The store across town...

Dan sighed and shook his head. He hated shopping where he worked. "No one at the other store knows me," he said as he made his way toward the car.

"I can understand that," Laura answered with a smile. "I'll quickly type out a list of things we need. Oh, do you have a charger?" she asked as she looked at her phone.

"I've got the one in my car, but not a wall charger. I should have thought about that," Dan mused as he started up the car.

Twenty minutes later, they walked into the Big Bucks across town. He'd only been to the store once before, and even then it was to pick something up near the front of the store.

"I'll go get a few things," Laura said as they moved toward the rather expansive clothing section of the store.

"I'll grab some stuff off the clearance shelves. I hope they have the same stuff my store has. I know sometimes these guys get stuff we don't. Socks... underwear," he muttered to himself as he wandered off.

It took an hour for Dan and Laura to finish shopping. Laura knew all of her sizes but lamented the limited selection of bras that would fit her. She had to choose one that was a little uncomfortable, one that was a little large, and two she wouldn't talk much about. Dan saw a lot of frilly accents in black and red at the bottom of his mother's pile. She said it fit well so she couldn't pass up the opportunity.

Luckily, both mother and son had spent frugally. They still had just under a third of the gift card left once they left the store. A pretty cashier that had a name badge declaring she was 'Alicia', complimented Laura's choices of clothes and bras. She smiled at Dan and asked if he worked at the other Big Bucks.

"I do. I do a little of everything," he admitted.

"Oh, I thought so! I live by that one but ended up getting hired here. I shop over there all the time. You looked a little familiar. Normally work in housewares and chemicals, right?"

"Yeah, that's me."

"I'll say hey next time," Alicia grinned as she finished putting the last of their clothes in bags.

"She seems nice," Laura hinted with a ghost of a smile as they loaded the bags in the trunk.

"Maybe," Dan mused as he looked back at the front doors to the store as if he could see the pretty brunette through the brick and mortar of the walls.

"If you say so, dear," Laura laughed. "Now... where are we going?"

The question seemed to punch any humor out of the conversation. "I... don't know," Dan admitted.