The Bad Boy Computer Programmer At Wattpad

SUPERMARKET SUNDAY (Part 2)

"Yeah," he replied. "I have one of those."

Amanda nodded with a smile and motioned towards his red basket with a small bag of dog treats propped up against the tampons. "You have a dog?" Do you have a dog that needs tampons?

Safeway Guy looked in his basket, almost surprised to see the treats inside. "Yeah. Buster--my golden retriever. He's like my kid."

Amanda giggled. "Pets are--without a doubt--and should always be--legit members of the family. I have a cat, Winnie. She's my baby."

Maybe he's a fighter or something, she encouraged herself from within. Maybe he uses the tampons for really bad bloody noses. I mean--that makes sense. It would be hot if Safeway Guy was a professional boxer.

Safeway Guy cringed, intertwining a lighthearted chuckle with his words. "Cats are Satan's spawn. I'm definitely a dog guy."

Excuse me--what?

A brief moment of confusion passed before Amanda convinced herself Safeway Guy's comment was merely a bad attempt at humor. "There's definitely a few cats out there that have earned the Satan spawn title, but most are sweethearts."

Maybe the tampons aren't for a significant other, she rationalized inwardly. Maybe they're for his mom or sister. Would that be creepy? Would purchasing tampons for his mom or sister be creepy?

Safeway Guy shook his head. "I'll stick with dogs. Man's best friend."

Still focused on the tampons, Amanda didn't immediately process Safeway Guy's complete rejection of cats. Why can't I decide? Is it creepy if a man buys tampons for his mom and sister? It would be sweet, right? Or--would it be creepy?

"Yeah," Amanda drawled. "Some guys prefer dogs."

"They're reliable," Safeway Guy began, breaking his sentence with a laugh. "In some cases, more so than women."

Amanda gripped the handle of her shopping cart with both hands. I want to punch you in the face right now. Like--punch you so hard in the face. I want to punch you so hard, you'll need to shove a tampon up each nostril.

She took a breath and plastered a fake smile on her face. "Well--it goes without saying, there are definitely some men out there that shouldn't have cats. I mean--some men wouldn't be able to satisfy a pussy if their lives depended on it."

Safeway Guy's eyes twitched as though unclear how to process Amanda's comment--or how to respond to it.

Amanda, on the other hand, felt--less hungry. It was as though she'd added a bit of meat to her inner feline's rice diet. She was in a state of mind where she knew her worth didn't hinge on the outcome of this moment. She was already perfect--according to her friends--and nothing could change that. "Anywayssss, I just wanted to stop and thank you for being kind."

Safeway Guy nodded. "Not a problem."

"No--life isn't." Amanda grinned, then turned on her heel and walked towards the checkout counter. As she reached the bananas, she stopped and swung back around to face Safeway Guy. "This may sound weird, but I have to know. Who are the tampons for?"

Safeway Guy glanced around the produce section as though checking to see if anyone else heard Amanda's question. With no one in range to hear the conversation, he said, "My girlfriend."

"She's a lucky lady," Amanda said. "I'll add that to my list of things I'm looking for."

A look of confusion swept over Safeway Guy's expression. "Tampons?"

Amanda shook her head. "No. Someone who's got my back even on my worst days of the month--or worst year--or worst whatever. You know? Imperfect perfection?"

Not waiting for a response, Amanda turned and headed in the direction of the checkout counter.

I can do this, she thought, strategizing how she'd achieve her new goal to love her perfectly imperfect life. I'll reign myself in. Stop getting so lost in my imagination and magic and destiny--and anything else that doesn't make much sense in the physical world. It's time. Get my head out of the clouds and put my feet on the ground. You can do this, Amanda! You've got this. Fitness world instead of fantasy world. Clean land instead of dreamland. Significant me instead of significant other. It's time to get real--it's time to live in the real world. It's time to--.

Amanda came to an immediate halt when two children cut in front of her cart. She watched the tiny humans dash to an Oreo cookie display, each grabbing a package of chocolatey goodness. Simultaneously, the children shouted, "Double Stuf!"

After a brief pause, the children shouted again in unison. "Jinx!"

The word spoken by babes punched like a fist through Amanda's chest.

It's not destiny, she tried to convince herself, recalling the unexplainable moment she shared with Ian a few days prior. That jinx wasn't magic.