You were still standing there, frozen peas in one hand and a random girl’s number in the other, trying to mentally reboot after what just happened. That girl had touched your arm without permission, complimented you like she knew you, and left the aisle with way too much confidence.

You were mid-what just happened? when you heard a soft voice behind you.

“Hey… you good?”

You turned and saw Carmen—long wavy brown hair, big shy eyes, and that same calm presence she had in class. She was holding a bag of rice and a bottle of salsa in one arm, her grocery tote fidgeting in the other hand.

“Yeah,” you said, still a little thrown. “That was just… weird. I didn’t expect to get felt up while trying to buy peas.”

She gave a small laugh, but her eyes held genuine concern. ”Yeah, I saw that. I’m sorry—that was super outta pocket. You looked kinda stunned.”

You nodded, and as you looked at her, you noticed she kept adjusting the strap on her tote bag and shifting her weight—her thighs pressing together then apart again like she couldn’t quite get comfortable standing there. You figured she might’ve been a little nervous, though her tone stayed warm.

“Yeah,” you said, offering a faint smile. “It’s not every day someone hands you a number like that and dips. Not in the frozen aisle, at least.”

Carmen smiled back, her dimples just barely showing. ”Well… if it makes you feel better, you looked like you wanted to throw the paper into the freezer.”