Page 66 of From Nowhere

“Just meet me out front. Don’t worry about my bike.” I rest my hand on her back, ushering her toward the exit.

“Excuse me, sir.”

I turn toward the man’s voice. He’s wearing a baseball hat with the store’s logo, a green apron, and a scowl. “I need to check your bag.”

Fuck.

I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Can we do this in private? And is there somewhere my daughter can stay that’s safe?” I grit through my teeth.

He narrows his bushy eyebrows at her and then nods at me.

“Come on, Lola. Follow me.”

“Where are we going?” She stays right behind me.

“I’m taking a survey for the store. It will only take a few minutes,” I say.

The guy stops at the door across from the restrooms. “The glass is one-way. You’ll be able to see her.”

I point to a spot on the floor. “Stand right here. Don’t move.”

She rolls her eyes. “Is blinking moving?”

I don’t answer with more than a frown before following the man into the office.

“One of our employees said they saw you put something in your bag without paying for it.” He nods to the bag. “I need to see your bag and your receipt.”

I set the bag on the desk. “The receipt is in the bag. But I can tell you right now there is a box of condoms in the bag that won’t be on the receipt.”

He retrieves the receipt and unloads the groceries.

I keep my mouth shut until he finishes and makes eye contact.

“Listen.” I sigh. “I don’t know if you have kids, but I’m a single dad, and—”

“Sir, if money is an issue, there are places you can get free contraceptives. I really should report—”

“No.” I shake my head a half dozen times. “I know what this must have looked like, but can I tell you what actually happened?”

He glances at his watch as if he may or may not have time to listen to my explanation.

“It wasn’t my plan to bring my daughter with me, but I had no choice.”

That’s not entirely true, but I don’t think he has time to hear how Lola’s sad eyes have brought me to my knees since her mother died.

“I bought all of those groceries, sent her out to wait by our bikes, and then I was trying to buy a box of condoms without her knowing. But she came back inside, and I panicked and tossed them into the bag so she wouldn’t see them. Then I was ushering her toward the door to have her wait outside for me while I paid for them, but you stopped me before I had the chance to do that.”

He removes his hat, exposing his bald head, and scratches above his ear while eyeing me with suspicion.

I pull out my wallet and set a fifty on the desk. “You can keep the change if I can walk out of this store without the police being called.”

“Are you trying to bribe me?”

I deflate, hand on my hip, head bowed. “I’m trying to thank you for understanding my situation. I’m trying to thank you for not making a big deal out of this, since the last thing my daughter needs, after surviving a car accident that killed her mom, is for her dad to be arrested for shoplifting a box of condoms.”

I hate myself. This is the lowest. I never imagined the day would come when I’d use Brynn’s death and Lola’s trauma to elicit sympathy.

The guy clears his throat and pockets the fifty. I’m not the only one in this room struggling with morality. He repacks the groceries, putting the box of condoms at the bottom of the bag.

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