Hey stranger, it's been a while

Most major stores have separate liquor stores. Usually next to each other. Some liquor stores have a walk-in freezer. It's a very unpleasant place to be during winter.

As I walked into the store, I looked in the direction of the cashiers. She was not there. I was hoping to bump into her. I made my way to the back of the store, where larger items are stored. There was a walk-in freezer, stretching from wall to wall. As I walked past, I saw her through the glass.

"Hey, stranger. It's been a while." She greeted me.

"Hey, how are you?" I asked as I got closer to her.

She was standing closer to a door for employees only. By the look of it, I interrupted her unpacking a few boxes.

"It's so damn cold in here," I said grabbing a case of beer. "Are you being punished or something?"

She laughed at my question. She explained her current situation. The manager asked for her to unpack some of the items. This includes a bunch of canned ciders. By the time I got there, she was almost finished.

"So, is today the day?" she asked as she ripped open a box. "The weather is perfect for a nice hot meal."

I couldn't believe she was still on that topic. I wanted to fold and give in to her demand. A young me would have made a date, but this was different. I knew my position very well and tried to play it off. The least I can do is play along.

"Today's weather is missing some rain," I said, leaning on the shopping trolley. "Rain, a couple of snacks, a bunch of good movies…"

"A warm blanket?" she interrupted me.

"Yeah, and someone to cuddle," I added, making sure to look at her when I said that.

On the outside I was calm, but deep down I wanted to die from embarrassment. There was an awkward silence. Only the sound of cold air blowing within the freezer. I wanted her to say something. Anything was better than silence.

That's how all my conversations go. I would off start strong and somewhere along the line the conversation becomes one-sided. I always feel like I'm boring them.

"You could say that's the perfect date." She continued a few seconds later.

I was not expecting her to reply. Honestly, I was planning to run away as fast as I could. Making sure never to return to the store ever again.

"Should I make a reservation?" I asked as a joke.

"I don't know… I should ask my boyfriend." She replied instantly.

'Boyfriend' is the one-word guys like me hate. When she said that, I felt my heart sink a little.

"Do you know where I could find one?" she asked sarcastically, as she folded the last box and stacked them in a corner.

"Maybe in a walk-in freezer?" I replied. Striking a pose to look cool.

My joke got her laughing. She opened the employee door and walked through, still laughing out loud.

"If you keep making me laugh like that," she said closing the door behind her, "I might consider it."

I could still hear her laughing from the other side. I smiled and backed out until I left the freezer. The sudden change in temperature felt awesome, but my smile quickly disappeared again. Like the previous time… I forgot to ask for her name.