The cold warehouse air bit at Allegra’s bare legs as she wandered among the towering shelves. She shivered, cursing the skimpy Santa’s Helper costume for the hundredth time.
“Damn skirt was useless anyway,” she muttered, tugging at the high legline of her red leotard. The material sat snugly on her hipbones, leaving far more skin exposed than she was comfortable with. “But at least it covered my ass. Now I’m just out here, legs and all, freezin’ my butt off.”
She wrapped her arms around herself for warmth, glancing nervously at the corners of the warehouse. The last thing she needed was for one of her coworkers to wander in and catch her skirtless. “How could this get any worse?” she muttered under her breath, her cheeks flushing at the thought.
The cavernous warehouse was silent except for the distant hum of machinery. Allegra’s boots clicked softly on the concrete as she weaved through rows of boxes, occasionally pausing to inspect the contents. She passed a pile of stuffed animals, a shelf of brightly colored toy trucks, and an old forklift parked beside a large, grimy vat of motor oil.
Her nose wrinkled at the sight of the oil. “What kinda place keeps a whole vat of that stuff just sittin’ around?” she wondered aloud.
Determined to finish her task and get out of there before someone saw her, Allegra scanned the shelves again. Her heart lifted as her eyes landed on a box with familiar lettering.
“Finally!” she exclaimed, hurrying over and tugging it off the shelf. “Handsome Hector, you’re mine.”
The box was colorful and cheerful, its cartoonish illustration of Hector grinning beneath his oversized sombrero. Allegra sighed in relief, but as she examined the doll, her smile faltered.
The Hector doll had a massive head, a comically large mustache, and an unnervingly lifelike expression. Its bright, painted eyes seemed to follow her as she tilted the box. Technically, it was cute—adorable even—but something about it made her stomach churn.
“You’re a little too pleased with yourself,” she muttered, narrowing her eyes at the doll.
She opened the box and lifted Hector out. The doll was light, its sombrero wobbling slightly as she held it up. The uneasy feeling lingered as she stared into its painted grin.
“Why does it feel like you’re lookin’ right at me?” she said softly.
Suddenly, the doll blinked.
Allegra froze, her breath catching in her throat.
The doll’s grin widened, and it tipped its sombrero as it came to life in her hands. With a loud, playful voice, it shouted, “Amigo!“
Before Allegra could react, Hector slapped her hard across the cheek with one tiny plastic hand.
“Ow!” she cried, stumbling back and nearly dropping him. Her cheek burned as she rubbed it, staring at the doll in shock. “Fucking doll hit m—”
Hector leapt from her hands, landing on the concrete floor with an agile bounce. He spun around, tipped his hat again, and darted toward the shadows of the warehouse.
——-
Allegra’s boots clacked noisily against the concrete floor as she sprinted after the animated Handsome Hector doll. Her legs burned, her breath came in sharp bursts, and her high-heeled Santa boots were doing her no favors.
Hector, meanwhile, zipped ahead effortlessly, his oversized sombrero bouncing jauntily with each step. He glanced over his shoulder and laughed, his voice ringing out loud and clear.
“Come on, amiga! With legs like yours, you should be faster than this!” he taunted, spinning around to jog backward just to rub it in.
Allegra growled through clenched teeth. “When I catch you, I’m gonna rip that mustache right off your stupid face!”
“Ay, ay!” Hector chuckled, wagging a tiny finger at her. “Such hostility! Maybe you should wrap those long legs around me, hmm? Might make the chase more fun.”
Allegra’s face flushed. “You little—”
Before she could finish her sentence, Hector veered sharply to the left and tipped over a box perched precariously on the edge of a shelf. The lid burst open, and a cascade of marbles spilled across the floor in front of her.
Allegra’s heart sank.
“Oh no—no, no, no!”
She skidded to a halt, her boots slipping as the marbles scattered in every direction. She flailed her arms, desperately trying to keep her balance as her heels wobbled against the slick floor.
“You’re doing great!” Hector called mockingly from a safe distance. “But maybe pants next time, sí? Or be nice to me—I might still ask you out!”
Allegra’s foot caught on a particularly slippery marble, and that was it. With a startled yelp, she lost her footing entirely and tumbled backward, landing hard on her ass.
“Oof!”
She lay there for a moment, dazed, her legs sprawled awkwardly amidst the sea of marbles. The cold concrete pressed against her thighs through the thin leotard, a sharp reminder of just how exposed she was.
Hector tipped his sombrero, grinning ear to ear. “Better luck next time, bonita!”
Allegra glared at him, her cheeks burning. “You’re dead when I catch you!”
But as Hector darted off again, she groaned, leaning back onto her hands. First the skirt, now this? Could this night possibly get worse?
Allegra padded softly down the warehouse aisle, her bare feet making almost no sound against the cold concrete floor. The air felt sharp and chilly on her exposed legs, a constant reminder of how vulnerable she was without her skirt or stockings.
She paused, narrowing her eyes as she caught a glimpse of movement ahead. Hector’s oversized sombrero bobbed into view before he disappeared around the corner.
“Gotcha,” she muttered, gripping the boot in her hand as she crept closer.
Allegra rounded the corner cautiously, ready for whatever trick he might have up his sleeve. But she wasn’t ready for this.
Hector stood in the center of the aisle, holding a bright red pool noodle like a baseball bat. He gave her a smug grin, his little plastic body poised as though he was about to hit a home run.
“Don’t even think about it, you little—”
Before she could finish her sentence, Hector swung.
The pool noodle wasn’t supposed to be solid. But when it connected with her stomach, it sank in deep, the force of the blow knocking the air out of her lungs.
THWUMP!
Her breath was torn from her body, ripped away so violently it felt like someone had reached into her chest and yanked her lungs out.
“Oooouph!” she gasped, her voice strained and guttural as she doubled over, clutching her stomach. The pain was sharp and immediate, radiating from her abdomen in relentless waves that made her legs tremble beneath her.
Her knees wobbled, threatening to give way as she staggered backward, her free hand flailing to catch her balance. Each attempt to draw in air failed, her lungs rebelling against her, leaving her chest heaving in shallow, broken gasps.
The edges of her vision blurred, her head spinning as she stumbled, the cold concrete floor tilting beneath her feet.
She staggered, looking up to glare at the little menace, but Hector was gone.
“Where—”
A sharp CRACK! interrupted her thought.
The sound was loud and crisp, like a whip slicing through the air. A second later, a fiery sting exploded across the smooth skin of her bare ass.
“Yowch!” Allegra yelped, standing up straight with a jolt. Her hand shot to the back of her thigh, but the sting was already spreading, hot and humiliating. Her wide eyes darted around until she spotted Hector behind her, his pool noodle cocked and ready for another swing.
“You did NOT just slap me on the ass!” she shouted, spinning around to face him. Her cheeks burned—not just from the sting.
Hector tipped his sombrero. “Amigo!”
Before Allegra could react, he swung the noodle again—this time from below.
The rubbery THWACK landed squarely against the narrow strip of fabric between Allegra’s thighs.
Her groin tightened instantly, a dull ache blooming deep in her vulva. Allegra froze, her knees faltering as she grabbed at the sting spreading low in her core. She opened her mouth to speak, but all that came out was a breathless, broken groan.
“Oooohhh…”
Her eyes darted wildly, searching for balance, a plan—anything. But the ache held her in place, disoriented and exposed.
“Don’t like the way I play, Amiga?” Hector taunted, twirling the noodle with a showman’s flair. “Let’s try that again!”
Hector swung again, his sombrero bouncing as he aimed for the obvious target: the delicate triangle between her thighs that seemed to scream, “Press here!”
THWACK!
The noodle struck true, sending a fresh wave of numbing agony through Allegra’s groin. Her body jolted, the dull ache sinking deeper.
“Ahhh…” she hissed through clenched teeth, doubling over until her forehead nearly touched the cold concrete. The ache spread lower, locking her in place as her breaths came shallow and ragged.
“Star hitter!” Hector crowed, tipping his hat with a cackle. “You’re out!”
“Did I just…” she croaked, her voice hoarse, “get annihilated by a doll with a pool noodle?”
Hector’s laughter rang out from the shadows. “That’s right, Amiga!” he cackled before vanishing from sight.