Every time Jason and I went grocery shopping, a predictable pattern emerged. As soon as we reached the checkout counter, his phone would ring with a “very important” work call. “Oh, babe, I gotta take this!” he’d say, and just like that, he’d disappear, leaving me to handle the entire bill. But this time, I had a plan—one that would make him wish he had just stayed in line and paid his share.
Jason is thoughtful, hardworking, and never forgets our anniversary, but this particular habit of his had been driving me up the wall. Without fail, every time we shopped, his phone would conveniently ring right as we approached checkout. At first, I gave him the benefit of the doubt—work can be unpredictable, after all. But after the tenth consecutive call at the exact same moment, I started seeing the pattern.
“Who was that?” I asked after yet another exit, when he reappeared just in time to help load groceries into the car.
“Oh, just work stuff,” he’d say casually. “Thanks for covering checkout. I’ll get it next time.”
Spoiler alert: He never got it next time.
The last straw came on a Saturday when we were stocking up on household essentials. I could already anticipate what was coming as we neared the checkout. Three… two… one…
RING. RING.
Jason’s hand shot to his pocket like clockwork. “Oh, babe, I gotta take this. It’s work,” he said, already heading toward the entrance.
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