Who: Sharon Carter and Michael Glass When: Late May Where: A grocery store What: Michael needs wants more of his favorite dino chicken nuggets Rating/Warnings: TBD Status: Complete when posted
Michael knew that these nuggets were probably high on the list of unhealthiest things he could possible eat but he couldn’t help loving them. He’d balance it out with some veggies he figured, and no matter how pathetic his dog looked at him he would not give him even one t-rex nugget. T-rex Tuesdays were still the best thing he’d ever come across on facebook. He turned a corner in the store and noticed a woman with a small child in her cart trying to reach something on one of the higher shelves. He came up beside her. “Ma’am? Could I get that for you?” he asked. He might as well use his height for some good right? Rather than her having to stretch like she was.
***
Sharon was in the supermarket, as she seemed to be fairly often lately. She was always here for milk or bread or diapers or something. It would probably help if she kept a list and forced herself to go every few days, rather than try to pick up things as she needed them. It would probably mean less impulse shopping, too--which was a problem. She had a bunch of yummy snack foods in the cart.
Speaking of the cart, Viv was sitting in the front with her little seat belt on, holding a tupperware filled with goldfish. She was shaking the thing and trying to get the fish out through the slits in the top. It was highly entertaining.
When the guy came over and offered to help, Sharon turned and gave him a smile. But it faltered just slightly. “Jeez, you’re tall,” she said, mostly teasing. “But yeah… why do they put the pesto on the top shelf, anyway?”
***
Michael tried to do his grocery shopping once or twice a week but it didn’t always work out that way. Especially since no one in the house, himself included, seemed to be able to remember to write stuff down on a grocery list when they used the last of it. And like tonight to forget to set anything out for dinner until everybody was getting hungry. And he couldn’t stand pizza for a third night in a row so - dino nuggets. And maybe a salad once he got over to the produce department.
He was used to people commenting on his being tall so her teasing comment barely registered as he returned her smile and reached up to grab the jar for her. “Well are we assuming the owner and his employees are nice people or jerks? The answer depends on which category they fall into. If they’re nice - they want to either encourage people to help each other get what they need. If they’re jerks - they get some kind of kick out of watching their customers struggling to get things they need off the top shelf. I don’t know if it’s just me but I can never find an employee at any store to help me out when I need it. The second I don’t need help? They’re all over the area I’m at looking for people to help.”
He handed her the jar of pesto sauce and turned his attention to the little girl in the cart. “Hey there princess. You help mommy get everything she needs tonight okay?” he said with a grin. He turned his attention back to the woman. “I’d ask if you needed any help reaching anything else but...might not look right for me to be following a stranger through the grocery store.”
***
Sharon accepted the pesto, thinking about what he’d just said. “That’s a good point. Maybe they’re all for unity and people coming together and… no.” She shook her head, chuckling a little. “No, I think they’re just jerks who don’t want short people to eat pesto.”
Then she smiled over at the little one. She lifted a goldfish cracker and stretched it out to the man with the curly hair, as if offering it to him to eat. She didn’t say anything, though. She wasn’t old enough for that yet.
“She’s quite the helper.” And then she grinned. “Well, we can walk through this aisle together. There’s rice on a high shelf. And pasta.” She pointed toward the end of the lane.
***
“I’m definitely leaning towards the jerk theory too. Which just makes me all the happier to help you out. They can get their kicks with somebody else,” Michael said with a grin.
He smiled at the little girl as he took the cracker she offered him, pretending to eat it before slipping it into his pocket when she looked away from him. “Thank you princess.” He didn’t know her name and it didn’t seem to bother her mom when he called the little girl that.
“Okay. I can help you on this aisle. With the rice and pasta. You just tell me what you’d like and I’ll be happy to grab it for you ma’am.”
***
“Thanks. My hero.” Sharon said, giving the handsome, young man a smile, Then she led the way down the aisle and had him help her grab a couple of things down off the shelf. “I’m not much of a cook, but I can do chicken. These things just make a quick, easy side dish.” She explained, probably unnecessarily.
***
“You’re further ahead than me these days. I pretty much seem to be stuck on heat and eat mode. Chicken nuggets, frozen dinners. Just not a lot of time in the day for me to cook.” Michael said, handing her the last item she’d named. He gave her a friendly smile as he stepped back over to his buggy. “Is there anything I can else help you with ma’am?”
***
“Well, and it’s so hot lately. Sometimes I just don’t want to spend all day over a hot stove.” Sharon said, and turned to give the guy a bright smile. He’d been helpful. She appreciate it. “No, but you’re so sweet. Thank you so much.”
***
“My mom keeps telling me I should use the slow cooker in my kitchen - it’ll cook while I’m out but, I spend all day at the studio or writing. I don’t want to have to do all that prep work for the next days dinner when I get home. Guess at my core I’m just lazy about my food.” Michael said, smiling back at her. He didn’t make the healthiest food choices, that was true, but he liked to think that his exercise routine helped combat that. At least a little bit.
“I was happy to help. Have a nice night ma’am.” He said, giving her and her daughter a happy smile before pushing his cart off. Produce section. Vegetables. Maybe some fruit. When he got home he was going to talk to one of his roommates about maybe cooking dinner for everybody, he’d try to get home earlier that night.