Chauncy froze. For a second, he considered pretending he hadn’t heard it. Just keep walking. Just get out. But something about the voice made that impossible. Slowly, he turned. The man stood a few feet away. Older. Clean shirt. Arms folded across his chest. Watching him. Not a customer. Chauncy recognized him immediately. The store manager. And for a split second, Chauncy knew what he had seen.
The dropped candy bar. The way he picked it up. Too quick. Too nervous. “Yeah… you,” the man said, tilting his head slightly. “Come here.” It wasn’t loud. It didn’t need to be. A couple nearby had already started to glance over. Chauncy felt his chest tighten as he took a few slow steps forward. Each one heavier than the last. The manager’s eyes didn’t leave him.Not for a second. “What are you doing in here?” he asked.
Simple question. But it didn’t feel simple anymore.