Mazal Tov

Dina, a religious woman, enters a Tel Aviv adult store to buy a birthday gift for her husband. She has decided this purchase is acceptable. She intends to be quick.

Inside, the clerk, Mor, asks what she is looking for. Dina says she is fine. She says she already knows. She keeps her coat on and her hands close to her body.

Mor waits. She asks again, more precisely. Dina hesitates, then answers. Each question narrows the space Dina thought she was moving through safely.

Mor opens drawers. She lays items on the counter. She explains what they are for. Dina listens without touching anything. She nods too quickly. She laughs at the wrong moments.

When Mor asks what Dina wants, Dina pauses. The silence stretches. She answers, then corrects herself. She agrees.

The purchase grows. Dina accepts more items than she intended. At the register, she asks that everything be packed in an unmarked supermarket bag.

At the door, Mor stops her. She asks one last question.

Dina does not answer.

Mor kisses her.