Page 42 of Check Me Out

“Did you love them?” Han seems to genuinely want to know.

Joe considers this. “I think so. Don’t get me wrong—Vince is a good guy. But I’m busy a lot with work and he wanted something… more exciting, I guess. He joined a band and married one of the other members, and both of them seem happy, so I guess it worked out for the best.”

“Even for you?”

Joe shrugs. No reason to admit to this stranger how alone in the world he feels. He wasn’t close with his parents, his baba died long ago, he had no siblings or other family members, and his work schedule makes friendships as hard to maintain as romantic relationships.Married to my job, he sometimes joked. Which wouldn’t be so bad if he loved it.

Time for another conversation switch. “How about you? I bet you and your spouse are really happy together.”

“Why would you think that?”

“Because… well, look at you.”

Han raises his perfect eyebrows. “I’m attractive?”

Joe tries not to blush. “Very, but that’s not what I meant. Judging from our short time together, you’re kind, thoughtful, and patient. Considerate. A good listener. I mean, I assume you’re like this in general, and not just when you’re on the job.”

“Oh.” Han is smiling widely and looking pleased. “That’s nice of you to say. I’m single, though.” He leans forward, gazing steadily into Joe’s eyes.

And then a woman appears around the corner, startling them both. She must be a supermarket employee since she wears the same blindingly white uniform as Han. She is gorgeous, with bronze skin and a cloud of natural hair, and although her expression is pleasant, she carries an air of authority that Han does not. According to her name tag, she is Dina.

“Taking a break?” Her voice is neutral.

Han looks guilty, which makes Joe feel guilty since this was his idea. “I asked him to,” he says. “He was being really helpful, but I was hungry and tired, and—”

“And I chose to do this,” Han interrupts, tone dignified.

Dina seems more thoughtful than upset. “I’ve rarely seen a client request this.”

“I’ve been having a pretty rough day.”

“Undoubtedly.” She seems about to say something more but pauses to stare at them. Her eyes are as bright and sharpas diamonds, although not hard. She gives a slight shrug and addresses Han. “It’s been a long time since you were away from this place. Perhaps it’s time for you to—”

“Don’t fire him! Please. I don’t want to get him in trouble, not when he’s been so nice. And you’d be crazy to fire him anyway—he’s amazing. Best customer service I’ve ever had.”

Now Han is staring at Joe, wide-eyed, as Dina chuckles. “Nobody’s going to fire Haniel, don’t worry. I’m just intrigued.” She peers closely at Han. “It’s been a long time since you’ve had a vacation. If you want one now….”

Han goes very still. “I can…. You mean….”

“Well, that depends on what decisions get made. But it’s possible.”

“I….” Han looks as if he might pass out, and Joe is deeply confused.

He likes vacations as much as the next guy, but— Wait. He might as well be honest with himself. He likes theideaof vacations, but he hasn’t actually taken one in forever. It had been a point of contention with Vince, who didn’t understand that since Joe traveled a lot for the job, he might want to just stick around home when he was off. And lots of people did staycations, didn’t they? They holed up with takeout food and Netflix and maybe took up a new hobby like sourdough baking or woodworking or potted plants.You’re not eighty, Vince had insisted.Get a life.

Anyway, Joe hasn’t taken any staycations either. The upstairs neighbors are too noisy, for one thing. Even when they’re not arguing, they stomp around or play obnoxious music.

When Joe returns home after this trip, perhaps he’ll consider a little getaway. He could stay in his own city even. Get a swanky hotel room, order room service, visit the spa. He could take photos of things.

But now he’s getting in Han’s way, so he stands and looks around. “Um, could you point me to where the dishes go?” He doesn’t even see a trash can.

“I’ll take care of it.” Han stands too, and although he’s smiling, there’s a new tightness around his eyes, as if he’s worried about something. Like wanting Joe to finish up so Han can clock out and go relax.

Dina pats Han’s shoulder, nods at Joe, and disappears between the aisles.

After grabbing the handle of his shopping basket, Joe sets off again.

He finds himself in an endless succession of refrigerated aisles. One of them offers more kinds of yogurt than he could have imagined; the next has blocks, wheels, wedges, and slices of cheese; and after that are shelves with milk and cream. He pauses in front of a selection of chocolate milk, a treat he hasn’t tasted since he was a boy and would sometimes get a small carton of the stuff along with his school lunch. He vividly remembers how difficult it could be to open the spout properly, and how the milk itself would carry the faint flavor of waxy cardboard. After considering for a moment, he decides not to put a carton into his basket. It’s not a healthy choice, especially after the fries he just consumed.

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