"I wonder if I could bother you," Nathan began.
"Going to buy something?"
"Well no."
"Then go bother someone else. This register is open for paying customers."
"No, you don't understand."
"Oh I understand. It's you who doesn't. If you aren't a paying customer you don't need to be here. Next!" the man called with a smug smile on his face.
Nathan looked around. Next? What next? It looked like he and Paige were the only people in the store.
"Okay fine."
Nathan grabbed a pack of gum from the rack and dropped it on the counter. The guy picked it up and scanned it.
"Will that be all? We have a special on batteries, but only size C. Stupid Luis ordered an extra case. Three packages for only ten dollars. But that's only on size C mind you."
"No I don't want any batteries. I don't even want the gum."
"Then why did you have me ring it up? Have nothing better to do then waste my time? If you don't want the gum then please don't pull it off the shelf. Stuff isn't going to restock itself you know." The man picked up the gum and returned it to the rack. "Next!"
"What the hell?"
"Hey, take that potty mouth somewhere else. Next!"
"There is no next," Nathan said as he looked around the store.
"I know. I'm not senile you know," the man said with a hint of a smile. He couldn't hold it any longer and a dry cackle escaped him.
Nathan had to laugh as well. The guy was just screwing with him for fun. He reached into his wallet and pulled out a bill.
"Look, here is twenty bucks. Could you just call a taxi for me. Tell them there is something extra in it if they can get here fast."
The man nodded and took the bill from Nathan. He held it up to the light as if inspecting it and finally decided it was real.
"Sure, I can do that for you."
"Thank you," Nathan said as he turned to rejoin Paige.
"So you don't want any batteries then?" The man let loose another laugh as he picked up the phone.
Nathan returned to Paige and for a moment they stood in silence. She held her questions as Nathan kept his eyes locked on the man at the counter. After a minute the man put the phone down.
"Be here in five or six minutes," he called out to them. Nathan nodded then took Paige by the hand and headed outside. He heard the man call out 'next' as the door closed behind them and he couldn't suppress a smile.
"What was all that?"
"Old guy was just messing with me."
Paige squeezed Nathan's hand.
"Not that, before."
Nathan nodded. He'd known what she'd meant.
"Let's cross the street, you'll be able to see better."
Able to see what better?
She didn't voice the question, but Nathan was certain she was thinking it. They rushed across the street, going against the light.
"So?" she asked when they reached the other side.
Nathan wasn't exactly sure how he should tell her. Was there even an easy way? If there was, he certainly couldn't see it.
"Nathan? I am starting to feel quite foolish about all this. Please, why did I just ditch my best friend?"
"I don't know who Linda works for, but she was lying before. Of that I am certain."
"What? How?"
"What was the name of the firm she said she worked for?"
Paige was silent for a moment as she tried to recall the name. "Johnson, Barnes and Block?"
Nathan nodded.
"So? You don't think the firm exists? I mean there are likely dozens, if not hundreds of firms. You said yourself that you'd never been here. How can you know it doesn't exist?"
Nathan shook his head. "No, there may actually be a firm with that name, not that Linda would know."
"What?"
"Look," he said, gesturing across and down the street.
Paige tried to follow where he was pointing. She looked down the street at the various storefronts across from the restaurant they had fled from.
"I don't get it. What am I supposed to see?"
"Look at the stores," he said, not elaborating. Would she see it too?
"What? H&R Block. Barnes&Noble. Johnson's Bakery."
Nathan watched her. She pursed her lips together, her nose scrunched up in an adorable way it always did when she was thinking.
"That has to be a coincidence," she said, though her voice trembled slightly and he knew she was trying to convince herself.
"Johnson, Barnes and Block, blood sucking lawyers my ass."
Paige was quiet for a minute. She kept looking down at the storefronts.
"That can't be all. We didn't just ditch my old friend over a strange coincidence."
Before Nathan could answer, a horn honked. Both looked over and saw a taxi parked in front of the pharmacy.