Chapter 34: Lottery (1)
Wearing an N95 mask, dark sunglasses, and a Seagulls ballcap, Jack walked up to the counter and handed the scan card with his chosen lottery numbers to the cashier. Unlike at the last convenience store, this cashier was an attractive younger woman, probably in her early twenties. As she fed the scan card to the lottery machine, she half turned to him and said, "You're smart."
He opened his mouth to say, "what?", but caught himself at the last moment. This was not going like it had in the simulation. Why was she talking to him now when she didn't during the simulation? Damn it! I hope this doesn't turn awkward.
When he didn't respond to her, she turned fully to face him and said, "Real smart. So many people come in, bragging about what they're gonna do if they win, not caring at all if they'll later get identified. But, you," she winked at him and gave him a warm smile, "you're smart. Decent quality disguise, not talking, so I can't identify your voice. That's the way to do it."
He flinched when she said "disguise".
The lottery machine finished printing his ticket and the young woman grabbed the little slip of paper and handed it to him, while saying, "Oh, don't worry. It's a good disguise, probably can't even tell it's a disguise just from the security footage."
He just nodded, slowly backing away from the counter.
Somehow sensing his unease, the cashier gave him a bright cheery smile, waved at him, and said in a chipper tone, "Have a nice day!"
He nodded, then turned and walked out of the convenience store, trying not to rush.
Once he was back in his trust, but not too rusty, Nissan Sentra, and back on the road home, he relaxed a bit and pondered what had happened. Why had the cashier talked to him this time, when she hadn't during the simulation? He'd arrived at the store at the exact same time, for real, as he had in the simulation. And yet, she'd talked to him. Why? What was different?
In his soul space he told Madison, "It's done. I'm on my way home."
"So...how did it go?" she asked.