This Is Us

Chapter 20

Have you ever thought of doing a mundane activity with a celebrity? I hadn't and yet here I am walking through Walmart to buy socks to go bowling with Chris Evans.

"Why didn't you mention this while at the house?" I inquire, watching his face turn sheepish as we walk down a main aisle to get to the women's department. "I could've just grabbed a pair there."

His tongue juts out to wet his lips for a moment as he glances down at the ground before he's pursing his lips together to control what I think is about to be a laugh. "You uh, well, you left me a little flustered."

So, not laughing then.

However, I certainly give a guffaw to his words. "I," I point to myself, making my feet continue to move when all I want to do is stand still in shock, "left you," I now point to him, "flustered?"

He looks back at me in utter disbelief, "Uh, yeah."

I can't take his antics anymore, my feet stopping immediately as he continues to walk ahead. "What are you talking about?"

My voice is what makes him realize I'm not close to him any longer. With a glance over his shoulder he's chuckling before somewhat jogging back to me as I continue to hold my ground in the middle of the store. "What?"

"You tell me," I insist.

His brow lifts, reminding me of seeing a similar look of confusion from him on my television screed. "I don't follow."

My eyes blink up at him, considering he's a good half a foot taller than me, at least. "Have you lost your mind?" I ask freely, my brain not really connecting to my mouth any longer. "I don't make anyone flustered, ever. Not even my ex husband would become flustered with me and we were high school sweethearts."

"Then your ex was an idiot," he says not missing a beat.

Now it might be my chance at being flustered. This man cannot possibly look at me in a way that leaves him speechless or confused at what he should be doing.

He leans an arm up on the metal rack. "But, I don't think this is a conversation we should really be having in the middle of the women's lingerie section of a Walmart."

Chris' words make me finally take notice of where I'd stopped just moments earlier. My eyes roam the area round me, my hand covering my mouth as giggles begin to bubble up.

Right under where his hand hangs off is a teal night gown with the words "I LICK the salt I SWALLOW the tequila & I SUCK the lime."

His eyes follow mine down to the shirt. As quick as his mind registers the words he sees my eyes widen dramatically before he's slapping his own chest and howling in laughter.

With all the effort I can muster I slap his shoulder and start walking away. "Socks! We're here for socks!"

I still hear his laughter as I finally locate the socks, his voice carrying across the aisle. "Oh, come on! This one is hilarious! It says 'Blow Me for Luck' with a couple dice!"

My head jerks around the edge of the aisle, coming face to face with him as he holds up a neon pink nightgown, his eyes clenched shut as he continues to laugh. He's trying to see if he can break me, I know it. So, I decide to throw him for a loop myself.

"Personally, that little plaid number behind you is more my style."

I watch as the laughter stops and his head spins, glancing over his left shoulder to where I was angling my head towards. A half second later his head is lolling back and I hear a loud exhale of air along with a drawn out 'damn,' as I walk away towards the cash registers.