I've been waiting for you "I'm sorry for all that last night." Arnold put a package of lettuce on the cart.
Helga was leaning against one of the displays. She frowned. "Why are you apologizing?"
Arnold heard the words. "It was just personal. I haven't even told Gerald what happened. I did tell him he left town but not that I was planning to go with him." They were standing in the middle of the produce aisle. The store was closing in thirty minutes.
"I was fine with hearing you out."
Arnold felt nervous. "I guess if you didn't mind..."
"Not at all, Arnoldo. I mean I coulda used a little more sleep." Arnold tapped his foot. "I'm joking. I'm joking. Well not really."
Arnold dug through the tomatoes. He found one at the bottom that had a darker spot. He put it on the cart. "You got anything to do tonight?"
"Nope."
"I was thinking that I could repay you with a movie."
Helga eyes opened wide. Arnold didn't see it though. Helga smiled. "Well it is a Friday night." She shrugged. "Why not? What movie would we see?"
"Well... Kill Bill volume two is still playing in a theater nearby. Have you seen the first volume?"
"I used to go to the movies every weekend. I saw it."
"What'd you think?"
She thought for a moment. "It was good. A little actiony for me. I like old film noir. Movies like China Town, The Maltese Falcon."
"Old man movies?" Arnold gave her a little smile.
"Yes, indeed. They gave me a lot of inspiration for my crime stories."
"Huh. Maybe I could read one of them?"
Helga felt uncomfortable with that thought. "I've never shown them to anyone."
"Well, someone has to look at your work eventually. Don't you wanna be published?"
"Well, yeah but that feels so far off."
"It doesn't have to be."
"I'll think about it, Football head. Though I have a question. Haven't you already seen volume 2? We could go see something new."
"I, well... I thought about seeing it. But the last movie I saw was Kill Bill with him. Something about seeing it didn't feel right."
"Ok, but what's changed?" Helga raised an eyebrow.
"Hum..." Arnold scratched his stubble and tried to come up with something. "I don't know." Arnold looked Helga in the eyes. "I'm not really sure. I just wanna see it."
"Good enough reason I suppose." Helga saw they were low on the Macintoshs. She wrote it down in her little notebook. "You know what you need, Arnold?"
Arnold was curious. "What?"
"A damn shave."
Arnold's face went red. "Yeah, it's been a minute."
"How about we concentrate on work now, huh?"
"I'm good with that."
Arnold looked at one of the displays. Something was off. He got on his knees and peered underneath. There was an onion lodged underneath the display. Arnold yanked it out and put it on the cart. Helga pushed the cart to the back. They had a rather sizable list of things they need to bring out front. Arnold got the stuff that didn't go in the refrigerator, Helga was in the fridge she got out a whole watermelon and put it on the cart. Arnold put a few tomatoes on the cart. They collected the things they needed and pushed the heavy cart back to the aisle. They put each of things where they needed to be. Halfway through their restocking Andrew walked towards them. He let them finish up. Arnold looked at Andrew. Andrew wore glasses with big dark frames. "What's up, Andrew?"
"Arnold, Ezra went home so we're going to need you to mop the store again." Andrew held out the key to the janitor's closet.
Arnold nodded and took the key. "I'll get it done." Andrew gave him a thumbs up and walked to the back of the store.
Helga looked at Arnold incredulously. "Was that in the job description?"
"Huh?"
"Did he tell you you'd have to mop the store and do the janitor's job?"
"No? I guess not."
"I wouldn't want to do that. Especially if I wasn't getting paid for it specifically. I have my job and the janitor has his."
"You're right. But there's nothing wrong with pitching in."
"Yeah but does this happen every week?"
"Well yeah."
"Multiple times a week?"
"Yes."
"You're doing two jobs, Arnold but only are getting paid for one."
Arnold was silent. He held onto that info as he walked towards the janitor's closet. He opened it up and took the janitor's cart with the mop. He filled the bucket with water. His fingers twitched. She was right. This was always annoying to do. He hated cleaning anything but his room. A few times a boarder had left and their room was still a mess. He had to be the one to throw out all the garbage they left behind. Now he was cleaning up someone else's mess. His face was red by the time he started mopping. He took his headphones out of his pocket and put them on his head. He pressed play and the mixtape started playing.
Soft piano. Other instruments bloomed. The drums came in. It was Almost Blue done by Chet Baker. Arnold swished the mop through the store. He went through dairy. Then the frozen food section. He had tunnel vision. He was just working. Moving his body without much purpose. He erased all the extra little marks on the chocolate chip floor. He went through the alcohol section. He stopped and looked at one of the blue drinks. He took it off the shelf. The mop's handle was resting on his chest. The thing was coconut blueberry. Sounded awful, he put it back on the shelf. He gasped. There was the moment of the two sharing a few drinks. It was some beer. Trash. Though it was a nice night. Words were in his head. "I spent hours praying I wasn't gay. That my attraction to boys could be solved. That god could help me." He continued mopping. Eventually he reached the front. He looked at the clock. 5 minutes till closing time. The store was nearly empty. He had done most of the aisles by then. He stood at the front looking at the cashiers. He turned his eyes towards the produce aisle. Helga had her head down. She had her hair in a pony tail, most days so far she had it in the same pigtails she wore as a child. That seemed strange to him. Why keep that hair style? Maybe it meant something to her. She was wearing a pink tank top. He was staring. He hadn't really realized it but he was. She lifted her head up she was looking at the drinks again. She turned. She saw him. They were in each others eyes. She waved. He waved back. The day ended not long after that.
