Supermarket Romance

Love can be found between the apples and cans of beans!

There is one God that pisses me off. I call her Amber, because for some reason it seems to fit her. I do see her as a woman, backstabbing and vicious as women can be and with her odd times of total randomness. She is the one that throws in a meeting with an ex-boyfriend you never wanted to see again, the stunningly beautiful girlfriend of the Perfect Man and the zits on your face just before you are about to walk out of the door towards your first date with Mister Extremely Handsome. She is the one that meets you up with a total stranger, who you realise is the one you’ve been waiting for just before he tell you he’s living on the other side of the planet. She is a b***h.

 

Amber has seen it fit to pay special attention to me. Of course all the above has happened to me, and I am sure she is laughing herself to pieces watching me stumble from one idiotic event to another.

And so here is another perfect example of her dirty little games; The Store Romance.

 

My basket is half-way full; I've tomatoes, some cheese, pasta and a few apples, still looking for some kind of candy I can snack while watching the movie I rented. I'm looking forward to a lazy evening on my own, on the couch, in my PJ's and with drinks and food within reach. I'm almost done shopping, humming along with the music booming in my ears. It's here where I am in my element: in a shop, looking for food. I'm a cook and can spend hours just trying new recepies out in my head, while holding the ingredients, putting them back on the shelves, walking around and getting the same stuff of the same shelves again. I love it!

Now the food isn't the only thing I keep my eyes open for during my shopping sprees; even the prettiest of men have to get some food now and again. I always thought that was the most romantic thing ever; you walk along, arms full with stuff you don't actually need, you bump into someone. You laugh sheepishly, try to make up for it and offer him a cup of coffee. BLAM! Easy as that.

As if!

I only once had a thing going in the supermarket. It went like this: I used to live about two minutes away from my supermarket and went there every day for whatever I needed. I had to pass the bread stand every time, which I usually did with either a cheeky smile on my face or my eyes to the floor. The boy that worked there almost daily always gave me a look or two, which would make my stomach flip backwards and back. I imagined how it would be to walk up to him, tell him to take me out on a date and mesmerize him with my charms. And of course, I never had the guts to do so.

 

Now there was one night where I went out dancing (mind you, a lot of my romantic events happen while I’m out dancing, or appear around that), and I got stood up by my friends. I sat at the entrance, waiting and hoping for them to show up. Just as I received a text from them saying they weren’t coming because it was already too late to go out, I heard a voice quite close to me. I recognised that voice. I had heard it almost daily for almost a year. I looked up to see the Bakery Boy standing next to me, smiling down. He looked good, as he always did, and politely asked me what I was doing sitting on the stairs in front of the building when I could have been inside dancing. After telling him my story, he had grinned and took my hand, led me inside and bought me a drink. And another. And another. You might think I was having the time of my life, but nothing could be less true.

 

As he drank more, he became more annoying. Not that I was the soberest person around, but at least I knew when to hold my tongue. Every odd look from another male in my direction would end up in disaster, as my ‘date’ would almost try to rip the poor man’s head off. Even before I even kissed the bloke I felt like I was trapped in an abusive relationship. And this was the guy I had been stealing glances at! For over a year!

 

Amber had shown her ugly face around the corner again.  Speaking with his mouth, I heard her say: “I saw you looking at me all those times. I know you’re interested. And now you won’t kiss me? Come on babe, what sort of bullshit is that?”

I had stamped on his foot and fled the corner he had held me captive in. Another fantasy flying out of the window and even though he had totally deserved the broken toe I saw him limping around on the next day, I felt a little pang of regret.

 

But it’s decided now: one day in the near future, Amber and me are going head to head. I will fight her and I will win. I will win Mister Perfect without her interference.