The morning rush reclaimed the city streets in a blur of moving bodies, dark coats, and hurried strides.
Outside Raines Flower Shop, Lucy stepped onto the sidewalk. She wore a soft peach apron over her clothes as she set down the heavy wooden decorated board sign, adjusting it to face the street before heading back inside. Lucy was a floral clerk, but today she was covering for Maya, taking charge of the register while the other florists worked in the back arranging fresh bouquets. She was an orphan, but she carried the last name Cooper—just like her friend Elsa, she was in her early twenties. Her shift ended at exactly 3:00 PM, she pulled out a comic book Elsa had gifted her and let herself get lost in the story seated behind the counter.
Across town in a quiet, lavishly decorated house, Catelyn lay on a chaise lounge, scrolling mindlessly through her phone. An idea for a new bag design flashed through her mind—something highly fashionable that made her feel genuinely happy. But instead of getting up to work on it, she pushed the creative impulse aside and sank back into the endless cycle of her social media feed.
Out on the warm summer streets, Elsa walked past a row of shop windows and brick walls covered in advertisements. A bold poster caught her eye. It showed a man holding a woman intimately they looked like a couple, under the text: Medical pills after sex.
Elsa stopped to read it. The ad was for emergency contraceptive pills. Instantly, her thoughts went to Jordin. He was always incredibly careful and never did anything without a condom. Still, looking at the poster, she decided it was better to be safe. She made a mental note to buy some just in case. She walked home with her grocery bags, feeling a bit uneasy, though she accepted her physical relationship with Jordin as something normal and fine.
The next day, Elsa was out again, carrying a shopping bag filled with soaps and creams. Spotting a pharmacy across the street, she remembered her plan. She crossed the road, pushed open the door, and walked straight to the shelves.
Finding the contraceptive pills, she suddenly felt self-conscious, as if the other shoppers were watching her. To hide her nerves and avoid looking inexperienced, she took the box to the counter and asked the woman working there, "What are these pills for?"
Behind the counter was Deborah, a woman with pretty features and loose auburn hair. She looked at the box, then at Elsa. To Deborah, Elsa just looked like a normal young woman who probably had a boyfriend.
"They are used after sex to prevent unwanted pregnancy," Deborah explained gently.
"Okay," Elsa said, pretending she was just learning this for the first time.
"It's a single pill," Deborah added. "You take it after sex, and it is very effective."
"Okay," Elsa repeated.
Deborah slid the box into a small paper bag as another customer lined up. Elsa took the bag, tucked it in with her groceries, and left quickly. She walked straight home. Even though it had been a week since she and Jordin had sex, she decided she wanted the peace of mind of being careful of not getting pregnant. In her bedroom, she dropped her bags on the floor, took the slender pill from its packaging, and walked into the kitchen. She grabbed a cup, filled it with water from the jug, and swallowed the pill. Down the hall, she could hear the sound of the shower running; Lucy was washing up in her room.
The next morning, Elsa stepped into the living room dressed in gray pants and a brown top. Her work shift didn't start until 10:40 AM, leaving her plenty of time since it was just 8:10 Am. Lucy was sitting on the couch, reading a book.
"Good morning, Lucy," Elsa said as she walked toward the kitchen, going to get her breakfast.
"Morning, Elsa," Lucy replied with a small smile, watching her for a second before looking back down at her book.
In the kitchen, Elsa grabbed some snacks for work. She liked being prepared and having her day organized.
Later that afternoon, Silas sat on a camelback couch in his spacious home office. Sunlight streamed through the open curtains of a large window, lighting up the stacks of books along the wall. He was on the phone with his employee, Jeremy.
At the tailor shop, Jeremy—a tall, slender young man dressed in brown—stood among the racks of clothing, listening to his boss's instructions.
"There should be cufflinks brought to the shop from Donald today," Silas said. "He's the one who exports them."
"Yes, sir," Jeremy said, walking through the store.
"And make sure you check all the items when they are delivered."
"I understand, sir."
"See to it as soon as possible," Silas added. "I want the new materials prepared."
"Yes, sir," Jeremy replied, stepping into the back storeroom to look over their inventory of men's suits.
"And check the quality," Silas warned, his voice sharp. "It needs to be reliable. I don't want anything lacking taste in my shop."
"Yes, sir. I'll do that."
"Okay, that will be all."
After hanging up, Jeremy stood at the counter and opened the ledger. He knew the inventory list by heart, but he carefully reviewed the items to ensure there wouldn't be any mistakes when the delivery arrived.
Back in his office, Silas looked over a paper purchase order listing the cufflinks he had bought from Donald. The warm evening light filled the room as he read.
As night fell, Jordin drove his large Mercedes Benz through the city streets on his way to a party. In the passenger seat sat Nate, a fit young man with black hair, blue eyes, and long legs.
"There was this pretty lady at the club," Jordin said, keeping his eyes on the road. "I tried to get with her. I even told her she could keep the check I was offering if she slept with me. She actually refused."
"You should try her again," Nate said, his interest sparked by a woman turning down money.
"I did," Jordin said.
Nate looked over, surprised. "And?"
"This time she agreed."
"That was easy," Nate said, a look of mild disgust crossing his face, all the women are all just cheap, he thought.
"Well, yes," Jordin replied. He felt a wave of pride for winning her over, but also a lingering annoyance. Playing hard to get just to raise the price, he thought as he came to a stop at a red light.
"Those women are all easy to get," Nate muttered, looking irritated. "I'd say some of them are just cheap—"
He was cut off by a sudden knock on the car window. Both men looked over to see a police officer in uniform standing in the rain. Jordin rolled the window down.
"You should be careful," the officer said. "The road is pretty wet tonight."
Jordin nodded. "Sure. Thanks."
As Jordin rolled the window back up and drove forward, Nate's jaw clenched in anger. The interruption had completely ruined his mood.
"Why the hell did that officer have to tell you how to drive?" Nate snapped. "He has no right to order us around."
Jordin, though slightly annoyed himself, kept his cool. "I guess he's just trying to warn us so we don't get into an accident."
"To hell with him and the accident," Nate growled, glaring out the window. "He doesn't get to tell me what to do."
"He was just telling us to be cautious," Jordin explained quietly.
"Damn him," Nate muttered. He paused, trying to shake off his anger, and turned back to Jordin. "You were talking about that girl from the club. Is she really that special? I can recommend three others who won't play those pathetic games."
Jordin shook his head. "It's fine. I find her satisfying."
Truth be told, Elsa was addictive. He wasn't ready to let her go yet.
Nate let out a cold, mocking laugh. "Satisfying for now. I give it a month before you get bored and throw her back where you found her."
Jordin didn't bother to argue as the car sped off into the rainy night.