I wheeled my trolley down Aisle Three, pausing occasionally to drop in an item. I was at the end of my trip really, but was reluctant to head home to the mountain of work awaiting me. A healthy bit of procrastination was in order.
When, however, I dropped some Macaroni and Cheese in a tin, I decided enough was enough and I began meandering in the general direction of the counter. Like I would ever eat this stuff... I shuddered at the thought, recalling too many late nights at university where this was the only stuff that money and study-time permitted me to eat. At least that had paid off finally...
My reverie was interrupted by the scent of lilacs and caramel. I stopped, and looked about me. This section was unfamiliar to me, filled with a wide assortment knickknacks. I surveyed the panorama of buzz words: 'self-improvement', 'relaxation', 'fulfilment', all aimed to appeal to the self-pitying careless dreamer within us all. It worked. My fingers waggling, I grabbed one that caught my eye. It was a reddish green bottle, small and with a twisted sort of shape to it. It was a bottle of chilli oil, and its key phrases revolved around 'enhancement', 'dreams', and 'desires'. It was the only one on the shelf. With it came a faux-leather bound dream diary, and some coconut scented candles, marbled-yellow, white, and black. I didn't pick up anything else. The price tags on items like the 'Hypnotic Lava Lamp', the 'Personal Growth Tea', and 'Perking Sheets' made me snort with derision. At least the things I picked were
reasonably
cheap.
After fumbling my way through the aisle (which they had forgotten to number, I noted) and a seriously heavy section of curtaining, I found myself quite far from the counter. A little confused, I exited and embraced the cool blast of the air conditioner and made my way to the counter, purse in hand.
There was a short queue. Now, I must admit, I can be quite nosy, so as I waited I began examining the other shopper's goods, musing on puzzles, such as anyone would need six industrial bottles of ketchup, or how the customer wheeling his way out intended to drive while carrying three live lobsters without a single bag. I shook my head, and decided to furtively snoop on whoever was in front of me, and craned my neck.
Woah. I came down off my tip toes, and took a step back to view the slice of hunk before me. I stared at the wide back and shoulders as the line moved gently forward, enjoying the view as my eyes ran over him. He was wearing a suit, which fitted him almost too well, and was still looking crisp and smart, though his edges were fraying, as do everyone's after a long day. It only made him look cuter. He would occasionally slouch a little, leaning on one of the strong legs propping up the six feet of hot, making his butt pop out just a little. I itched all over, and tried to distract myself by examining the shopping he was now placing at the back of the counter. He turned sideways as he started doing this, and after seeing one or two items my stares fell back on to him. He was gorgeous, his jawline all chiselled, with sculpted stubble, just a little shorter than the dark hair framing his temples. 'Want.' I thought to myself.
I was so distracted that I didn't even notice it was my turn. He was just tucking his change back into an old-fashioned brown, leather wallet when he looked up and noticed me for the first time. The checkout girl, miles away coughed. Reality whispered 'Hey, stupid' and then tripped me. I instantly sputtered into action, and mechanically (
that is, if the machine had been due for a maintenance check for several years
) began handing my things over. Did he know I had been looking at him? I felt thin; inadequate. His dark blue eyes were still on me, and he grinned, slowly bending down. Uncomprehending, I looked on, continuing to dump things approximately near the counter. Then he straightened, and handed me my shawl. "Oh." I said, and took the green rag, conscious of his hand near mine, feeling like a shrimp. That was all I said. In the journey home afterwards I would say a fair bit more, intermittently cursing and reading out the cool lines I came up with that I should have said.
He smiled again, gave a short wave and a goodbye, and left the shop. Frazzled, I sorted my own things and left. As I pushed my trolley to the car, I saw him again, getting into a black SUV. As he got into the cabin, something fell from his pocket on to the ground. I tried to call out, and began running, the frenetic click of my heels echoing off the walls of the underground carpark. But the thrum of the engine was too loud, and he was gone. I picked up the mobile, and after staring at it for a moment, examined his contact list. There weren't a whole lot of numbers there; most seemed like companies or businesses. I came across 'Analise'. 'Shit', I considered, drifting back towards my own car. Remembering to retrieve my trolley, I dialled the number, and began to pack everything into the boot.
I heard a click. "Hey there you!" said a warm, intimate tone.
"Oh, um, hi there." I replied. I could feel the surprise from the other end.
"Oh." Came the reply. A palpable pause elapsed.
"Well, this is- I've found your boyfriend's phone, he, uh- he dropped it in the carpark at the supermarket." I explained in a rush.
"My boyfriend? Are you sure? The number you're calling from is my brother's." she said, sounding more relaxed.