Grocery boy

He was walking down the aisle in the grocery store while pushing the cart. An hour ago, right after the movie ended, Manang Brenda called the house cellphone to ask them to buy the groceries. She asked if they could buy it together to make them closer, however, the two denied, for the fact that they're not allowed to be seen together.

Both their family had sorted and planned things out for them. It was not the time to let the world know that they're married. According to their parents, if the business world knows this, there are chances that things might not go as they planned. To their dismay, they couldn't do anything about it.

Not that she would want to let everyone know but she just wanted to be known as a married woman in the future. He, on the other hand didn't decide much. What goes with their mind, he would be fine with it.

When he went to his room to change clothes, his heart got stabbed thrice at the thought of being apart with her. The fact that they're not allowed to be seen like a couple sent knives to his heart.

Shaking the hurtful thought, he pushed the cart slowly while checking the list she wrote on his phone. Suddenly, he smiled knowing that she touched and used his phone for a while.

She was laughing when she opened his phone and tried to do weird things. Since boredom got the best of her, she typed random letters and left no space.

"I'm going crazy," he mumbled. A while ago, he told himself to stop thinking of her and the hurtful things but he couldn't help himself. He thought he must be going crazy and needed to be cured.

Suddenly, he bumped a cart in front of him and he quickly apologized. He was more guilty when he saw the bump on her stomach. He just hit a cart of a pregnant woman. He was afraid of hurting the unborn child that she carried.

She looked up at the person who hit her when she saw him. She smiled and scanned his features. "It's fine, it's normal," she softly said, with a cute voice. She proceeded with taking the cereals. She didn't wanted to act like a crazy woman, flirting with a stranger.

"why did she just put cereals? I don't remember her favorite cereal," he told himself. He tried to scan what she wrote but there was no cereal name or brand name. It was just a plain 'cereal'.

"let me guess, your girlfriend? Girls sometimes tend to love bittersweet things." she said before heading to the next food section. He gave a simple smile and went to find what he favored.

He was scrolling through the fruit section when he realized she didn't include apples. Silly, it was one of her favorite fruits but she forgot to include it. He was about to grab 3 apples when a hand grabbed it.

It was the same pregnant woman. He quickly let her take the apples and selected new ones. He didn't like selecting the front ones anyways.

"we met again," she simply said while turning her head on him. He was just in a simple long sleeved white shirt, black pants and slick shoes.

He didn't say anything but to flash a simple and rather forced smile. He didn't like bumping on to people he didn't knew and was not close with. Furthermore, he didn't like smiling to other people.

He was picking the fruits that she listed when his phone rang.

"Hmm?" he uttered while moving the cart slowly, by one hand.

"Could you please buy ice creams? We don't have any stocks," she said through the phone. She was just laying on her back in the living room.

She was weirded out that she was alone in their house. She felt like someone was staring at her through the window glasses.

He nodded but then, he forgot that she was just on the phone so her replied, "what do you want? Strawberry?"

She thought for a while before saying everything she wanted, " yep and also, vanilla, double dutch, chocolate chips and mint chocolate chips. The bucket ones," she laughed at the last part. She was ashamed to let him buy all those foods but he was willing to buy anything.

"do you want to add more? Two each flavor or just one?" she didn't say anything and he took that as a yes. She then ended the call after saying thank you and he proceeded.

Suddenly, the pregnant woman dropped the oranges and it rolled on the floor. She tried to pick it up but her bump kept her from doing so. He turned and saw her struggling. He quickly stopped his cart and went to help her.

"thank you, this is the third time," she chuckled. She was holding his hand but he managed to take it back. She frowned and quickly masked it.

"I don't think we know each other," she said and she was about to say something else when he cut her off.

"what do you think so?"

"well, I'm Jiayi. Hao Jiayi," she introduced herself, taking her hand out for a shake but he refused.

"nice to meet you." that's what he only said. He was eager to get those ice creams and pay all the foods because he wanted to see her.

"what's your name?" she asked, not caring about how impatient he was.

"look, my wife is waiting for me. Probably, you're husband or boyfriend is waiting for you too," he then pointed at her bump. She looked at her bump for a while and when she looked up, he was nowhere to be seen.

~

"are you okay? You took a little long, but that's fine," she greeted when the door opened. She helped him carry the paper bags while going to the kitchen to placed the foods properly.

"the line was a little long. Too many customers," He reasoned out, not wanting to talk about the pregnant woman.

She nodded and placed the bags on the island table. She gasped when she saw the ice creams. He bought two of every kind.

"Woah! I want to eat these," she was about to grab the vanilla bucket ice cream when Jun refrained her from doing so.

"you didn't have dinner first and one ice cream a day only," said while shaking his head as a no.

"does that mean I'll eat ice cream everyday?" she hoped, her innocent eyes was popping.

"nope, that's not good." he replied, pushing the apples to the rack.

She exaggerated her eyes and scoffed, "that's not fair!" he chuckled but just went to ignore her.

"fine, that's what you said," she pouted and turned her back from him and focused on putting the meat on its proper place.

"okay, I'm allowing you to eat another ice cream for today but until then, no more eating ice cream tomorrow and the day after tomorrow," He give in. He couldn't stand her pouting and hating him when he denied something.

When she heard him say that, she quickly pulled him to a hug and tiptoed but when she realized what she did, she slowly let go and stared at him, freezing herself.

She wished to ask for a secret hole on her ground and just disappear. Sadly, things weren't on her way.

"uhmm...suddenly, I feel like my tummy's not okay," with that she dashe doubt from the kitchen and went to the living room and quickly turned on the TV.

He was left stuck in the kitchen, with the scene still fresh in his mind. He was smiling crazily and wanted to shout and just punch things but he was quick to stop himself. However, he didn't knew that he was smiling like smug.