A Short-Form Love Story: 2

To celebrate Valentine’s Day, and inspired by the book The List: A Love Story in 781 Chapters by Aneva Stout, we invited several members of the Workman staff to each write a short-form love story in just 5 to 7 numbered “chapters.” Our second love story of the day is written by an anonymous yet gainfully employed member of the editorial department who goes by Clean-Up in Aisle 6. Enjoy!

The Short List:
A Kmart Love Story by Clean-Up in Aisle 6

1. You’ll be just out of college and unemployed.
   1. You’ll live in your brother’s hallway.
   2. You’ll rent movies on VHS tape from the local library
   3. You’ll pay good rent for that hallway.
2. You’ll dutifully make a shopping list for all the necessary items you need to get hired.
   1. A fresh ream of paper for resumes
   2. A wastepaper basket for the bad cover letters
   3. File folders for getting really organized
3. You’ll decide that Kmart’s your best bet for one-stop shopping
   1. They’ll have everything so cheap
   2. It’ll be worth the $1.50 subway fare each way
   3. You can stock up on other necessary items while you’re there
4. You’ll pick out a wastepaper basket and fill it with necessary items
   1. Like paper
   2. Like file folders
   3. Like 6 months-worth of feminine products
      
      1. Why not save yourself another trip?
   4. Like a VHS copy of The Adventures of Milo and Otis
      1. Hey, the library doesn’t have it
      2. You totally love that movie
      3. You promise yourself you won’t watch it until you send out at least 5 resumes
5. You’ll hear your name called.
   1. When your wastepaper basket shopping cart is filled to
      capacity
   2. When you’re in the aisle deciding between “super” and “super
      plus”
   3. When you look up and realize it’s your brother’s friend, The Cute One, waving to you from the end of the aisle.
6. He’ll be shopping for school supplies. He’ll be asking you a question.
   1. “Oh, nothing much, just this wastebasket.”
      i. You’ll hoist up the wastebasket so he won’t be horrified by
      its contents
   2. “A copy of Milo and Otis—have you ever seen it? It’s so great. About best friends. Do you know it took them four years to film
      it? Just incredible.”
   3. “Yeah, that’s really about it.”
      
      1. You think: Did I really have to stock up with 6
         months-worth?
      2. Why am I living in a “Trauma-rama” submission to
         Seventeen magazine?
      3. No, seriously. Why.
   4. He won’t suspect a thing.
      i. Because you’ll carry it off magnificently
      ii. You’re so smooth
      iii. Adorable
      iv. Completely irresistible
7. Years later, you’ll have a career.
   1. You’ll live in an apartment
      
      1. with rooms
      2. with doors
      3. that you’ll share with The Cute One
   2. Turns out you weren’t so smooth
   3. He was totally on to you.
   4. But you were completely irresistible.

—

The format of this story was inspired by the book, The List: A Love Story in 781 Chapters.