A Shopkeeper's Assistant

Coco’s apartment was not large but still better than she could have afforded simply on the income of one of Rarity’s assistants. But Rarity had apparently negotiated an unusually favorable rental agreement after learning that Coco was having difficulty finding a place to live within reasonable walking distance of work. The details of that agreement was something Coco had been hesitant to inquire too deeply about. The apartment was tucked under the roof in the front left corner of the 5th floor of a historic stone building that was originally built as a set of upper-class town houses then much later subdivided into a greater number of still high quality if smaller apartment units. Coco’s was divided into two halves by a single narrow hallway. Her bedroom, bathroom, and a small sitting room were on the interior side of the hallway while the more public kitchen, dining, and living room were on the exterior side with good sized windows for such an old structure facing out at tree-top level into a small public park.

The short hallway of her apartment opened out into the larger 5th floor resident’s hallway near to both a stairway and elevator leading down. Coco could lock her apartment door if she chose to but didn’t bother. Common thieves were quite rare and did not generally risk practicing their profession under Princess Twilight’s nose.

The choice between elevator and stairs was not a difficult one for Coco, she always preferred the stairs when going down, it was easier than going up but still provided a nice little bit of exercise. Plus, it was one less time she would have to endure being stared at by the old elevator operator. He was nice enough, but also old enough she was sure, to be her great-grandfather. Why couldn’t he have been a young filly or some pretty colt? She would have taken the elevator every day had that been the case.

Coco hurried to the heavy wooden door to the stairs and pushed it open. By leaving so early she was avoiding most of the other residents of the building including kids going to school, though not by much. Another half hour would make these stairs a more busy place, at least for a hectic few minutes.

As she worked her way down the stairs Coco enjoyed how much her choice of clothing made her aware of her body and how the tightness felt nice in all the right places as she moved, especially the way her tight pants cupped her butt and felt slick and smooth against her skin.

Coco had been a little relieved to have not encountered anyone on her way down, for all that she did enjoy showing herself off she always felt a little self-conscious when she was around those of older generations, who made up the majority of the building’s residents, putting Coco in the minority. However, she did like that having such folk as neighbors made things nice and quiet at night. A luxury compared to the apartments near the university. But interactions with others could not be indefinitely delayed and the morning desk attendant was as good a place to start as could be expected.

“Good morning Ms. Pommel” came a mare’s voice from behind the lobby desk the very second she began to push open the door at the bottom of the stairs.

“Oh, good morning! Have you been on shift for long? Coco asked politely, not having had the time to come up with anything more creative, while also trying to figure out the middle-aged mare’s name. She had seen her once or twice before but only in passing, meaning the lady was probably fairly new to the job.

“Well yes I have but it's nearly over, just another half hour to go.”

“Ah night shift then, I hope it’s working out well for you then?” Coco replied without slowing down much.

“So far it is yes, no real problems.”

“That’s good to hear, glad it’s going well for you, sorry I can’t stay to chat I need to be getting to work!” Coco said with what she hoped was a sweet smile.

“Don’t worry about me Ms. Pommel, you have a good day at work now.” The Desk attendant replied as Coco waived back at her while passing out through the wooden double doors with their small blue stained-glass windows.

Quickly putting her encounter with the desk attendant out of her mind Coco hurried, but not too much, down the cobblestone street with the trees and bushes to her left and the old stone facades of her apartment building and others of similar design. The sun was just coming up over the more distant rooftops behind her bathing the crowns of the trees in a golden light. The air was humid but still cool, though not so cool as to make her regret her decision to show her midriff.

As she was approaching the corner of the park where there was a small circular plaza with a stone fountain in the middle she caught sight of a mare, who she was certain with only the first glance, was out working as a prostitute. Coco considered making a wide detour so as to avoid another time delaying interaction on her way to work, but the very act of changing her route that much would probably take just as much time not to mention that the mare had almost certainly seen her by now and it would be obvious she was purposely trying to avoid her which would be more rudeness than Coco was willing to accept in herself. Besides, who was she to feel awkward around such a mare, some might take her for a prostitute herself considering the outfit she had on. And if all that was not enough, as she drew nearer she began to be certain she recognized this particular filly.

The filly in question was just a bit taller than Coco herself, which was not saying much, and was leaning against the smooth trunk of a younger cherry tree near the very corner of the park. She was wearing a somewhat high-waisted light blue denim short skirt that only just covered her butt cheeks and a translucent black fine mesh top tucked into the skirt through which was easily visible a bright neon pink bra, and her hair was styled in a very cute short pixie cut and dyed a dark purplish grey. She had a pair of chokers on her neck, one a simple purple band, and the other was black with a small silver five-pointed star in a silver circle in the middle.

Yes, Coco thought, she really did know this filly, and she was actually a he, but he hid it well and was apparently more a she than Coco remembered as the breasts filling his bra certainty did look real and were even bigger than her own it seemed.

Getting closer Coco knew she had to say something.

“Rumble? Is that you?” She called out.