The Shopping Mall Stalker

It was a fine weather day and a young man was browsing through the shelves at a shopping mall, picking the things he needed into his shopping trolley. The trolley was almost full when he stood in front of the soap and detergent section, his eyes darted across the shelves as he sought his regular brand. Suddenly a lady popped up behind him, "good afternoon sir" said the girl. The gentleman turned to see a young woman of slight frame who looked like she was just fresh out of her teenage years. He saw immediately that she was a salesgirl. She was wearing skinny jeans and a branded T-shirt, complete with a face cap, sneakers and a sling bag dangling across her body.

"Good afternoon", the man said to her and turned his attention back to the shelves. He spotted what he had been seeking just then and as he reached across to pick up two 1kg bags of detergent, the girl spoke again. "Sir, why not buy our brand of detergent?" He dropped the bags he had picked already into his trolley and was about to start wheeling it away as he gave her a quizzical look. "I already found what I want and I don't need another". That was when lady started on and on and wouldn't let him leave the aisle. She told him her brand offered more quantity and quality at less cost. She went on to say that they were even doing a promo and if he bought 2 bags of detergent, he would get a free branded water bottle, plus a chance  to enter for a raffle draw that they would do at the end of the month for even more prizes.

Finally, this man gave in and bought two 1.5kg bags of her detergent. He got his water bottle as promised. When he filled his name and phone number in the raffle draw form and handed the form back to her, she read his name and then smiled and said, "I'll call you MBJ". He just nodded and left. Eager to finally get away from her. 

Later that night, his phone rang. The caller said her name was Jennifer and if he remembered her. No, he said. He didn't know any Jennifer. "But we met this afternoon at the mall!" That was when he remembered. So that was her name, Jennifer, the girl who wouldn't let him be. Jennifer just kept chatting away on the other end of the line. Saying things about how she just liked everything about him and all. He tried to be polite but finally said he had to go after about 5 minutes of her endless chatter. He felt relieved when he heard the click that signalled the end of the call, berating himself for dropping his phone number in the first place.

Little did he know that that call was to be the first of several calls from the person he soon came to refer to as the shopping mall stalker...


Cover image via Laundry.about.com