Plan to Fail by Perry Kirkpatrick

Author:Perry Kirkpatrick [Kirkpatrick, Perry]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Perry Elisabeth Kirkpatrick
Published: 2019-05-12T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

BETH LEFT BRIGHT AND early, as dawn was breaking over the city. Emily saw her off, and then sat down with her phone. Flipping it open, she called the bank’s automated line and fought with the system until it let her enter her account number and hear her balance.

“Fifty-two dollars until Friday,” she whispered after disconnecting the call. “Today’s Tuesday, so that’s nine meals. Plus my phone bill will be withdrawn tomorrow.” She stared at the cheap black device in her hands. Keeping it on would reduce her grocery budget even further.

“We can do this, right?” she glanced upward. “Okay. I’m going to change and then make a shopping list.”

She hurriedly changed out of her pajamas and into a lightweight dress, eyeing the bright sunshine already trying its best to get in through the blinds and make her air conditioner work overtime. Running a brush through her hair, she brainstormed meals that involved similar, inexpensive ingredients.

“This has to work,” she said to her reflection in the bathroom mirror. “It really does have to.”

Jotting down a short list of essentials, she stuffed it into her purse and left the apartment. Starting up the smart car, she noted with relief that the gas tank was still almost completely full. Suddenly feeling very grateful for the fuel-economy of the ridiculous little vehicle, she pulled out of her parking space and braced herself for morning traffic.

She had to circle the grocery store’s cramped parking lot a few times until she found an empty space.

Just more proof Phoenix had no idea it would become the fifth-largest city in the country.

She maneuvered her cart around the aging grocery store, checking items off her list and jotting down the price of each thing she put in her cart.

Rice

Dry beans

Corn tortillas

Rolled oats

Peanut butter

Onions

Lettuce

Broccoli

Apples

Butter

Milk

She eyed the chicken, wishing she could get just a little. Several of the meals involving rice and beans would benefit from it. She moved her cart back against an endcap, away from the flow of other shoppers and began to mentally add up the prices of things she’d already gathered. She got lost halfway through and self-consciously removed her flip phone from her purse. She brought up the calculator and paused.

Why do I feel self-conscious all of a sudden?

She raised her head and glanced around. Nobody in particular seemed to be looking her way.

Shrugging, she punched the prices into her phone’s calculator.

The total stared back at her and she bit her lip.

Probably shouldn’t get the chicken. If, by some miracle, I can get that check replaced sooner than later, I’ll come back for it.

Someone was browsing the endcap near her, so without looking up, she scooted herself and her cart over a bit.

“Don’t look at me,” he said in a stage-whisper.

This was so unexpected that she—of course—looked right at the speaker. It was a tall guy in a hoodie. He tilted his head just a bit so he could look at her out of the corner of his eye.

Brent?

He rolled his eyes and then went back to his supposed shopping of the applesauce cups on the endcap.

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