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We ordered our dinner and resumed our conversation as the waiter walked away. Talking about how our day went, what was happening at work, and all the little things we wanted to catch up on. I loved Jenna. No matter what the pressures of my job, I could easily unwind talking with her over a drink and the worries of the world would melt away.
An hour and a half later after a few more drinks, sharing an appetizer and dinner we were getting ready to leave. As I paid the check Jenna handed me a small piece of paper.
Unfolding it I read, "shoplifter caught". That's all I needed to know.
As we walked the two blocks to my apartment, I held her close with my arm around her waist. We had gone to the restaurant directly from work, she met me at my office and we took the train together. She was dressed in a fairly conservative blue business suit, white blouse, sheer stockings, 4 inch blue heels and carrying her purse. While appropriate for the office, the outfit was also quite sexy in that buttoned up businesswoman kind of way. Neither of us mentioned the note on the way home.
Once in the apartment I put my briefcase away, hung up my suit jacket and tie and put on some music. If there was going to be a "scene", that "scene" needed a soundtrack. I always give a lot of thought to the soundtrack. Slow or fast, soft or loud, the music in the background really helps set the tone. Tonight I wanted something that we could get lost in, something that was just instrumental with no vocals to get in our way. I decided on some Miles Davis. Nobody ever went wrong choosing Miles Davis.
She was standing in the living room, still dressed as she was and still holding her purse. I walked over, put my hand on her shoulder and said, "excuse me miss, I'm with store security and you need to please come with me."
"Leave me alone, I'm not going anywhere with you," was her response.
I increased the pressure on her shoulder, guiding her toward the bedroom (uh, I mean the security office) as I told her "we have a matter to discuss in private, or, together with the police."
The look on her face changed from one of confidence to one of apprehension. She offered only token resistance as I took her purse from her with my free hand while leading her to the security office with my other hand.
Miles was just getting warmed up.
Once in the office I explained that the store had recently had a rash of shoplifting and the management had doubled up on security with the intention to deal harshly with any offenders. I emptied the contents of her purse on the desk and started looking through them.
"What do you think you are doing? You have no right to go through my purse".
"Actually I do have the right. And you need to behave as I look for evidence."
I held up some cosmetics: lipstick, mascara and blush. "Now do you want to explain how this product ended up in your purse?" I asked.
She was now starting to realize that she was caught. The confident tone was gone and her body language was definitely that of someone realizing they were in trouble.
"OK, I'm sorry," she said. "I don't usually do this sort of thing but I left my wallet home and I just needed a few things." "Please let me go home and get some cash and I will pay for all of this."
"Well, its not quite that simple," I explained.
