Darcy’s hand was covered with goo and when she tried to pull it off it got all over her other hand. Both hands had the goo now and there was nothing really to wipe it on in the back of the clothing store except maybe the merchandise but she was afraid there might be cameras. She knelt down in her skirt and high heels and rubbed her hand across the shiny floor tiles. It wouldn’t come off and just got dirtier. She glanced around but everyone was buzzing around elsewhere, leaving her momentarily to her own devices. She stood back up and stared down at her hands which looked like they were covered with dirty cookie dough.

A small shaggy dog came wandering between the racks of jackets and tops. Darcy made a tuneless whistle sound. “Hey puppy,” she whispered. Its ears perked up and it stopped, cocking its head. Then it rushed over. She lowered her hands and the dog lapped and lapped. From across the store another dog came running, and another. A large Doberman, then a Chihuahua. They went crazy for the goo, lapping away with their rough tongues. A lady with half-glasses and her hair in a bun peered over from the lingerie section. “Oh, what do you have there?” she asked.

“Ah, nothing. Nothing. I’m fine, thanks,” Darcy said and pushed her way towards the front of the store, breaking into a run with the dogs trailing after her. She made it out the door and it shut behind her just in time, leaving the dogs slobbering and pressing their noses against the glass. Her hands had been licked clean. She waved goodbye to the pack of dogs. They watched her intently from inside the store, wining quietly as she disappeared into the throngs of weekend shoppers.

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