"Come on, Haley. Let's get to Jessica's party," Breanne said, pulling her older sister with her.
Their mother (Candice) watched them walk away, too stunned to move.
"Wanna buy a costume?" a man asked nearby. She turned and saw him smiling at her. There was something odd and a little disconcerting about that smile. "Or maybe just try one on? Just to see how it looks?" he asked, trying to heighten her curiosity.
But she wasn't having it. She looked at him distastefully and began to turn away. This was exactly the type of person she feared would be taking advantage of Haley at the party. That smile of his said it all. In fact, it wasn't even a smile at all. It was a leer.
"Please, I'll even give you a deal. Buy one costume, get another one free," the man said.
She wondered why the man was so eager for her to buy something. Obviously, the costume shop was for younger people - high school and college students, mostly. Not for middle-aged people like herself (Lou mistook her for being in her thirties, when she was actually into her forties - she just looked young for her age). But he still kept on trying to reel her in.
Eventually, Candice got so annoyed by him that she just walked off. She had better things to do than stand around and entertain some pervert.
Lou grunted, but this woman wasn't the only fish in the sea. He looked around the mall, trying to spot another potential "victim".
And when he finally did, he smiled at them, and tried his best to reel them in.
