"You really didn’t have to do that, you know." Sarah said while looking at the charger set which Max was now packaging into a bag
Jason shrugged and then replied "I know. I just wanted to."
Max was done packaging the charger as professionally as he could and slid it across the counter towards Jason
Jason stretched his arm out towards the counter and grabbed the packaged charger set and then presented it to Sarah
She took it and brought it closer to her chest, hugging it for a brief moment with a small smile drawing across her face and gone almost before Jason had registered it.
"Don’t look so pleased with yourself," Max said.
"I don’t."
"You definitely do, it’s visible on your face."
"That’s just how my face looks."
"Then your face needs better management."
Sarah laughed quietly and Jason turned to her, now mock-offended by the laugh "You’re taking his side already?"
"I’m not taking anyone’s side." She said
"Both of you, out" Max said while pointing at the door, "before I start getting charged for emotional damages."
"You’re the one who started this," Sarah said.
"I was working peacefully before you two walked in."
"That’s not what the security footage will say," Jason offered.
Max blinked. "What security footage?"
"Exactly."
Sarah was now laughing so hard that she had to press her hand over her mouth to try containing it but failed
Max expression changed a bit before he sighed and replied "I regret helping either of you,"
"That’s fine," Jason said. "I’ll never forget you for as long as I live, Max"
"Thanks, Max," Sarah said.
"Don’t thank me. Thank whoever decided to pay for your charger."
She paused for a little moment and then glanced over at Jason. "I already did."
"You’re welcome."
Sarah laughed again. Jason decided with some finality that Max had spent too many years around broken electronics for his own good.
"Alright then. We will be taking our leave" Jason announced as he gestured himself towards the door
"Please do."
Sarah followed behind Jason and waved to Max on her way out.
"See you later."
"Try not to destroy the next charger."
"I’ll do my best."
"That’s what you said about the last one."
"Then I’ll do better."
Jason pulled the door open and it followed with the traditional bell jingling instantly and then he stepped aside making way for Sarah to pass through first
"After you, ma’am"
Sarah smiled and walked through. Jason was now a half-step behind her when Max’s voice caught him from the counter.
"Well, look at you. Such a gentleman."
"Don’t make this weird."
"I didn’t say anything."
Max’s grin widened and Jason shook his head before stepping out. "Lock the door when you close."
"You know I own the place, right?"
"I’m aware of that. Just checking."
He caught up to Sarah, and for a few seconds neither of them said anything, the street filled in around them with traffic and footsteps and the general noise of an ordinary afternoon.
Well. This is happening
Somehow he’d gone from Professor Warren’s class to paying off a debt and now walking home beside the exact girl he’d hugged and then completely failed to secure any means of ever contacting again.
That’s true, the number. I met her the second time and I still forgot about it. Impressive work Jason. Truly a masterclass
He then pulled out his phone and turned to Sarah
"Hey, since we stay close to each other it would be a nice idea to exchange numbers"
She turned towards him, her eyes widening like she was expecting him to do that for a while
"That sounds good!"
Jason then presents his phone to her, the phone app already open. She took it from his hand and quickly typed in her digits and then handed it back to Jason
"I’m done" she said
"Alright, I’ll text you so you can save mine too"
"Okay then" she said excitedly
Jason then saved her name plainly as Sarah and proceeded to text her a simple hi as he had suggested
He glanced sideways. Sarah looked entirely at ease, charger bag swinging gently against her leg, apparently not conducting any internal audits of her own.
Of course she isn’t. That must be nice
"So," he said, mostly to interrupt his own spiral, "how do you know Max?"
"Oh, my phone acted up a few months back, and my friends insisted I take it to someone who actually knew what they were doing instead of trusting the internet’s collective wisdom."
"That is a reasonable concern."
"Thank you. You definitely get me"
"Wasn’t talking about you."
She shot him a sharp look and then let it go. "Anyway, he fixed it cheap, so I kept coming back. He’s actually really nice."
"That’s one word for it."
"What would you call him?"
"I would classify him under patient."
She laughed. "That’s generous."
She laughed again, and the conversation drifted easily from Max to the shop to the specific injustice of a man accusing Jason of looking like financial trouble before he’d even opened his mouth. A theory Sarah found endlessly entertaining.
"I still can’t believe he saw you and the first thing he immediately said was no."
"Neither can I."
"He didn’t even let you speak first as a customer. Maybe you really do look like trouble"
"That’s an interesting theory but I’m certain I don’t" Jason said
They kept going like that, the conversation settling into something looser, quieter around the edges, neither of them scrambling to fill every gap.
Jason noticed, somewhere in the middle of it, that being around her didn’t take the effort he’d braced for, he didn’t have to think of a clever line to continue the conversation. It all come naturally to him now.
She talked. He listened and even replied sometimes, and somehow that alone was enough to make the whole thing work.
The familiar buildings came into view up ahead and Jason recognized the street immediately.
Already?
Sarah’s building sat close now, and something small and stupid in him deflated at the sight of it because this was a walk home, and walks home were, by design, supposed to end.
Still, the second the end of the road came into view, the conversation started feeling like it was operating on a countdown.
Yesterday they’d hit this exact spot and he’d said goodnight, hugged her and left. Today neither of them had planned to walk together at all, and yet here they were, arriving at the same door regardless.
And now what. Another goodnight?
Her pace slowed and she looked toward her building. "I guess this is me."
"Yeah." A beat. "I guess it is."
She nodded but didn’t move to leave, instead she shifted her bag, opened it, and looked inside like she was searching for something. A few seconds later her expression changed to concern one and she started digging into the bag with her hands now.
Jason watched, waiting. She moved something, then something else, her hand disappearing further in like she was excavating.
Her expression sharpened into full concentration, and then, finally, she stopped. Her hand stayed inside a second longer before she pulled it back out, empty, and let out a sigh with real disappointment behind it.
"Ah."
Jason’s eyebrows went up. That did not sound like the sound of good news.
Sarah looked at him. "I think I lost my key."
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