Chapter 153

• I hated having to be away from my mate, but I didn’t have many options. He needed clothes, and my pantry needed food. First, I stopped by the grocery store. I went a little overboard, buying a wide variety of things. I wanted him to try our cuisine, to see his reaction to every new dish I made. Since the order was huge, I asked them to deliver it to my address later.
• Leaving the store, I walked through downtown looking for a good clothing shop. I stopped in front of a display window filled with men’s outfits on mannequins. Since I had no idea what he’d like to wear, I picked a variety of pieces. I already had an idea of his measurements from the clothes of his I’d washed. The saleswoman didn’t ask any invasive questions or wonder why I was buying so many men’s clothes. Still, she kept staring at me intently and smiling the entire time.
• “Is something wrong?” I asked her. I had my card in hand, ready to pay, but she kept staring so hard I started feeling uncomfortable. Instinctively, my hand went to my neck, wondering if the mark was visible. Before leaving home earlier, I’d made sure to choose a high-neck blouse just to hide it.