Snack Run

The bell by the door jingled, and Marcus looked up from his novel to see a striking young woman walk into his store. She was surprisingly light on her feet for someone so enormous, and as she made a beeline for his shelf of candy, he set his novel down and smiled at her. "Hello, Candace."

She smiled back. "Hi, Mr Hargraves. Quiet night?"

"Indeed." Marcus gestured at the shelf on his right. "I'm afraid we don't have any new flavours today."

"Oh, that's fine." Without hesitation, Candace grabbed a basket and started filling it with snacks and sweets. She had an astonishingly beautiful face for someone so jaw-droppingly obese, but Marcus didn't like to think on that fact; it made him feel like a dirty old man. Then again, it wasn't like he had anyone else to look at, especially at this time of night. Sighing under his breath, he returned to his book. This was when a question occurred to him.

"Er, Candace?"

"Yes, Mr Hargraves?"

"Pardon my nosiness, but did you use to come here as a child?"

Candace frowned. "I think so. Why?"

"I can't believe I never thought to ask," Marcus said. "No - it's just that... I think I remember you. It's hard to forget a redhead. You went by Candy back then, didn't you? You used to buy candy every other week."

Candace reddened. "Yeah. Yeah, I did. Uh, I don't go by Candy anymore, though."

"Of course, of course." Marcus returned to his novel, satisfied. He remembered, now. Candy had been a chubby child, and she'd grown into a tubby teen before disappearing for what must have been a year or so. After that extended sabbatical, Candace had begun to patronize his shop again. What had happened in the interim? It didn't matter; Marcus wasn't a particularly curious person. She must have had some work done, though; Candy hadn't been a particularly attractive girl. Or perhaps it was puberty. Yes, puberty made sense.

"Mr Hargraves?"

"Oh, right." Marcus tallied up the prices and quoted a number; Candace handed him a wad of bills. After he rang up the purchase, he bagged the items and handed the receipt over to her. "Here you go. Same time next week?"

"Same time next week. Bye, Mr Hargraves!"

Marcus watched her disappear into the night, then returned to his book.