Grocery shopping. One of Pam’s least favorite activities, unless of course it was with Jim. Today it wasn’t though. He had gone to visit his sister for the day. She had just got a new job, and she wanted to have her brother and her over for dinner. Pam couldn’t make it; she had art class during the day, and had some things to do around her apartment. She really wished she had gone though. She had never met Jim’s big sister, but she knew how close they were.

Instead, here she was, after quite an interesting class on the history of colour (she didn’t even know there was such a thing), unloading the groceries from her trunk, way beyond tired. She and Jim had stayed up late the night before, saying goodbye.

She filled her arms with bags, had her keys in her mouth, and walked to the door, thank goodness she lived on the ground floor. She unlocked the door, dropped the bags on the floor, and went back out to grab the rest and close the trunk.

There was a man standing near her car, with a small dog on a leash. Her stomach knotted up a bit, but she brushed it off as surprise, and continued to walk to her car.

“This you car?” The man asked.

“Yeah.”

“Shouldn’t leave it open like this.”

“Thanks, I’ll remember that.” She just wanted to grab her bags, go inside, and lock the door.

“You never know what might happen.”

“It’s a safe neighborhood, but thanks for the advice.” Freak, get away from my car and stop talking to me.

“Ahh, pretty girl like you shouldn’t let her guard down.”

What is up with this guy? Okay Pam, just get the bags and get back inside, and make sure to chain lock and deadbolt that door.

She took the groceries out of her trunk, closed it, and quickly walked back to her door. Once inside, she locked the door, and stood against it, breathing heavily. She noticed her curtains open, and went to close them, but stopped mid pull.

That guy was still standing there, his little dog tugging on the leash. He was just staring in at her, a small grin on his face. She closed the curtains in a swift pull, and tried to remain calm.

Okay, don’t panic. The door is locked, it’s 3pm on a Saturday, he wouldn’t try anything. You’re alright, stop overreacting.

She jumped when her cell phone rang. Hot by Avril Lavigne cut through the silence. Jim’s special ring tone. She sighed and answered.

“Dun- Hey Jim, what’s up?”

“You need to get out of that office more.”

“I hate you.”

“How’s it going?”

“Oh just fine, how’s Liz?”

“Great, we went out for sushi for lunch. Didn’t know the raw fish and seaweed could actually be edible.” Pam giggled. “Then we went for a walk around the park near her house, and now we are cooking dinner. Actually, she I cooking dinner, I have been banished to the living room.”

Pam laughed. “And why is that oh great master chef?”

“Do you want grilled cheese when I get home?”

“Okay, sorry. I’m glad you called actually. I just got back from grocery shopping.”

“Oh, that sucks. How come shopping for necessities is so boring to shop for?”

“Your guess is as good as mine.” She sighed again.

“What’s wrong?”

“Who says anything is wrong?”

“You never sigh like that unless something I bothering you. Spill it Bees.”

She couldn’t help but smile at how in tune he was to her. Her own mother couldn’t even distinguish her sighs.

“Okay, well, I was unloading the car, and when I went back out to get the remaining bags, this weird guy was standing at my car. He started saying that it wasn’t safe to leave my car open like that, and that a pretty girl like me shouldn’t let her guard down. I rushed inside, and he was still staring at me through the window with this creepy smile on his face.”

Pam could almost see Jim seething. She knew what he was thinking too. Stay the hell away form my girlfriend. Just that knowledge made her feel a bit better.

“Did you lock the door?”

“Deadbolt, doorknob, and chain.”

“Close the curtains?”

“Yes.”

“Is he still standing there?”

Pam didn’t want to look again. If he was standing there, she didn’t want him to know he was bothering her like this. She pulled the corner of the curtain back just enough to see out, but the guy was gone. She looked up and down the street, but there was no sign that he had ever been there at all.

“He’s gone.”

She couldn’t tell if Jim was relieved about this fact or not.

“You’re sure everything is locked? There’s no way he could some in?”

Not.

“All the windows are locked, and there is only one door. I’m sure Jim.” She said in very confident voice, although she didn’t feel it.

“Okay, well, he was probably just a little over friendly, walking his dog or something, and you took it in the wrong way.”

Walking his dog, of course, unknown people waked their dogs down her street all the time. It was a direct street to the park.

“Your right, I probably just overreacted. He did have a dog with him.”

“There you go. Do you want me to come home anyways?”

“No, no, stay and enjoy your time with Liz. She doesn’t get to see you nearly as much as I do. I’ll be fine, I promise.”

“You’re sure?”

“Jim…”

“Okay, okay. We should be done here around nine, but if I know my sister, she’ll want me to stay the whole night. I’ll call, around then okay?”

“Okay. But if Mark shows up here ‘for no reason’, you’re not sleeping over for quite a while.”

“Ouch. I get it, you’re fine. See you soon. Love you.”

“Love you too.”

She hung up, smiling from ear to ear. Talking with Jim could usually do that to her.

She was not even going to think about the man with the dog. Just a silly little overreaction. Maybe tonight she would watch a sappy movie that she would never make Jim watch. Pretty in Pink, or Chocolat? Something that Jim would watch with her if she asked, but it would be torture for him, so it was better to watch on her own. Then, maybe a bubble bath, some candles, a good book, a mix CD of totally girly songs that she could sing along to. Yeah, tonight, she was totally going to pamper herself.