Everyone Needs A Little Joy Sometimes

"I can't believe they are making me get this stuff for her! They know I don't even like her! God it is hot out here today! Ugh! This just pisses me off!" Joy thought as she walked into the store. Grabbing a cart at the entrance she scooted back to the bakery.

"I am looking for a pie,"she scowled at the bakery attendant while half smiling so she would not come off as a complete bitch.

"What kind of pie would you like?" the attendant responded in the most polite and helpful voice she could fake.

"I don't know," Joy said while thinking,"and I don't fucking care either. Maybe something the bitch can choke on when she digs into it." Faking a smile again she asked, "Well what kind is good. It is for a friend's birthday at the office."

"Well, right now we have the fresh peach pies; they are delicious. We also have our Margarita pies in lime or strawberry. My favorite is the strawberry!"

"I'll take that one," she said hurriedly, "Where are your cards located?" she asked while fumbling through her purse to avoid more contact with the girl than necessary.

"Just head to the front of the store and they are past the flowers. You can't miss them!" the attendant directed with a smile.

Joy threw the pie into her cart and stormed off to find the most generic lifeless card she could. As she arrived at the cards she saw a simple small card of a cupcake cut-out and grabbed it. She did not even care to read what was inside. She threw it on top of the pie and stood anxiously in line.

"Excuse me!" she scowled still waiting in the check out line.

"Yes?" the cashier replied, stopping his conversation with the customer in front.

"Am I going to get a ticket where I parked?" Joy asked oblivious that she was interrupting someone else's conversation with the cashier.

"Well," he responded, "if you parked in one of our parking lots, then no. Where exactly are you parked at?"

"I am across the street in the empty lot. You guys own that right?"

"Nope, that is not ours. You could be towed...how long have you been in the store? If it hasn't been long I would not worry about it." Turning his head to the customer he was helping he smiled, gave a wink from his right eye and said, "Thanks. You have a great one! We'll see you later."

Butting in again to his salutation Joy responded, "I haven't been here too long. I better not get towed!"

The cashier looked at the pie as a way to talk about something not so awkward, "Boy that looks really good."

"Yeah," Joy responded while looking at her Blackberry. "Can you just throw it all in one bag?" she ask impatiently.

"I don't want to ruin the pie since it will not sit flat in the bag, but I will put all the other things in a bag for you," the cashier replied.

"Oh, you can put the pie in the bag, just put it in on its side. I don't care. I just don't want to carry it. It will fit sideways..." She trailed off as she started looking back at her Blackberry.

The cashier gently angled the pie box into the bag being careful not to let the pie slide out or to have the whipped cream top get smooshed in anyway. "Success," he thought to himself as he had it placed in and stabilized. "Your total is $32.87," he said with a grin.

"They better fucking reimburse me for this!" she thought to herself while swiping her credit card.

"There you go. Here is your receipt" the cashier uttered.

"Thanks," she said with a grimaced look. He handed her the bag. She threw her purse into it, with no care for the pie, and stormed out into the heat again.

"Wow, I'd hate to be the person who's birthday that was for," said the chubby blond lady who was behind Joy in the line.

"Right!?" said the cashier, laughing in utter shock as to how Joy totally smooshed the pie with her purse.

They laughed together.

"So how is your day going?" the cashier began.