Fit for a Queen

The following is a piece done for my creative writing class. The assignment was to write a scenario in which a couple is shopping for a mattress. There is something going on between them - or one or both of them have a secret. We could not reference the conflict or secret directly. I didn't want my conflict/secret to be something obvious (like cheating or debt) yet wanted it grounded in reality. I wanted the scenario to feel authentic. Hope you enjoy the read - and feel free to comment what you believe the characters' inner conflict/secret to be!

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“Excuse me sir, you’re going to have to leave your soft drink outside.”

The sales clerk’s smug demeanor gave the impression he enjoyed enforcing this rule.

“Store policy: No food or drink allowed in the show room.”

Jeff looked at his wife and shrugged his shoulders. He glanced at his liter of Pepsi and shook his head as he walked out.

Joan waited for the door to close before addressing the clerk.

“He is a diabetic. If he faints, it’s on you and your stupid store policy,” she snipped.

“We’re a furniture and mattress store,” the clerk said through a wry smile. “If he faints, we’ll pull out a sofa.”

Jeff walked back into the store and straddled up to his wife.

Joan examined his body language.

“Feeling alright?” she asked.

Jeff gazed at the floor.

“I’m fine.”

“How may I be of assistance to you two today?” the clerk asked.

“We’re looking for a queen-sized mattress,” Joan said.

“Maybe a king,” Jeff chimed without looking up.

The clerk embraced the opportunity to upsell.

“A king for the king?”

Joan grew irritated.

“A queen for the king.”

Jeff looked up.

“A queen or a king? For a queen…and…”

Joan interrupted.

“We’re getting a mattress. You sell them here, don’t you?”

The clerk chuckled up a shit-eating grin and took a second to collect himself.

“We sell plenty of them. Right this way.”

With a wave, the clerk turned and headed down a laminate aisle towards the mattress section. Joan whispered to Jeff as they followed a few steps behind.

“We can’t afford a king. We don’t need one anyway.”

“Let’s just see what they’ve got. It’s gotta be just right. No more sleepless nights,” said Jeff.

“You’ll sleep fine after your surgery,” said Joan. “I’ve been sleepin’ like a baby since I had mine.”

“I wish it was that easy, Joan.” said Jeff. “I just want to make sure it’s big enough for both of us.”

“After you get your surgery, there will be room for three of us,” said Joan.

“Well, we’ll see about that,” said Jeff. “We don’t even know if the insurance is going to cover me; you know how…”

Joan stopped in her tracks.

“Jeff! Why are you always so pessimistic?! You’ll be covered same as I was; you’ll lose your weight and we’ll be healthy enough to live the life we’d always imagined!”

“I wish it was that easy, Joan,” said Jeff.

Joan grew incensed.

“How the hell are you going to accomplish anything with that attitude?! How are we ever going to accomplish anything!?”

Jeff stared at the floor.

“You’re right. I’m sorry,” he said.

“Is everything alright?” the clerk asked.

Jeff looked up at Joan.

“We’re fine.”

“Excellent! Let me show you what we have available first for the queen.” the clerk replied.

Joan and Jeff proceeded to follow the clerk a few more steps as he began his schtick.

“Most important thing is getting the proper support. A man of your size is going to require something very firm.”

“He will be losing a considerable amount of weight soon. He’s having gastric bypass surgery,” Joan said.

The clerk feigned interest.

“Oh, wow! Congratulations! And good luck. I’m sure that’s a little bit scary for you. When is the operation?”

“Well, we’re still waiting on approval from the insurance company before we can actually set a date,” Jeff answered.

Joan jumped in.

“We should know any day now. I had the surgery myself a year ago. Can you believe I used to be twice this size? After the surgery, the pounds just melt right off. I feel like a brand new person.”

“Yeah. Getting the insurance coverage is probably the hardest part.” Jeff said. “I was denied once before. You have to provide a lot of documentation showing how other diet and exercise plans have failed in the past. It’s definitely not a guaranteed thing.”

The clerk laughed.

“I’ll bet! They can’t just cover every Joey Baggadonuts who wants to shed a couple pounds!”

Jeff stared at the mattress. Joan forced a smile.

“Yeah, but Jeff’ll get approved. Last time was a fluke. He’s been seeing a physician about his weight for years. They’ve tried everything. Nothing has worked for him. This is his last chance,” said Joan.

Jeff continued to stare at the mattress. Joan snapped her fingers to break his gaze. Jeff forced a smile.

“Well perhaps it’d be wise to come back after the surgery?” the clerk suggested.

“No. That’s not gonna happen,” Jeff said.

“He needs something decent to sleep on or he might not even make it to surgery,” Joan said.

“Oh, so the mattress is just for him?” the clerk asked.

Joan and Jeff blurted differing answers in unison. They looked at each other. Jeff looked down at the floor.

The clerk laughed.

“Well, it looks like the only one who can truly answer that — is the insurance company.”