Walking back to the checkout counter was swift, as the cart was lighter than any of the other loads.
When I got back the female employee commented, "It looks like you found what you needed."
"Yeah, I don't need anything fancy or expensive, so I just bought what was cheap. There is no point wasting money on something I don't need."
"True, very true. I like to think I live by the same motto."
"Well, that's good, I still can't believe I forgot about keyboards and mice."
"It happens to the best of us."
While we were talking she finished scanning the items.
"Hmm~, that is everything. Is there anything else you're forgetting?"
"Well if I forgot something, it's because I can't remember it."
"If you remember, you can always come back. I will be sure to help you remember anything you've forgotten or something you didn't know you needed." She seemed to emphasise the ending.
"I will be sure to come back then."
She chuckled, seemed to think about something before switching and saying, "Good. That totals up to $42,305.77. Soo… how will you be paying?"
"With a sketchy duffle bag full of money."
"I don't think we take that here."
"No? Shame. Then I'll have to pay by card." I said while taking out my wallet and pulling out my card. I stuck my card into the machine and entered my pin.
The machine started processing and it kept processing for a full minute.
I was sweating buckets while it was processing.
And the awkward silence grew heavier and heavier as the seconds ticked passed.
Then finally.
Ding!
Payment processed.
Thank you for shopping with us.
I let out a small sigh and slightly grinned, "Wow, I was getting a little worried there."
"Oh, really? I couldn't tell from the puddle you left on the floor."
"Are you sure that's not from your sarcasm?"
"No, that's a black ooze."
"Oh, ok…" The moment hung in the air for a brief second before I continued, "Well I better start getting this to the car."
"I'll help you with that." She said before grabbing two carts and walking out with me.
When we got to my car she made an observation.
"Wow, so you drive a mom car?"
"Well, it is my mom's car so…"
"Now that definitely makes sense."
We were looking at the white Nexus suv sitting in the parking lot. The most average white mom car for this area. Literally almost every middle aged white mom in the area had the same 3 car types, and this was the top pick.
So needless to say it was weird to see a young guy driving one around.
I opened the trunk and started filling, while I was doing that she said, "let me run inside and grab the other carts."
When she jogged off I turned around and glanced back then muttered, "A pear, huh." Then I got back to work.
When she returned with the other carts I asked, "So, if the mom car is a problem then you must drive something pretty cool."
She gave a meaningful chuckle and responded, "Yeah~. I do."
"Well now you have me curious."
"I have it parked around the secluded side of the building in the employee parking lot."
"I will definitely take a look when I'm done here."
We quickly packed the entire trunk and back seats full of my purchases.
I locked the car then put all of the carts together then walked with her back to the front while making more idle chatter. Which is usually kind of hard for me.
We dropped the carts at the entrance and took the sidewalk around the building where I finally saw it.
"No way. You drive the Tofu Drift King's car?"
She had a proud smile and said, "Yep, I bought it when it was in pretty rough shape and built it back together piece by piece. But, I'm glad you knew the reference for the car. I would have been disappointed otherwise."
"I would be too. I love that show. But you have really modded this thing out. Spoiler, wings, decals, and I'm sure you didn't leave the engine alone."
"I would hope you don't think so lowly of me. I added everything I could. I just finished the final piece which was the decals. I did the cosmetics last. The engine with all of the bells and whistles, the turbos, fuel injectors, air filtration systems, the works."
"Wow, that must have been a lot of work."
"A ton. Yeah. I put my heart and soul into this thing."
"And you did all of the work yourself?"
"Yeah, yeah I did."
"And why do you work at WorstBuy?"
"Well, my family is not well off and I'm paying my way through college. I'm trying to get an engineering degree, but a lot of the courses are out of my reach. No matter how good at building stuff I am, it just doesn't really matter. No one really takes me seriously, and the money is always just out of reach."
"Yeah? Well that's a shame. I know when I tried going to college it was just way too expensive. My household income disqualified me for financial aid and I couldn't make enough to pay for it. And I am surely not going to take a loan and put myself into debt."
"Exactly, my family doesn't have money, but we make enough to disqualify me."
"Yep, it's such a scam."
"They want to force you into generational debt and then spend your entire life trying to pay it off. It is just indentured servitude."
"I couldn't agree more."
…
We stood around for another 15 minutes and continued to talk. Before, her manager came out and told her to come back inside.
Before she left she asked, "Hey can I have your InstaPic?"
"Oh, yeah sure. But I don't really post on it."
"Thats fine. But you will answer me if I text you right?"
"Of course I will."
With that she walked back inside swaying from side to side.
I walked back to my car and hopped in.