Dora hesitated as she walked up the winding staircase to her bedroom. She twisted her long brown hair in her fingers as she contemplated her situation. She knew her husband would be angry with her over her frivolous slip with their joint debit card. She looked down at the black leather wedge sandals with the magenta silk lining, and they gave her courage as she put her trembling hand on the doorknob.
She walked into her bedroom and saw her husband sitting at his desk paying bills. His long blonde hair lay in waves down his back, and his muscles showed clearly through the black t shirt he wore.
He turned around to greet her and his piercing blue eyes penetrated her very soul.
Her breath caught as she greeted him. God, he looks like a Viking, she thought.
"Hello Sven." She said with as much cheerfulness as she could muster.
"Dora! Just the woman I wanted to see!" Sven smiled and beckoned for her to sit in his lap. She cheerfully hopped into his lap and gave him a kiss on his smooth cheek. The hairs of his mustache tickled her chin and made her giggle.
He hugged her warmly but then his manner changed.
"I wanted to ask you love- could you look at this and tell me what you find wrong with it?"
He passed Dora an official looking piece of paper. It was a statement from the credit union they did their banking at.
She took the paper and felt her stomach knot as she looked at the last charge on the statement. It was from Macy's, a charge for fifteen hundred dollars.
"See where it's highlighted in yellow?" He gestured.
"I think it's a fraudulent charge. I am sure neither you nor I would be so foolish as to spend that kind of money there." He looked into her dark brown eyes and waited for her to answer.
I could lie... she thought. I have a way out, and he would never know.
"I thought I should ask you before I called the bank." he continued.
"Call the bank Sven, why?"
"They will reverse the charge and the employee who took the charge at Macy's will be found and fired for not checking id." he stated, his eyes glittering ominously.
Damn... I should tell him before he gets too mad, she thought.
He went to pick up the phone in his pocket, with Dora still perched on his knee. He dialed the number and Dora heard it ring.
"Sven wait! It was me. I bought these shoes see?" She held out her foot to show him the shoes in question.
He hung up and stared at her with a look she had never seen on his chiseled face before.
"They were on sale......."she trailed off sheepishly.
"How could you? With as tight as things are right now, we have no money coming in because the bands not touring. We have no income until the royalties from my bands last album start coming in!"
She looked down at the floor.
"We have money in the bank, and it was a onetime thing." she assured him.
"Return them. Today." He stated with an edge in his voice, his Swedish accent thickened by the anger he felt.
Dora shivered. He had never been this mad at her before.
"Honey, I can't, they were final sale. They won't take them back." She whispered gently, as if that would calm him down.
"Well then my dear; let's make sure you won't make such a selfish mistake again."
