The Sports Bra

My boyfriend, Jake, and I were at the stores looking for sports bras. I thought it was sweet that Jake was willing to go on these trips with me; a lot of men would have found these shopping trips annoying.

However, I believed that Jake was there for the show, as I tried on multiple bras for him to check out, so it was a win for both sides, I guess. Jake wasn’t afraid to let me know how hot I was, and I thought it was hilarious how he looked at me with both pride and lust.

He once lifted me up over his shoulder at the beach during a trip, and boasted out loud that he was grateful to have met me. People were staring at us, but I couldn’t help the laughter that bubbled out of me.

Any girl deserved to have someone like Jake.

I bought several pairs, and we left another clothing store, as Jake held my hand. While we were discussing what we wanted to have for dinner, a random woman appeared in front of me.

She was very beautiful, her blonde hair cascading down her back like a cape almost. Her green eyes seemed to bore into my soul, and for the first time under a female gaze, I felt kind of uncomfortable. She waved a hand in my direction; it came off so graceful.

“I noticed that you bought several sports bras. I have a special one that is quite expensive, but I think it would suit you quite well.” She pointed at the store she just left. How I didn’t notice that store surprised me, but it was easy for me to overlook. The prices for those bras were beyond ridiculous.

“Uh, sorry ma’am, but $500 bras aren’t exactly in our pay range as of right now,” Jake said, reading my mind. I squeezed his hand, happy once again I met someone like him. And he was not bothering to check out the woman’s figure either. He only did that with me, proving he was indeed; Boyfriend Material.

The woman giggled. “I could offer you a fair discount. Please? I promise I will make it worth your while.”

Jake and I looked at each other, but I decided to go along with it in the end. A discount sounded pretty good at the moment. I nodded. “Sure, I would love to check out what you have.”

The woman clapped her hands together. “Splendid! Follow me!”

We followed her into the store. I grimaced as I noticed the insane prices on the bras. The cheapest I saw was $350. What in the hell were these things made out of? Unicorn horns? Alligator skin?

The woman selected a random bra from the selection, giving me a black bra. I tried not to look at the price tag of $700, but how could I not notice? Money like that went to paying for my car, shopping for groceries, buying stuff we need for our apartment…only rich people could dream of buying shit like this. Jake let out a low whistle.

“Oh man, that’s pricey. Looks nice though. It would look great on you, I bet,” Jake whispered.

I elbowed him in the stomach, and he let out a small laugh. The woman didn’t appear to notice or pay attention. She watched me with her green eyes, never blinking once.

“Uh…it’s really nice. I like how comfortable it feels. It’s probably the most comfortable bra I have ever touched.”

The woman grinned. “I knew you would like it. These are handmade with special ingredients. It wasn’t easy to make these in my cauldron, you know. All those spells take months to make!”

I honestly didn’t know what to say to that. I could feel Jake’s hand on my shoulder, and it was a bit tight. I knew he didn’t want to be there anymore, more for my own safety. I decided then and there that it was best for us to leave.

“Um, ma’am, I think I’m alright with not buying one. We really need to go home. My mother is living with us, and she really needs our help.”

The lie slipped from my lips so easily, that I believed it for a second. I don’t think the woman did however, due to the way her eyes never wavered from my face. For one moment, I thought her green eyes appeared to glow, but that could have been my imagination. She shrugged.

“Alright then. I’m not going to force you to buy this. What will that say about me and my business, eh?” She let out a chuckle, snatching the bra from my hands. I didn’t even get mad at her for being rude like that. I just wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. She waved at us with a smile as Jake and I left the store together.

“Please come again!”

Jake let out a long sigh, as if he had been holding his breathe in the entire time. “What the fuck was that? That was fucking weird,” he said in a low voice.

“Yeah. That was strange…do you think people actually bought her bras?”

“If they did, it was probably some pervert that thought she was hot or something. Some dudes are into crazy chicks.”

I beamed up at him. “If I was crazy, would you still be with me?”

Jake placed a hand under his chin, pretending to think for a minute. “Well…that is pretty tough. If you started talking to air or something, I would be scared of you, but also turned on at the same time. So yeah, it’s a mixed bag.”

I playfully hit him on the shoulder. “Who’s the pervert now?”

Jake hugged me from behind. “Only for you, babe. Only for you.”

We died of laughter for a long time, and when we ordered Chinese takeout to eat for dinner while watching a horror movie, we forgot about the strange encounter.

Several days later, as I was making breakfast for both of us, Jake rushed into the kitchen.

“Cindy! You need to see this!”

“What? Jake, I’m busy -’’

He grabbed my arm, and led me to the living room. I tried to protest once again, but he pointed at the TV. A news reporter was standing in front of a crime scene. A woman was wrapped in a blanket. She appeared to be covered in red. My heart stopped when I realized it was blood. She was wearing a sports bra, the one I almost bought from that strange woman.

She was crying, and as the news reporter attempted to ask her questions, she started to yell out:

“I didn’t know! I put — I put on the bra, went for a run, and some asshole tried to hurt me! I panicked, and I hit him in the face. And his head exploded! His fucking head burst like a balloon! A fucking balloon!”

The woman then burst out crying again, and the authorities were comforting her as the news reporter started to ramble about the details. Jake and I looked at each other.

“I think it’s a good thing you never bought that bra, huh babe?,” Jake said with a nervous laugh.

“Yeah. I guess you’re right.”

Jake and I held each other, watching the TV. We didn’t break apart for a long time, not even when I could smell the eggs burning in the kitchen.

Thank you for reading!

Emy Quinn