The Bad Boy Computer Programmer At Wattpad

SUPERMARKET SUNDAY (Part 2)

**Amanda**

Amanda's life was perfectly summarized in this moment. Her friends were out of reach somewhere on the other side of technology while she struggled to free herself from the asshole sphincter grip of reality--AKA the blood pressure machine. It was as though opportunity only knocked on Amanda's physical world when she flailed about in ridiculous ways spouting four-letter words like a naughty personal mantra. The universe, it seemed, had only one intention for the existence known as Amanda--she was to be loved by all, but all-IN loved by no one.

"You need help?" Safeway Guy repeated.

You have no idea how loaded that question is, Amanda thought, shimmying her arm out of the inflated cuff. Unable to look the handsome shopper in the eyes as she felt the heat of embarrassment rise in her face, she replied, "No. I'm good."

Safeway Guy nodded and continued on his way towards the produce section, a red shopping basket swinging from one hand.

Amanda snatched her phone off the floor, furiously typing a message to her friends.

[[Amanda] Safeway Guy just offered to save me from the pharmacy's complimentary asshole squeeze!]

[[Jeannie] OMGGGGGGGGG!]

[[Jeannie] A knight in shining armor!]

[[Geri] What did he say?]

[[Geri] What did you say?]

[[Jeannie] Why are you texting us and not talking to him?]

[[Jeannie] I need to know!!!]

[[Mona] Get a grapefruit!]

It wasn't until she started typing a response to her friends that it dawned on Amanda how epically she failed at seizing an opportunity for a love connection.

[[Amanda] you don't want to know]

She imagined her three friends gradually appearing before her eyes. Geri's arms were crossed tightly over her chest as she tapped a foot against the tiles. Mona's hands gripped her hips while shaking her head. Jeannie stared at Amanda with mouth open and arms stretched out as if to say, whyyyyyyyyyyyy?

"Please tell me you let him help you," Geri said.

Silence spoke for a moment until Jeannie asked, "What did you say when he offered to help you?"

Amanda cleared her throat. "I said--No. I'm good."

Mona waved a finger at Amanda while holding her forehead with the other hand. "I can't. I can't with you right now."

"Amanda!" Jeannie whined. "You're not failing feminism if you pretend to be a damsel in distress every once in a while, so a man can feel like a hero from time to time."

"I know!" Amanda grabbed the container of brownies she'd dumped on the vitamin shelf earlier and put them back in her cart. "I don't freestyle well in these situations."

"I'm good," Geri repeated. "'I'm good' was your opening line to start a flirt'versation?"

Amanda glanced up and saw a woman standing behind the counter of the grocery store's pharmacy. Thoughts of Georgette Pullman, the pharmacist from Toronto she'd seen earlier on Ian's Twitter page, flooded her head. Feelings of inadequacy weighed down on her heart and pulled her soul into the drowning waters of murky thinking. "The truth is--I'm not good. I'm not good enough."

"What are you talking about?" Jeannie asked. "You're perfect!"

"I'm just--not good." Amanda pushed the cart slowly out of the pharmacy section with her three friends in tow. "The truth is--daydreaming about someone being IN love with me makes me feel good, but Geri's right--a guy can't fix my broken head. He might be able to fix it temporarily--not permanently."