“… this tastes amazing!”

“R-Really?”

Erica nodded furiously. “Really! What, did you find deluxe milk somewhere? Cause this looks like the off-brand Froot Loops I get.” she asked, before diving into the remainder of the bowl, slurping down the dregs until the bowl was empty.

Leonard paled. He obviously couldn’t tell her the truth, so he said “S-Special milk, you got it. I got it from a raffle, but I… didn’t like the taste. Glad you, uh, enjoy it though. Feel better? It’s about the time to leave for work.”

“Yeah, definitely! I feel like I could get in two shifts, you gotta give me that awesome milk again!” she shouted, pulling a bundle of clothes with her into the bathroom. In moments she stepped out in a polo shirt, jeans, and an apron for the grocery store they worked at. “Go on, I’ll get the car warmed up while you get ready.” the stunning woman said, now much more herself than Lenny had seen her lately.

“Y-Yeah, right…” he muttered, as Erica popped out the front door. “… tonight’s gonna be awkward…” he observed, still the mildly panicked shell of a man he’d always been.

The pair drove together to their workplace, the “Prift-Mart” grocery store. It was named after its owner, Ann Prift, who was also the manager for their shift. In the Albanian language, “prift” translated to “priest” or “pastor”.

Ann wasn’t Albanian. She won the lottery, and at the direction of a hired psychic and fortuneteller changed her last name and attempted to start a long chain of grocery stores. Then she decided to stick to just the one store.

On Leonard’s lunch break, he was called into her office. It was a decently-sized space. Enough room for a tall filing cabinet, a nice mahogany desk, two folding chairs, and one comfy plush chair that had its seat higher up from the ground compared to the other two. That was her chair.

Once he sat down, the woman who owned his place of employ stared at him, hands clasped in a way that reminded him of an anime involving giant robots and trauma.

She had long black hair, straightened into a shoulder-length semi-bob. Her skin was dark, and her eyes a similar brown. She was wearing a nice white button-up shirt, navy blue blazer, and something else below the waist that Leonard couldn’t see down in the smaller chair.

He began to sweat.

“Do you know why I called you into my office, Mr. Walt?” Ms. Prift asked.

Leonard gulped. “I… don’t…? Y-You just told me to come in here… A-Am I getting fired…?” he asked with shaky breath.

The woman continued staring, boring deep down into his soul.

Then started laughing uproariously.

His boss cackled “Fire you? Good heavens, no… I just wanted to talk to you about Ms. Bradley. Do you think she seems strange today?” as she placed a photo of Erica on the table. The one used for her employee ID, from the looks of it.

“Uh… strange how?” he asked. This was exactly the thing he had wanted to avoid. He had fed his good friend his semen specifically so she could come into work like normal, and not make things look suspicious. It sounded weird when he put it like that, but it was true.

“Strange like she’s smiling a lot more. Usually when she’s at her post on checkout 4, she frowns a lot. Until someone else approaches of course, then it’s that million-dollar face. Today though, she’s got a grin even when no one’s there to buy the merchandise.” Ms. Prift explained.

She had been a lot more energetic once he’d done the… Mana Transfer, was that why? Leonard shrank into his seat, asking “How… do you…?”

“It’s my store, Walt. I have cameras up. Also, I resent that girl for being younger and more beautiful than me, and keep a vigilant watch of her actions in the hopes that I’ll learn something that will let me destroy her.” she declared with a stone-faced expression of utter seriousness.

Then she chuckled. “I’m kidding. Jeez, you need to learn to lighten up a little.” she said as a smirk found its place on her face.

Leonard’s heartbeat was getting faster, despite his attempts to slow it by imagining a litter of puppies cuddling with him. He **** out “W-Well… I think it’s cause we, uh… m-m-moved in together. Her landlord raised her r-rent, s-so she’s staying at m-m-my place cause I got an e-extra room. I got a good d-deal since the previous occup-p-pant, uh…”

“I know, the necrophiliac maniac.” she groaned. “Your address is on file, and Google exists.”

“R-Right. That’s why she’s s-smiling more… cause she’s got a better living situation, she feels better than usual. Doesn’t have to hide as much.” Leonard finished, hoping that was the end of her questions.

Ms. Prift’s eyes narrowed. “Uh-huh. Mr. Walt, have you recently done anything sexual with Ms. Bradley?”

The small man began to blush. “U-Uh… w-w-what…!?” There was no way. She couldn’t have bugged his place, it was impossible…!

“Kidding. Again. You’re not exactly a catch, Leonard.” Ms. Prift said as she gestured vaguely to his general… everything. “No offense, of course.”

“N-None taken…?”

“Good. I do have to ask if you’re dating now, though. Inter-employee relationships are a whole headache and a half if there isn’t paperwork, you remember what happened with Kyle? The guy you reported?”

“I… I thought that was anonymous…?”

“The box is, but you’re the only person who put an H.R. complaint in that thing in the last couple of years. Again, my store. Cameras.” she explained.

Leonard wasn’t sure that was legal, but he didn’t have it in him to fight her on that, legally or otherwise. “W-Well… it’s like you said. I’m no catch. We’re, uh… friends who’re roommates now. That’s all.” he said, starting to calm down a bit. When he thought about it, there was nothing he did that was wrong.

Except maybe secretly feeding Erica his cum, but Ms. Prift had no way of knowing that.

The woman grinned ear to ear. “Wonderful! Saves me file space if you both live in the same apartment.”

Leonard stood up, a shaky grin on his face. “G-Great. Now, I’m pretty sure it’s still my lunch, so—“

“Just one more thing, have you played the lottery lately?” she asked, standing up to reveal black pantyhose with a navy blue business skirt and heels.

“… huh?” he squeaked out. There was no way. She couldn’t know about the gas station.

With a slight smirk, she said “I’m curious, is all. You remind me of a younger me, oddly enough.”

He looked the older woman over. Take away her heels, and she’d still probably be a couple of inches taller than him. “Y-Yeah, you’re right. That is odd.” he muttered, before waving goodbye as he left her office.

On the walk to the vending machines, he thought “… why the hell did I wave at her…!?”