Husband

Nicole realizes the clerk must think she's being trafficked. The last thing she wants is police involved, so she blurts out, "Oh gosh, no, he's my h-husband." Her guts twist when the word comes out of her mouth. "It's our anniversary. Um. Sorry, we're just doing some weekend, um, roleplay. I didn't mean to involve you like this."

The clerk looks relieved. "Ah, got it. No worries. I don't kink shame. Here, cut off the tags, and I'll ring you up."

Nicole cuts the tags off. This is it. She's going out into the mall like a prostitute. The clerk rings up each tag. "$736.23."

Nicole stares silently. "How? Much?"

"736.23. Those are $650 boots you're walking out in."

Nicole looks down at the boots. They look like cheap costume boots to her. On an ordinary mall trip, she'd never spend more than $150 for shoes. Maybe $200 if she wanted something fancy. This was obscene.

The clerk waits for the card as Nicole works through her shock. "Do you still want 'em? They appeared to make hubby happy."

At that moment, Huck parts the curtains. He bellows, "Are we ready?"

Nicole looks at the credit card in her hand. This was going to put her close to the limit. She's about to hand it over when Huck says, "Oh, hang on. Realized we need a couple more things."

He points out some make-up and asks the clerk to add them to the order. She does so. "$823.52." Nicole's stomach twists in a knot. This is the most she's ever spent on an outfit she never wants to wear again. Not feeling like she can turn back now, Nicole hands over her credit card. She isn't sure it'll go through and is disappointed when it does.

"Happy anniversary," the clerk says as they exit. If Huck notices, he doesn't say anything. He says, "Let's hit the bathrooms by the food court. You can put on the make-up."

Nicole wants to shrink into nothingness as they walk toward the mall's center. There are whispers. There are stares. There's a group of teenagers pointing at her, laughing, and using slang she doesn't recognize. "Maybe we should go. I think I'm good," Nicole says to Huck.

Huck hooks his arm through hers and pulls her close. "We don't want to leave the mall before seeing if the make-up helps your face at all. What if you need to return it?"

He's such an ass, Nicole thinks, but she also knows arguing that make-up isn't returnable is pointless, so she steels her nerves and allows him to lead her to the bathrooms. As they crest the top of the escalators to the food court, Nicole does a double take toward the back. Was that Don's assistant Stacy sitting with some friends? She stares for a moment too long. Stacy locks eyes with her. "Shit," Nicole whispers and breaks eye contact.

"What's up, honey?" Huck asks.

She pulls away from him and turns her face. "I need to pee, so, yeah, good call on the bathrooms, bye." Nicole rushes away as fast as possible. There was no way Stacy recognized her from so far away. Nope, not possible. if she was in work clothes, maybe, but it had been nearly two year since they saw one another outside of video meetings. Nicole felt a little bit of relief as she opened the bathroom door. Huck yells after her, "full face, baby!"