6:00, an interlude with Leah

06:00

"Hey, honey."

A sunny smile broke out across Leah's face as her wife answered the phone.

"Hey."

The two women were physical contrasts, Leah stocky with long, curly red hair, and Tracey tall and lean with her brown hair kept short. They loved each other dearly, though, to the point where Liz sometimes called them "sickening" for their affectionate displays while Leah was being dropped off in the morning or picked up in the evening.

"How'd the search go today?"

Leah could hear her wife's sigh on the other end. They'd started talking about moving to a bigger house last winter, and had started actively searching just under one month ago.

"Well, I made progress on narrowing down the list, so that's something."

"Oh? What do you mean?"

She could picture Tracey's face, the way that tone meant her lips were likely pressed together.

"The location's still great, and the price is still great, but... remember how the page for that housing development had a bunch of sections left blank?"

Leah hummed in agreement, nodding despite the gesture not being visible to her partner.

"Turns out it's got an HOA already - might've had it back when the page went up - and from the reviews it's a nasty one."

The manager winced. "What kind of nasty?"

"The 'do as we say or we'll **** your ass' kind, and from the sound of it they're pretty tough, too."

"You sure they're not bluffing?" Leah wondered aloud. Her desire to live there was already nil, but her pride was the larger driver behind asking the question. "These types are just standard bullies a lot of the time, has anyone tried standing up to them?"

She could practically hear Tracey roll her eyes. "Well... one review was from a woman who apparently interviewed to live there. According to what she wrote, she would've had to agree to both her and her house being totally free-use for everyone in the HOA - apparently they've got a tier system, because of course they do - and even after she said no, they still wouldn't let her leave until she'd sucked off everyone there 'in thanks for letting her interview'."

"Okay, that makes them a bunch of bitches, but it doesn't necessarily-"

"-make them tough, I know. I was still skeptical too. But then I heard about this news story."

Leah's eyebrows lifted. Disputes getting resolved by **** was normal, had been for years. For one to end up on the news meant it had either been connected to a celebrity, really big, or really intense or ****. "What news story?"

"There are clips I found online. I don't know the full context, but a member of the HOA was on the side of the road, maybe half a mile away from the development, arguing with a cop about getting pulled over."

"Okay..."

"Listen. You can watch it for yourself when you get home tonight, but the video had a good view of everything. The cop was this big black woman, a little chubby, but tough, and tits out to here-"

(Leah couldn't help but chuckle a little, easily able to picture the gesture being made)

"-And this blonde bimbo took her down just, like that." Tracey snapped her fingers. "Stripped her in a flash, spanked her until both cheeks were red and she was wailing loud enough to be heard in the next county, and that was before the dicks even came out. You couldn't see how big it was from where the video was being filmed, but the cop was insensate when the whole thing was over. It was honestly like one of your stories, just in the opposite direction."

"So d'you think I could take her? Or them?" Leah grinned, trying to ignore the twist of worry in her stomach.

"God, don't even joke about that. Let's just agree to stay away from that whole area."

"Okay, okay, fine. Tell you what, after we get home tonight we can go over the list again and redo it, make sure we only look at places that are far enough away from that nuthouse."

"...Thanks, Leah. Are you sure you won't be too tired, though? I don't want to keep you up (in a not-fun way)."

The redhead waved a hand carelessly. "Nah, it's been a slow day. A couple of problem customers, but nobody difficult enough for me to have to step in."

Tracey's soft smile was audible through the phone. "...You've really got a good team there, haven't you."

"You know it! Not a store in the system that can do a better job taking care of itself. Wild horses couldn't drag me away from these girls."

A laugh this time. "Careful, love, you might start to make me jealous."

"Aw, you know you're my best girl."

The corner of Leah's eyes caught her phone screen, and she stiffened in surprise. "Oh, shit, I gotta go, lost track of time. Break was supposed to be over by now."

"Have fun, Leah, I'll be there at 8:30 to pick you up."

"Seeyouthenloveyoubye!" Jamming her phone back into her pocket, the redheaded manager quickly reentered the building, shifting her shoulders awkwardly under the knowing, playfully stern looks both Kady and Melanie were giving her.

It would be over an hour before she thought of the housing development again - more specifically, of its proximity to this very thrift store.

And by then, it would be far too late to avert what was about to happen.