He was the type of man who said "Thank you" in his head but the words were never able to escape his lips. Brown eyes stared directly ahead without any signs of hesitation, but the hands were more nervous. They were unsure of whether they should stay at the sides or behind his back, forever in a limbo that was the awkward swaying motion. He approached the cashier, a young brunette who smiled politely. She did not know how to smile impolitely. 

"How may I help you today, sir?" she asked, the smile never leaving her face. 

He let out a grumble or maybe he was simply mumbling. It didn't make a difference as it was incomprehensible to cashier. 

"Can you repeat that, sir? I'm sorry, I didn't quite get that," the cashier said. Her eyebrows had furrowed slightly, indicating her confusion, but the smile had somehow remained. It must have taken years for her to perfect. Or perhaps it was because she had not been working for a long time and has not lost her sincerity yet. 

"A pack of Marlboro," the man said in a still gruff, but clearer voice. He reached down his front pockets to pull out his wallet. 

The cashier, having understood him this time, turned around to get the pack of cigarettes that was on the shelf behind her. "What kind?" she asked. It was uncertain whether or not she was still smiling or not. 

"Reds," he replied, as if there wasn't any other possible answers. 

The cashier plucked the Marlboro Red from the shelf and turned around, revealing a cheerful, smiling face. She then placed it on the counter so the man could reach for it. 

"That would be $9.75," she said, after punching a series of number into the cash register. 

He pulled out his plain brown wallet and handed the cashier a twenty. 

"Out of twenty," she said because she was taught to. She then punched that into the register and it sputtered out a number. "Your change is $10.25."

She quickly withdrew money from the register: two fives and a quarter.

As the man reached for his change, their hands had awkwardly touched. The cashier remained unfazed and smiling, but the man's hands pulled back instinctively. The quarter fell onto the counter, creating a soft clink sound. 

Realizing what had just happened, he swiped the coin and turned around without saying another word. He walked out of the liquor store, never looking back once. 

"Have a nice day!" the cashier said from behind. 

"Thank you," he said, only in his head.