***

Jenny stood at the cash register, smiling lightly as she returned two rumpled bills and a fistful of coins to a waiting palm.

“2.19 is your change, ma’am. Have a wonderful day.”

Jenny watched the elderly woman collect her bags, the white crinkle of plastic slapping heavily against her legs as she wobbled out the sliding doors.  Her smile faltered a bit.  For plausible reasons, she felt incredibly hokey.  What, with the red and white checkered apron and the pristine plastic name tag pinned to her chest.  Working at a supermarket was one of the most boring jobs she’d yet encountered, but it gave her enough money to move out of Tim’s shoddy ***** shed.  And for that, she was extremely grateful.

For months she felt like an unwanted guest in the backyard of a home that, just 6 months ago, she was more than happy to share with him.  But that was half a year ago.  The world can change in a fraction of that time.  And impossibly enough, it did.  Smiling only to herself, Jenny went about tidying up her workarea, which sadly didn’t include all that much to tidy.

She opened up a few plastic bags, more than ready for the next customer in what seemed like a neverending stream of them.  Asking about store specials, complaining about the lack of coupons in the newspaper’s weekly circular.  The highlight of her day was to excitedly tell a customer how many pennies they saved by using their store card.  It was funny, if she thought about it.  And slightly alarming if she really thought about it.

However, if she really admitted her true thoughts, her mind was rarely ever on work.  It was always on her.  Marina.  Even if she stopped for a few moments to consider her current position of employment, anything would remind her of that woman and she’d be lost for hours at a time.  Leaning forward on bent elbows, Jenny rested her cheek on her upturned hand and grinned despite herself.

They’d been back and forth for three months, dating.  It was kinda weird to be able to say for sure that she and Marina were regularly seeing each other, but that was the only way she could put it.  They were.  It also seemed weird that they there were no other tangled relationships spun directly within the center of theirs.  There was no one else.  It was only the two of them.  That thought alone made Jenny shiver.  Smirk.  She’d have to get the manager to turn down the air conditioning.