Dear Barb,
Last week I was shopping at Hy-Vee on Wellness Wednesday, as I do every week, when my cashier, let's call them Jaime, seemed unusually friendly. At one point I became convinced we were flirting.
On the drive home, I replayed the entire exchange several times and became fairly certain I had mistaken ordinary friendliness for flirting. I'm now embarrassed enough that I'm considering changing grocery stores just to avoid the possibility of running into Jaime.
The problem is that I've been shopping there for years and have grown extremely accustomed to that weekly 10% HealthMarket discount. Can I go back?
Between Grocery Stores
Dear Between Grocery Stores,
Can you go back? Absolutely not.
That store is no longer available to you. You had a good run, and I'm sorry it ended this way. The embarrassment will fade. Losing 10% off HealthMarket every Wednesday is the part that may take time.
As you search for a new grocery store, you will also need to rule out Trader Joe's. If one pleasant interaction at Hy-Vee has created this much confusion, the interpersonal conditions there are simply too dangerous.
Verdict: Shop elsewhere. Grieve privately.