Checking Him Out (A Single Mothers Romance Novel)

It really was ridiculous. In a world where everyone was going green, Savory Save was handing out reams of wasted paper.

In addition to the credit card frustration, it seemed half the customers wanted to buy packs of cigarettes, all of which were nowhere near my register. Because of recent thefts, all cigarettes were locked in a glass cabinet.

And we all know how hard it is to get through a sheet of glass. That’s top notch security right there.

Then, what continued to happen, and usually does, was wishy-washy customers unsure of whether they wanted filtered or non-filtered or lights or hard pack or menthols…the cigarette decision was a lot like Baskin Robins 31 Flavors.

I guess because I don’t smoke it bothered me more than it should.

Lastly, it seemed every item on the shelf was priced incorrectly, and always by only a few cents, meaning I had the opportunity to try to calm down customers who were upset that their toilet paper was $4.29 instead of the $4.19 listed on the shelf.

Or their no-boil lasagna noodles were $2.59 instead of the $2.49 price on the shelf.

Sometimes I thought maybe Pam did that shit on purpose just to fuck with us. What better way to keep your cashiers awake than to hit them with irate customers every half hour?

I was extremely tired, my eyelids bouncing up and down and my back hunched over in my seat as I watched the clock count down to my 7am clock out time. Pam had gone home already without asking me to work the double.

I remembered the saying “Be careful what you wish for” as I thought of the shoes I wouldn’t be able to afford.

“I’m an asshole,” came a hidden voice.

I looked around and didn’t see anyone but I recognized the voice.

“If this is my conscience speaking, let me just say that I completely agree,” I joked.

“Well that’s no way to speak about yourself,” Mr. Cooper said as he peeked around the corner. “I think the exact opposite. I think you’re a gorgeous specimen, a beautiful woman with a rockin’ bod.”

I rolled my eyes. I was pissed at him.

“Douches are in aisle eight,” I said.

He covered his face with a hand, rubbed at his jaw, and then ran the hand through his hair, scrunching it up at the top. He let go of his hair leaving it in a messy state. Even then he looked absurdly handsome. His strong chest stretched out the front of his T-shirt and I found myself searching the crotch of his sweatpants for his bulge. It was there.

“You’re not going to believe this. I’m horrible with information. I lose stuff all the time. I wasn’t out of the store more than ten minutes before I realized I couldn’t find your phone number.”

“So it was that important to you, huh?”

“It was. It is. That’s why I’m back.”

“I don’t have time, Mr. Cooper.”

“Kevin.”

“Mr. Cooper. I get off work in ten minutes and I want to go home, shower, and go to bed. I’m tired. And your games, although kind of flattering in the beginning, have grown stale,” I said as I started straightening up my area.

I walked away from my chair and into the aisle in which he was standing. I straightened gum packages and chocolate bars.

“I’m really sorry. I swear. I just lost your number.”

I ignored Mr. Cooper and continued doing my end-of-shift tidying up. To leave work without a pristine station left for the next cashier was a big foul. As I finished the candies and turne

d to walk away, he reached out and slapped a box of gum, sending it crashing to the floor, a handful of packages flopping out of the box. I was really close to backhanding the guy. I glared at him.

“I’m sorry. I just needed to get your attention,” he said.

He dropped down and started cleaning it up. He handed the box to me so I could fix it on the shelf.

“You said you get off in ten minutes?” he asked.