“You should definitely consider it. It’s exhilarating.” Jia didn’t mind larger crowds. She wasn’t trusting or anything, but she wasn’t a hermit because of it. She thought she was pretty good at keeping the illusion that she was normal, that she didn’t have major trust issues. Of course, flitting from person to person, making a bunch of acquaintances but rarely real friends helped her maintain that fiction that she was a social butterfly. Having once genuinely been one, she already knew the proper things to say and the proper reactions to have. Of course, she wasn’t always on her game, but no one could keep a charade forever.
“It’s nice to meet you, too, Marie.” She didn’t say that she’d already known her name because it seemed like a rude statement in a sense. She also hadn’t felt comfortable using the woman’s name in conversation until it was officially told to her because that also seemed a little offensive. A name was, in Jia’s mind, a private thing unless specifically given.
It wasn’t that she didn’t see the use of nametags. If a customer wanted to speak positively or negatively about a worker to their manager, then having a name helped. However, in conversation, it was different to use a name without being told what it was. In high school, a friend of hers who had worked in a grocery store had said how weird it was when customers would say her name in conversation, as if they knew her. She had known the name tag gave it away, but it still felt strange to the friend.
While it was a little awkward eating her ice cream right at the counter, she didn’t move. She was off to the side, so she wouldn’t block other customers, but she still stood there, talking to Marie while she periodically took bites of her treat.
This woman was interesting, and she had kind and lovely eyes. Her voice was also sweet, and Jia realized that if she wasn’t careful, she could easily trust this woman. Would that really be so bad? She didn’t know. On one hand, she could make a new friend. On the other, this woman could be holding a façade in place, ready to betray those who were snared in her nets.
Jia decided to keep the conversation away from really personal topics, not that that was difficult. It was her usual game plan, and it worked well. Most people were perfectly happy to chatter about surface things, never delving too deeply.
When Marie tended to other customers and to her occupational duties, Jia finished her treat. There was still a bit of caramel left, but there was less remaining than she had originally anticipated. The dish had been really good.
“I took one last year, but it wasn’t really ocean-oriented. It was more about lakes and rivers.” She replied when Marie asked about the aquatic courses. “I intended to take those ones this year. Last year, I had a full plate, and there wasn’t room for an ocean-based aquatic course. This year, I intend to complete the rest of my required classes this year, so I can maintain my forestry focus for the rest of my schooling. I’m taking Oceanography this fall.”