"Welcome to Aeropostale!"

About a month before Ben and I started to officially and exclusively date each other, we met up at the Gateway to spend the day together. We spent the first part of the date playing silly games and eating lunch at Tucanos. Then we started going store to store, talking and laughing and having fun doing absolutely nothing. 

We were in Hollister, sitting in the big, poufy arm chairs in the front of thei store when Ben had the brilliant idea to start welcoming people as they entered. I agreed, though I was more self-conscious about it than he was. 

Then Ben had even more of a brilliant idea. 

"Charly, let's walk down and find another store to do this at!" He was very excited. 

"Okay," I agreed, more because of the funny looks we were getting at Hollister than out of actual desire to do it. 

As we walked along the stores, looking for the perfect one, Ben got me more excited about the idea. We decided on Aeropostale, but we wanted to be more legit than before. We walked into the store, right up to the cashier. 

"We were wondering if we could talk to your manager?" Benjamin asked, in his most polite voice. The cashier disappeared for a moment, then reappeared with a professional looking lady close behind her. 

I tried to keep a straight face as Ben explained to the manager what it was we wanted to do. "We are here today doing service, for the Christmas season, as we were wondering if we could stand in front of your store as volunteer door greeters?" I wondered if he had thought this speech out beforehand or if he was just making it up on the spot. I couldn't tell. 

The manager got almost as excited about it as Benjamin, after her initial surprise. She was happy to let us do it. 

We stood there for probably half hour. Every customer who came in recieved a "Welcome to Aeropostale!" from either Ben or I, and everyone who went out left with "Happy holidays!" or "Thanks for coming in!" trailing behind them. 

We were so legit, too. There were customers passing by who asked us about sales going on or if the store carried certain items. It was a fun activity to do together; we still look back at it with laughter. 

I can always count on Benjamin to come up with an activity that I am both embarrassed by and love at the same time. That's what husbands are for, I suppose.