I'm working in Men's Shirts and Accessories, stacking the sale shirts on the table when HE walks over to the stack and begins to pick through them.
My heart skips a beat.
"Can I help you?" I ask in my best 'sales lady' voice.
He pulls one shirt out and then another. Pale blue, very thin check. I think it's an old man pattern. He holds the shirt up and peers intently. I say hopefully, "It's 30% off today."
"Have you got this in a 41 regular?"
"You're not regular. (I snigger) I mean, I guestimate your size would be, 43 loooong."
"It's not for me, it's for my dad."
"Oh. Does he have your colour eyes?"
"Yes, he does"
"Perfect colour!" I search the pile of shirts and find the required size and colour way.
"Is there anything else I can get you?" I bat my eyelids."How about this?" I show him a shirt in the a mid-blue that makes his eyes light up. I say,"Mirror's just here." I point to the one on a column next to the counter. He holds the shirt against his body, checks his reflection and says,"Sold."
When he pays, I note the credit card: Chris Cooper. I pack the shirts into the store bags, hand him the receipt. Our eyes connect. He grins. "Thanks."
I longingly watch Chris saunter towards the escalator.
My co-worker Jessica says,” Bella! You're gonna get into trou-ble!"
I pretend to clean the counter.
Chris returns. "Oh. Hi!" I sputter.
He says, "Do you wanna grab a cup of coffee?"
"My break's in ten minutes."
Jessica says in a low voice, "Go. I'll cover for you."
In an equally low voice I say, "Are you sure?"
She nods.
Without a second thought, I take the elevator with my new friend.
Chris is charming and funny and I only notice time has flown when he receives a phone call.
Chris says,"Sorry, I have to take this."
I look at my watch, "Uh-oh. I have to go."
He stands and kisses my cheek. My heart flutters. Chris is still on the phone, I mouth, “Thanks,” as I turn and walk away.
My wishes are tyrannical. I regret not giving Chris my phone number, though I wasn't asked. When I return to the counter, my supervisor hands me the phone, "A customer claims he lost his credit card."
"Yes?" I say.
The voice on the phone says, "It's Chris. Chris Cooper."
"Oh, er. Yes, Mr Cooper."
"Did I leave my credit card there?"
I know he's just pretending, but I scan the counter top, look on the floor, search the waste basket, "Er, no."
"Well, if you find it, give me a call. My number is 0455..."
"Just a second."
My hand trembles as I jot the number on store paper.
"Did you get that?" Chris says.
“Yes."
"Call me." There's a beat. "Any time."
I pocket the piece of paper.
When I finish for the evening, I toss up whether to phone or not. Jessica encourages, "What are you waiting for?"
The phone call is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. SIx months later, we move in together. Six months after that, we're engaged and in another three months we're married.
Everything is going well. One year, two years later but in year three we’ve hit a pot hole.
We never fight. I try to broach the subject, but Chris refuses to talk. "What's wrong?" sounds like nagging, so I give up asking. He puts up a wall, I put up my side and neither of us see over the top to communicate.
II
Things are at an impasse. Chris and I used to be in love. We promised never to stop being smoochy but we have. I'm quiet and contemplative. He's cold and getting colder.
One Friday, I think I'm going to pull the plug and go, but when I arrive home, the house feels so empty without Chris and I realise I've been taking him for granted. My mind imagines all kinds of terrible things. I check my phone. There have been 15 missed calls, all from Chris."Call me."
I do.
He says, "Get an Uber and meet me at this address at 8."
III
I alight from the Uber, enter the bar and search the faces in the crowd but he's not there. I feel a hand on my elbow and spin ‘round. There’s Chris.
He says, "Wow! You look beautiful."
We kiss.
We take our drinks to a corner booth.
Chris finally tells me that new management at work means his head is on the chopping block.
"Why you? You're a great worker." I say.
"I'm the youngest in the company and the last to join. I didn't know how to tell you. I've been trying to keep our heads above water."
“You're not alone. Never think that. We'll figure it out together."
He sighs and says, "I was scared you might leave me."
We share a look.
I shake my head, "The world is full of temptations..."
"Another man?”
"Oh, no!" I laugh shortly. "You're my only one, but when I thought our relationship was over, I was tempted to live on my own, or do some travelling."
"If that's what you want, we should do it."
"We've got some savings. Maybe South East Asia..."
"And then?"
“Who knows? As long as we have each other...”
.
