It was my fault, I'm sure. I was preoccupied and I was piloting the shopping cart very poorly so it's no surprise I bumped into somebody. I clipped her cart with a bit of a jolt which brought me out of my distraction in a hurry.
"Sorry! Sorry, that was my fault." She gave me a smile, a sweet, forgiving thing that was a tiny ray of sunshine in my personally overcast day. She was pretty, blonde, around 30 years old, and a quick glance at her left hand showed that she was taken. Just as well; so was I, though I wondered for how much longer.
We passed each other and I failed even to look back to check her out. Normally that would have been my first instinct but in the funk I was in just then I really didn't have the heart for it. I continued, picked out a few more items and turned the corner to the next aisle. Still lost in my haze, I almost did it again.
"Do you need a license for that thing?" she asked with a smile. She was more amused than annoyed, thankfully. I blushed deeply and again apologized.
"Sorry. I guess I'm a public menace today."
"Well be careful. If we criss-cross like this a few more times you might do some damage." We were on an alternating course which would bring us face to face in every row if we kept the same pace. And that wouldn't be a bad thing, actually. She was very pretty, dressed simply in khaki pants and a plum colored blouse with thick sandals bringing the top of her head up to my eye level.
"I'll keep an eye out for you. I promise I won't be any more trouble."
"No trouble." She replied sweetly around that pleasant smile. We passed again, and this time I stole a glance over my shoulder. Nice caboose, too. No evidence of child bearing on those hips, but the Lucky Charms and Kap'n Krunch in the basket gave away her status. My own knee biter was in day care just then, though if I couldn't find a new job quickly he'd be home with me full time.
Again my mind shifted back to my problems. My wife was absolutely engrossed in her new job, or perhaps one of her coworkers. I wasn't sure of that, but there were signs. One doesn't typically need a shower immediately upon returning from a long evening at the office, unless of course I was actually supposed to believe that the air conditioning at her office was shut down at 5 o'clock, making her feel 'all sweaty and gross' when she got home from working late. And then of course I hadn't found a decent job after the move so the finances were getting tight.
Another turn and another aisle, and this time I paid enough attention to look up. She was at the far end of the row and I watched her move a little. She was graceful, quick and certain. Perky, I suppose. I caught her looking at me a few times, and obviously she caught me looking at her. I think she might have blushed a bit. As we passed we smiled broadly at each other, and another automatic scan left me wondering where her wedding ring had gone.
That was interesting. My 'what the hell' kicked in and I wrenched my own plain wedding band off my finger as I rounded the end cap, dropping it in my pocket. It felt odd to have it off but the draft on the rarely-exposed skin felt a little thrilling for some reason.
Again we approached each other, and again we passed with a smile. I double-checked and indeed the ring was gone, though not the evidence that it lived there. The skin under the ring was smooth and pale, just like mine.
I needed nothing in the baking aisle so I skipped it and I worried for a moment that I had ruined the cycle, but she came looking for me. I lingered in the soft drink aisle, hoping she would show up. She arrived behind me and as we moved on I could feel her eyes on my back. I might have gained 10 pounds since college but there is no dust on my exercise equipment and at 32 I think I'm doing very well. Well enough to run the ring off her finger, anyway.
The aisles ended at the deli, and while I didn't really need any lunchmeat I got some anyway. She pulled up beside me in the queue for the deli and we had our first chance to talk.
"I finally read the manual," I joked, indicating the cart.
"Never hurts," she replied. We chatted a bit while in line, an easy connection growing between us. I ordered half a pound of pastrami and she ordered some potato salad, and then it was off to the registers. I was wondering how to prolong the exchange but it looked like I was almost out of luck. As the moment arrived when we would have to split up, she leaned in close and held her hand out. I took a scrap of paper from her and she spoke quietly.
"I think we should talk about rings." And then she was gone, down to register 3. The paper held her phone number and her name, Monica.
Once I had the groceries put away at home I was left alone with my thoughts. Not even 11 in the morning, my day was already mostly over. My wife wouldn't be back until well after dark and I'd have to pick up my son around 5. I had already checked the job posting websites and while I could have come up with a hundred things to do there was really only one thing that came to mind.
"Hello," she said on the other end.
"Hi. I'm the ring man."
"I thought you might be. Had lunch yet"
"Not yet."
"There is a place on Randolph, The Amber Inn. Be there in 20 minutes?"