The conveyor belt hummed, carrying a lavish assortment of high-end groceries toward his register. Arthur Pendelton adjusted his green employee vest and smiled politely, his wrinkled hands moving with practiced care. He was seventy-one, but had been at Market & Co for enough years to do a thorough job.
“Please hurry up,” a sharp voice snapped from across the counter. Victoria Kline stood there, tapping her designer purse against the belt. She was a regular in his lane, a prominent executive at Vanguard Assets down the street, and she always carried herself with an absolute, piercing disdain for anyone in a uniform. Arthur maintained his quiet composure, keeping his eyes on his terminal. “I apologize, ma’am. I’m moving as quickly as I can.” “Well, your quick isn’t good enough. I have a meeting to attend soon,” Victoria sneered, her voice rising so the entire checkout line could hear.
Before Arthur could finish scanning her items, a loud, wet crunch echoed from the belt. Arthur looked down in surprise. A carton of premium eggs had collided with a heavy jug of milk, crushing them instantly and oozing yellow yolk across his glass scanner. Some of it had even sprayed on her suit. To everyone watching, it looked as though Arthur had simply let the items pile up blindly. “Look at that! You ruined my expensive suit, and I’ve a meeting to attend,” Victoria shrieked, her voice dripping with calculated outrage.