The Player

Chapter 24: Max and his Bug car

Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.

                                 - Vincent Van Gogh

The fuzzy tube light around the cereals aisle flickered with an insistent buzzing. I had to squint to read the title of some of the packets. I checked my watch once again and went down another aisle to add oreo cookies to the consistently growing pile of junk food in my shopping cart.

I stopped at the section with pop tarts, contemplating what flavours would be the most loved ones. In the end, I didn't have the mental energy to think so much. So I swept the whole shelf into my cart.

When I went to checkout, the guy looked at the increasingly alarming pile of junk food and paused in his rote speech, "good afternoon, how are you...uh...party?"

I smiled as he started scanning the items, "something like that."

The guy glanced up at my smile and stood laxer. He tried to flirt with me and I tried in vain to maintain a polite smile. His lame joke spiel stopped when someone behind me slapped two bags of nacho dips on the counter.

The citrus and mint cologne hit my nostrils and I desperately tried not to look in his direction. At this point, I was convinced to believe that he was my personal stalker.

Maybe he was Edward Cullen?

Max slammed his hand on the counter and leaned on it, so the view of the counter guy was completely obscured. The guy peeped over max's broad shoulder at me in bewilderment.

"Crystal? Hey, what's up?" max asked in his deep voice.

I looked up at the ceiling and started whistling.

The sound of the items getting scanned was the only source of background noise. The rest of the store was empty except for some straggling shoppers who looked at the items more than buy them.

Max leaned closer as he waited for a response from me.

I muttered casually, "the ceiling,"

He peeled himself off the counter and stood close to me, peering up at the ceiling, "oh, so that's what it is called."

I pressed my lips tightly to stop the blooming smile on my face and took a step back from him. He looked down at me with amused eyes, saw my smile and straightened up to his full height.

I faux glared at him and he shifted his attention towards the last items that were left to be scanned. He picked a pop tart box and turned it in his palm, "uhm, so are you having a junk food party?"

I took the box from his hand and gave it to the guy who scanned it.

Max wordlessly pushed his items with mine, "scan these too."

I started to tell him that I wouldn't be paying for his items because he had already gotten me enough debt regardless of his intent when he pulled his card out and held it out to the checkout guy Derek.

I puffed my cheeks and snatched the card from his hand, "I can pay for myself!"

He raised his brow, "I was just compensating for what I did yesterday."

I started digging for my debit card in my pockets, "you! You left me in that pickle! Do you even know how much brad had to pay?"

Max watched me with a growing millimetre smile as I shifted from searching my pockets, to my sleeves. Where the hell did I keep that debit card?!

Max easily plucked his card from my hand and gave it to the check-out guy.

"I'll be paying for her. Just bill them together."