U7: Unitarian or "Danny Makes a Friend"

From T7:
"Marina," he started, catching the time above him, still avoiding the look on her face. Two minutes to go. He still wanted a Cinnabon and a Coke, and he wasn't going to let her see him scarf it down. "I do love you, but my break's over. I have to go."


*****


Back from his break, Danny was behind the register for the afternoon, the taste of cinnamon and sugar dancing on his lips. He loved it there, the stillness masked as focus, the neat rows of twee gift books and book lights that he could arrange, and rearrange, without leaving his small stool. He could doodle on the Houghton Mifflin note pad. His mornings shelving and re-shelving exhausted him more and more.

Danny's heart was still racing from the meeting with Marina. He'd barely managed to push her into Crate & Barrel before dashing for the cinnamon roll and soda that were his only, best reward. He was still finding sticky spots on the sides of his fingers, but knew he couldn't ask for a break, again, so soon, to wash his hands, so he surreptitiously wiped his hands on his jeans.

As he looked up from his grooming, a short, gray-haired woman with large glasses and a larger nose stepped up to the counter, peering closely into his eyes.

"Do you have any Unitarian books?" She asked. "I've been all over the Religion section and a I can't find a thing. My daughter's 'converting' or something, she says, and I need to figure this out." Her hands toured the knick-knacks constantly as she spoke. She was wearing a track-suit and the "3 Circuits" button pinned to her chest.

Danny began punching "unitarian" into the key word search on his computer. He was tempted to send her to the information kiosk, but with the economy, they were short-staffed, and he was better off keeping customers happy from his perch. If he looked too idle, Solange might make him wander the store like a predator on the hunt. "Unitarian..." he said aloud as he typed, so she would know he was working on her issue even though he wasn't meeting her eyes. She was one of those mall walkers he saw every morning. "3 Circuits," he was pretty sure, meant she was in really good shape.