I was at the shop, sitting behind the counter and glancing at the door every few minutes. Still no sign of my boss. The silence in the store was starting to feel heavy when the bell finally chimed. A woman walked in, and I straightened up, assuming she was just another customer. I greeted her with the usual customer-service voice and told her to feel free to pick out whatever she wanted to buy.
She didn't head for the aisles, though. She just wandered for a bit, her eyes scanning the shelves and flowers but not really seeing them. After some time, she came to the counter with empty hands. I looked at her, waiting, and asked what she was looking for.
"Don't you remember who I am?" she asked, her eyes searching my face.
I paused and stared at her, squinting as I tried to pull a name from my memory. She definitely looked familiar. There was something about the way she stood and the sharpness in her gaze that I'd seen before, but I couldn't quite place the moment.
