[ WP ] `` I 'm sorry , but the thing you were looking for is sold out . ''

I could n't describe the look on her face as she stared at me, but it reminded me of butter melting. I paused for a second, thinking if there was anything else I could do that I had forgotten about, but my brain was blanking from the pressure of being plunged into the deep end without someone to shadow my second day of work. 
 
 
 `` No,'' she whispered, pleading with me. 
 
 
 `` I'm sorry,'' I said, shrugging my shoulders and then hating myself for doing so - it seemed so callous - `` I can call them to make sure, if you want, but none of the other branches have it either.'' 
 
 
 She sucked her entire bottom lip into her mouth, breathing heavily through her nose. I mirrored her, biting my lower lip as well. The massive curls threatening to topple over into her line of sight finally did so as she bent her chin to her neck, raised a hand to shield her eyes, and began to sob quietly. 
 
 
 A man - hopefully a father - browsing the My Little Pony bouncy balls across the aisle was staring at the back of her patched coat, shaking slightly. `` I can check the back again if you want...'' I muttered, embarrassed. 
 
 
 This seemed to calm her in a strange way; her sobs subsided. She wiped away the tears and snot, simultaneously pushing back her hair again, and straightened. `` No, it's fine. Thank you... very much.'' She shuffled off, the gentleman across the way following her with her eyes before turning back to me. I shrugged again and turned back to the shelves, fervently focussing on aligning the Nerf guns to appear busy and capable and efficient. 
 
 
 My work was interrupted by a shoulder bump. 
 
 
 `` How's it going?'' Robbie smirked, pushing a cart of toys that would have made any five year old stare with envy. 
 
 
 `` Good. I guess.'' 
 
 
 Robbie looked back at me after tossing a few boxes of GI Joes on the shelves. `` Why, what happened? You have n't burned anything down yet, as far as I can see.'' He laughed at his own wit. I envied someone who had that kind of self-assurance. Robbie was not the kind of person who shrugged. 
 
 
 `` Some woman was looking for a... ummm... the Maddie Makeup Kit. But we're out.'' 
 
 
 Robbie nodded sympathetically. `` Yeah, that'll - oh, shit.'' He paused. `` I'm so sorry, man, this stuff was just found hiding in returns.'' 
 
 
 I knew what was in his hand before I looked up at him. But I looked anyway.
