The young man from menswear wasn’t happy about the transfer.
He knew it was only temporary, while the two ladies that usually worked in that department were off sick. Management had said that it couldn’t be helped. They had hinted that this would look good on his record, if he wanted to get on in the company. He had resigned himself to it. He stood looking at the racks of women’s clothes, hoping the department head was right when he said that Tuesdays were always quiet. That was true for the first hour or so, that’s when the woman appeared. She was tall and slim and reasonably well dressed, but he felt there was something odd about her from the beginning. She spent a long time looking at the blouses, occasionally eyeing him and giving him a quick smile. Eventually, she chose one.
“I’ll try this one,” she said, opening the door to the changing cubicle and going in.
After a couple of minutes she came out wearing it. “What do you think of the colour?”
“The colour, I don’t know, purple I’d say.”
“No, I mean, does this colour suit me? What do you think?” She span around.
“Oh! Erm, yes, yes I think it does.”
“Right, that’s good,” she said, as she took several more from the rack. She gives him a wink as she goes back in.
With each blouse, she came out asking his opinion, and he was getting fed up with it. He thought, why did she keep coming out and asking me? Didn’t she have a husband or a boyfriend or something; that does that sort of thing?
Once more she came out. She gave him a big grin and he couldn’t help noticing up close that she had strangely pointed teeth and dark bags under her eyes. She is definitely a strange one, he thought.
She stood in front of him again. “What do you think, is it a bit short?”
“Eh! No, I wouldn’t say so, madam. I think it suits you.”
She surprised him by blowing him a small kiss, before returning to the cubicle and gently closing the door.
When she emerged wearing yet another blouse, he couldn’t keep quiet any longer. “Sorry madam,” he said, apologetically, “but don’t you have a mirror in there?”
“Oh! That! Come, let me show you.”
She held the door open for him and he reluctantly went in. She followed him in, pointing at the mirror. He was trying to make sense of the fact that she wasn’t reflected in it, when he heard the soft click of the lock. He turned to see her smiling at him.
With those teeth again…