“Christine,” I reply. “Nice to meet you.”
She smiles sunnily.
“So when is your baby due?” she asks in a kind voice. “I remember pregnancy myself. By the time I got to my last trimester, it was so not fun.”
Running a hand over the swell of my belly, I laugh half-heartedly.
“He’ll be here in just a little over two months.”
“Then it makes sense you’re emotional,” Clarissa adds gently. “The hormones are crazy at that stage. I used to cry at every little thing.”
I sniffle again and manage a watery smile.
“Yeah, I’ve been feeling huge and just kind of down lately, so I thought something cute and sexy from Lily’s could be a pick-me-up.” But then I let out a bitter chuckle. “I should have known a place named Lily’s Paradise would be extremely expensive and way out of my price range.”
Clarissa nods and steps around me before picking up the pretty pink set I was just looking at.
“I’ll buy them for you,” she says. “It’s not a problem. From one mother to another.”
I shake my head quickly.
“Oh no, I couldn’t possibly accept your gift, although thank you. You don’t know me!”
But Clarissa is insistent and smiles, gently pushing the lingerie into my hands.
“Don’t worry about it. It’s just a simple gift, and it’s not a big deal. I want you to have them if it makes your day better.”
“But …”
Clarissa shakes her head once more, this time firm.
“No ifs, ands, or buts. Take it, sweetheart. It isn’t polite to refuse a gift.”
“I … I don’t know what to say,” I stammer.
“Just thank you is enough,” the middle aged woman says kindly. Tears fill my eyes again as I realize what she’s done.
“Thank you,” I murmur softly while fingering the soft cotton between my thumb and forefinger. “I really appreciate it. More than you know.”
The middle-aged woman merely nods and signals to a clerk.
“Please put these on my account,” she calls. Then, Clarissa turns back to me and pulls a business card out of her purse before pressing it into my palm. I look down at the small square, and it’s a flat square with the words City Girls emblazoned on the front with a phone number.
“What’s this?” I ask. “Is this you?”
Clarissa laughs gently.
“Not me exactly, but you can certainly reach me at City Girls. It’s who I work for. My employer is a dating site of sorts, and I think you might be a good fit for our company.”
My jaw drops as I point to my obviously huge belly.
“Um, but I’m not really on the market for dates, seeing that I’m in my third trimester and waddling like a hippo. I don’t think any men would be interested in meeting me.”
Clarissa lets out a kind chuckle.
“You never know,” she says mysteriously. “Men are fickle creatures, that’s all I’ll say.”
I stare at her again.