Sam parked her car, took the keys out of the ignition, and walked up to the water machine.

The machine was meant for filling large water bottles. Sam deposited a few coins, and was about to press the button for one gallon. Then, she was struck by an idea.

She looked down at her flat stomach. It was very visible, as she had made sure to wear a loose top and stretch pants. As she rubbed it eagerly, she thought about what she was about to do.

"Buyer's remorse" doesn't quite capture what she was feeling.  "Cheated, humiliated."  Now, those terms would describe the feeling more succinctly.  Perhaps what had made the encounter so troubling was the fact that she didn't consider herself to be the easily duped, naive type.  The consumer mayhem of "Black Friday" surely didn't help.  Yes, that's it;  long day, fatigue.  That's why she gave in.  The comforting embrace of rationalization always helped to salve a psychic wound such as this.  But, stil