The department store Tannoy startled me. “Attention shoppers, A&S closes in five minutes.” Forever. I devoured every last detail: the salespeople, the busy escalators, even the sickly scent of Happy perfume. I could navigate the place with my eyes shut. My family frequently spent weeknights there, never missing a sale. I applied my first blush at the Estée Lauder counter. Sunday mornings, I learned how to drive in its expansive parking lot. Making out there was a rite of passage. Summer jobs in men’s leather goods sealed our relationship. Now, after thirty years of shopping, I made my last purchase.
Ronna Mandel, based in Los Angeles, is a freelance writer, children's book reviewer, and pre-published children's book author.