Change Of Plans

I’m closing my shift, hunched over the till, carefully counting coins into neat little stacks.

Customer: “Excuse me?!”

Me: *Not looking up.* “Just ten more seconds, please. Let me finish counting.”

I focus back in.

Me: “…Forty-seven, forty-eight, forty-nine—”

Customer: “EXCUSE me?!”

I sigh, slide the stack back together, and restart.

Me: “One… two… three…”

Customer: “HELLO? Can’t you hear me?” 

Without a word, I shuffle the coins again.

Me: “One. Two. Three. Four. Five—”

Customer: “Seriously, this is ridiculous!”

I reset again, deliberately louder this time.

Me: “ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR—” 

The woman swears under her breath and stomps toward the exit. I finish the count in thirty seconds.