Cressida walked out of her apartment complex, dressed in her cut-off shorts and favorite oversized green sweater, with the thumb holes. It was a cool spring evening and she was on her way to the corner store for her daily pack of cigarettes. She tried to reason with herself that buying one pack at a time was better than buying a carton. She was quitting anyway. Really. 

Coming from the opposite end, a man named Caspian, with a twitchy and mysterious air, also made his way to the corner store. He was in his early 40’s, handsome, dressed in shades of gray and black. His hair wildly tousled, but sexy. 

Cressida, chronically in her own little world, with her headphones on, was slightly startled by him, when they simultaneously reached the door. Caspian gave a little bow as he held the door open for her. 

“Thanks.”

“Anytime, darlin’.” 

A bell bing-bonged as they stepped inside. Two young employees sat behind the checkout counter. Rich caught Cressida out of his peripheral, but didn’t look up from his magazine. “Sup.” The checkout girl, Amoret, mumbled in kind, mindlessly scrolling on her phone. 

“Hey, Rich,” Cressida said. She and Caspian went off in different directions. The store was small and cramped; the perimeter lined with refrigerator coolers for drinks, and shelves congregated in the middle, filled with all kinds of snacks.  

It was Cressida’s routine to grab a giant bottle of “fancy water.” It was her failed coverup for her cigarette run. She fooled no one. At this point, it was a running joke that the entire neighborhood was on.

Further down the aisle, Caspian inspected a pint of chocolate milk. Making eye contact, Caspian waved the pint of milk at her. Unphased, she headed to the counter to check out. She placed the bottle of water on the counter. “Gold please,” she said robotically.  

“Pack or carton?” Rich asked out of courtesy, but he already knew the answer. He didn’t even bother to look up from his reading.  

“Just a pack.” 

Sighing like it was such a laborious chore, he turned behind him to grab the pack off the shelf. 

“You’d save a lot of money if you just bought a carton.” He placed the pack of cigarettes on the counter. “You’re in here all the time.” 

Cressida tried to maintain a neutral tone. “I’m trying to quit.”

“Are you though?” Amoret’s voice sliced. 

Rich stifled a laugh.Cressida placed exact change on the counter, grabbed her water and cigarettes, and walked out only mildly offended. 

Amoret was disarmingly sarcastic, and it always amused him how to the point she was with customers. Surprisingly, no one ever complained. Rudeness was part of the corner store charm.  

Grabbing another magazine, from the shelf behind them, Rich noticed Amoret’s phone light up and ring. The phone screen read Martin. Quickly, Amoret silenced her phone with slight frustration.

“Are you ever going to take his call?” 

“Mind your business,” Amoret spat. 

Rich pointed out to her phone, “Mind yours. That poor bastard has been calling you all day.”

Trying to look inconspicuous, Caspian examined a candy bar and eavesdropped on their bickering from two aisles over. He kept a watching eye on Amoret. Observing enough, he placed the candy bar back, and headed towards the front door. 

The doorbell bing-bonged, as he walked out, taking one last look at her.

“Have a good day.” he said to no one.