Chapter 16 - Harper

“Miss!”

I jump up and shake my head. A gentleman in his fifties looks at me with a frown. I look down and see a few things on the counter.

“How much is it?” he asks.

I look at the articles and take the mental account

“There are thirteen-eighty,” I answer without hesitation.

“And one more pack of cigarettes?” he asks.

“That’ll be twenty,” I reply.

The customer takes a bill out of his wallet and puts it on the metal surface. Wasting no time, I take the money and put it in the cash register.

“Have a great day,” I smile.

“Likewise, Harper.”

The gentleman nods her head, takes his things, and turns to leave. One more satisfied buyer. Mr. Hudson comes in every morning for his usual dose of nicotine, the newspaper, and some assorted-flavored gummies.

As my star shopper walks away, I look at the clock o