"Have fun at work, baby." I said, pecking her lips before waving her off to Starbucks.
"You too. I love you." She said.
"I love you too." I responded with a smile. Even though she works in the cafe around the corner, while I work by the cash register and we get the luxury to see each other more than we should, we still act like the cheesy couples in the movie who waves goodbye to the other before they head to work.
I went behind to register five, getting ready for the day to come. It started as a normal day. I smiled and made small talk with the customers as I scanned their items. Then around what I assumed to be ten, I was checking out an old man's laundry detergent item. He gave me the coupon for me to scan. I looked at it to see if it's valid.
"I'm sorry, you can't use this. It's expired." I said, trying to hand it back to him with a kind smile. That awkward moment when you try to use a coupon for discount, but it's expired.
"What? What are you talking about? It's perfectly good." He said, frowning.
"Sir, I am looking over the paper. It said it expired yesterday at ten in the morning." I said, remaining calm. I know what to do since I've been in this situation before.
"You're wrong. Get the manager!" He demanded.
I rolled my eyes with a sigh, calling Jake to come over to where I am.
"What's going on?" The manager said as he walked by.
"This guy is trying to pay for his stuff with this coupon even though I told him it was expired. He thinks I'm wrong." I said with a bored expression on my face. I am so ready to check out the next customer. Why am I arguing about this with this guy anyway? Either pay for or, if you don't have the money, leave the item and leave. No need to cause drama about this.
"Sir, I'm sorry you can't use this. No exceptions." Jake tried to reason.
"Fuck you and this store. I don't need this." He said, storming to the exit without the detergent.
"Well, that was something." I said as Jake and I laughing.
"He was so angry for no reason." Jake said. "Alright, I'm gonna go back, you're good, right?"
I nodded my head before he left. I put the laundry detergent to a cabinet to remind me to put it back later. I shook my head as I looked the next customer.
"Hi! Is that all you're paying for?" I greeted a mom in her early thirties. She nodded her head as I scan the clothes and baby stuff. I smiled at the infant stuff, reminding me why I wanted to work here in the first place. I tried to open the cash register, but it wouldn't open. I tried again and it remains close. Sighing again, I picked up the phone to call my new friend, Alex over. Over the month I've been working here, a lot of co-workers has come to like me and Melly. Unlike our schoolmates, our co-workers couldn't care less if we're going to be parents soon; they value us as human beings.
"Sorry ma'm." I apologized to her. She nodded her head with a kind smile.
The sandy blonde haired, 20 year old man came up. "What's up?"
"The cash register won't open." I told him.
"Aw man." Alex muttered. He tried to open it the way I did it, but the machine remained closed.
"Hey, what's the hold up?" Some lady yelled. I looked to see a middle-aged woman in the back of the line, glaring at me. Minutes later, everyone in line were shouting at me to hurry up. Fear crossed my face and I could've sworn I saw Melly head popping out from Starbucks to see what's going on before going back to work.
"Guys, please remain calm. The cash register is not working at the moment." I said in a tranquil tone, but it's really hard with everyone yelling at me.
"Well, fix it!" A male voice yelled.
"We're trying." I said.
"Well, try harder." The lady who yelled first demanded. I glared at her. Everything was calm until she opened her mouth.
"Derek, why don't we switch shifts? You go stock items on the shelves and I stay here." Alex suggested.
"You sure?" I said. I don't want him to get in trouble for my responsibility.
"Yes, now go." He said, harshly.
Not needing another word from my co-worker, I grabbed his cart of stuff to put on the shelves and left. Ahh, nice to go back to a peaceful state. I happily stocked the women aisle of their products, remembering the times where I would buy one of these for Melly. It won't be long until I have to buy one of these for her again. But I don't mind for I don't know where I would be in life without my nutter butter.
Someone tapped me on the shoulder, scaring me out of my thoughts. I'm surprised to see Blake behind me. I didn't think I would see him until Summer ended. I especially didn't think I would caught him dead at Target considering what a snobby jerk he is.
"What are you doing here?" I said, not trying to be nice. After the gruesome details he said about touching Melly, I don't plan to be nice to him, but I won't be too mean to him so I won't stir up unnecessary drama.
"I heard you and Melly worked here now. I just wanted to check out the hottie at work." Blake explained with a smug look on his face.
"Sorry, but I'm taken. Even if I weren't taken, I'm not.." I said.
"Not you. Gross." Blake rudely interrupted. "I mean Melly. She still got it, even if she does look fat."
It took every inch of me to not punch him in the face for saying that. "She's pregnant, you idiot. She looks beautiful just the way she is." I said.
"Can't deny she looks fat." Blake said.
"No, she's in normal weight for a pregnant girl. So no, she's not fat. She's happy and healthy and that's all that should matter. But of course you won't see that since you are a sexist pig." I said, fuming as I inched towards him.
"Whoa. You're an angry little man. Don't worry. I'd still hit it." Blake said, acting as if he didn't say anything wrong.
"Never in a million years would you hit her. Not while I'm around." I yelled. I am so done with him. Why can't he just leave?
"Yeah well, we'll see about that." He said. That's when I punched him square in the face. Again. He touched the part where my fist landed, which is forming a red mark now.
"Whoa, what is going on here?" Jake said, behind me. I widened my eyes, suddenly remembering where I am. Shit.
"I don't know. I was just trying to buy tampons for my girlfriend, when one of your co-workers came and randomly hit me in the face. I have his fist mark to prove it." Blake whined.
This little asshole. "You liar. That's totally not what happened. He came here and.." I tried to explain, but Jake cut me off with a "save it."
"Listen Derek, you had a shaky day. First the cash register, now this? This is not good. Why don't you take the rest of the day off?" Jake said.
"But sir.." I tried, but he put his hand in my face.
"I don't want to hear it. I'll see you on Monday to discuss the consequences of your actions. Goodbye Derek." Jake said, standing there to watch me leave. I look from him to a smirking Blake standing behind him. It took all my strengths to make matters worse by flipping him off. He's truly a son of a bitch.
I hung my head low as I exited out of the super drug store.
Why did I hit him? Sure, he was saying inappropriate stuff about my girlfriend to provoke me, but that didn't give me the right to hit him. It makes me just as bad as him, if not worse. And now I'm the one paying the price. How great.
I was so consumed in my thoughts, I didn't know where I was going until I bumped into someone, making their stuff fall to the floor.
"Sorry, sir," I can see from the shoes it's a male, "I didn't mean to bump into you. I didn't know where I was going.
I picked his item off the floor and handed it back to him. That's when I saw the face that I never thought I see again.
"Dad?" My eyes widened.