boyfriend my opinion on his clothes,” Amanda said. “Nothing more.”
“I do not believe you. I saw the look on your face when you came out, you slut.”
“That’s it, get out,” the cashier said, ushering the woman away from us. “You will not talk to my customers that way.”
“This is outrageous,” the woman yelled. “I am never coming back here again.”
The cashier followed the middle-aged woman but glanced over her shoulder to mouth the words ‘sorry.’
Suddenly, the door to Craig’s changing room swung inward. I grabbed Amanda by the arm and dragged her into one of the isles of clothing racks just in time. I glanced over the top to see Craig standing there as he yelled some banter to his brother. A moment later, the younger Fabio-clone joined him.
“We can get out without them seeing us,” Amanda said, pointing to the door.
“I can’t,” I said, pointing down to my shorts. “I need to pay for these, and shoplifting isn’t the best way to get away unnoticed.”
“Shit,” Amanda said, glancing around the clothing rack.
“You go; I can pretend I was here alone,” I said.
“What if one of the staff mentions me while Craig is around? He will definitely see you,” Amanda replied.
“It’s the only choice.”
Just then, a troupe of young women around Emily’s age rolled in through the store entrance. Each girl was wearing a bikini with towels or shawls wrapped around their hips, and it was clear they’d been swimming. They were all attractive, but none held a candle to any of my women. But they had the desired effect on Craig and his brother.
The girls kept to themselves as they entered, but Craig and Paul locked onto them, and I was immediately grossed out by how predatory the two acted. Fortunately, this meant their attention was now away from us and-more importantly-the front counter.
“Let’s go,” I said, pulling Amanda gently by her hand.
We made it to the register, and I handed the items I intended to purchase, along with the tag for the shorts I was wearing. The girl there gave me a super-friendly smile as she began bagging my items, but I kept most of my attention on Craig and his brother. We were within full view of the two; all they had to do was turn around. Thankfully the women were keeping his back to us.
“Sorry about that.”
I turned to see the staff who’d escorted the woman out.
“That’s okay,” I smiled. “Sorry to cause a scene.”
“Thank you,” she smiled and glanced knowingly between Amanda and me. “I know it must be hard.”
She obviously knew what had happened and didn’t seem to mind. By the way, she was looking at Amanda I guessed she might have been checking out the both of us. In another life, I’d have asked for her number. But it felt wrong now.
“Thank you,” I nodded to her and the cashier handling my items. “You may want to give those girls a hand, though. Those two look like trouble.”
I motioned toward Craig and Paul. Both women groaned when they saw them, and the one who handled the middle-aged woman made her way over there.
“Let’s go,” I grabbed Amanda’s hand.
She nodded, and we made our escape just in time to hear the store attendant address Craig and Paul. I didn’t know if she’d kick them out on the spot or just intervene and give the girls a way out, but I wanted to be as far away as possible.
“Let’s get out of here,” Amanda said as if reading my mind.
I didn’t know if it was my heightened state of arousal at being so close to Amanda or the risk of being caught, but I wasn’t acting like my usual cautious self. Neither was Amanda. We all but ran hand-in-hand and rounded the nearest corner, our escape just around the corner.
“Nick?”
Daniel stood before me, with Jen, Emily’s friend, and the girl I’d slept with on my first night in Australia. I knew the two had hooked up before meeting them, but it hadn’t bothered me since I didn’t know Daniel. All I knew was that he liked her, and Craig made fun of him endlessly about it. It seemed the two had made up since they were together, holding hands, looking very similar to Amanda and myself right now.
“Hey, Dan,” I greeted, then nodded to Jen.
Amanda stopped suddenly, bumping into me. I don’t think Dan or Jen registered who was with me initially, but a sudden realisation spread across Dan’s face. I wanted to pull my hand away from Amanda’s, but that would look even more incriminating. I didn’t know how to handle this situation.
I felt Amanda tense as she pressed into me as if trying to hide herself. She squeezed my hand so tight that I couldn’t let go even if I wanted to. I felt panic rise in my chest; then I heard Craig’s laughter boom throughout the shopping centre, signally his exit from the clothing store.
And it was coming closer.
“Dan,” Jen said, drawing Daniel’s attention. “I need you to talk to Craig and keep him busy.”
Daniel looked to Jen, then back to me before nodding. Jen kissed him on the cheek; then he quickly strode around the corner without another word. I was immediately worried he would say something to Craig, but something stopped me from protesting.
“Go on,” Jen smiled. “You two have to be more careful.”
“You know,” I said, putting two-and-two together.
“Emily is my best friend, after all,” Jen smiled. “Now go on before Craig shows up.”
“Thank you,” Amanda said, throwing her arms around Jen in a hug. “I’m sorry if I was ever a bitch to you.”
“Don’t be,” Jen smiled and returned her hug. “I probably deserved it.”
“Does Dan know?” I asked once the girls stopped hugging.
“No,” Jen shook her head. “I’ll talk to him bout it and make sure he doesn’t say anything. You can trust him. He likes you.”
“I’m very likable,” I grinned.
“Clearly,” Jen smiled. “Now go on.”