You work on commission, right?

“Bitch.”

She laughed as she said it to me, the Estee Lauder saleswoman at Macy’s, perhaps out of embarrassment or to lighten the weight of such an ugly word she didn’t mean to say out loud. She had just told me what great arms I had. Pleased at the recognition of my efforts (since I work out every day), I said, thank you so much, smiling, not expecting that the next thing out of her mouth would be bitch. Thinking about it later, I wondered if some women have that thought in their interior monologue as they pay compliments to the unsuspecting and gullible, Love your dress (bitch), that hair cut looks great on you (bitch), did you lose weight? You look great! (bitch).

I didn’t react in kind to the insult. I was just a little disappointed at the insincerity. A little shocked at the rudeness. I tittered as if amused at her forthrightness, replaced the make-up I had been planning to buy and walked over to the Lancôme counter to make my purchase.