Member-only story
I Couldn’t Believe What She’d Put in Her Bag
When I saw a girl shoplifting it scared me
The girl was in a posh school uniform, maroon beret jammed on her head, leather satchel slung across her flat chest.
We were at the very back of the supermarket. I couldn’t help but notice her as she was blocking my access to the crackers I wanted.
NO, I thought, she couldn’t be that brazen!
She had grabbed a box of Quality Street chocolates, opened the flap of her satchel, wrestled the box of chocolates into it, glanced at my shoes —grubby trainers — then sauntered off down the aisle towards the exit.
I was afraid. My heart started pounding, my face felt tight with rushing blood like it does right before someone has beef with me and is about to confront me.
I stood there frozen, then grabbed my crackers on automatic and turned to the rear to go down the next aisle.
Why the hell was I feeling guilty?
It was her glance back that galvanised me. She must know I’d seen her, and now in her second dismissive look I saw her clock the fact that I was not following her, not a threat.
I didn’t exactly sprint down the next aisle, but it was close as dammit.
