I hated going to the supermarket. Not because of the shopping, not really. It was the people. And today, it wasn’t even crowded. Just a few faces, the hum of the freezers, the squeak of a cart. Safe, ordinary. Until it wasn’t.
I was reaching for a box of cereal when I felt a presence. Not the usual background awareness. This was closer. Closer than it should be.
I turned.
A man, tall, broad-shouldered, his hair dark and eyes sharp, had bumped into me. Not clumsily. Not an accident. He leaned just slightly, enough that our shoulders brushed. Enough that I could feel the confidence radiating off him.
“You okay?” His voice was low, smooth, his eyes scanning my entire body.
“Yeah,” I said coldly. “Watch it.”
He smiled faintly, a tilt of the corner of his mouth, “Didn’t mean to push you.
