A Quick Copy

I felt like I was in a time warp. Antique equipment, bulky typewriter, bulletin boards found in elementary schools, posters dated in 2004, and selling nothing of interest but stationary and envelopes. There wasn’t even a legit price chart within view. I had called ahead to see how much color printing would cost. Fiddy-​cent. Who knew I had to pay $ 2.75 to use the computer, the same HP Pavilion I had during college, that wasted 30 minutes of my time on dial up connection to retrieve my document. I was appalled. In disbelief I told the cashier my suggestions to which she responded «mm-​hmm…» as she wrote a receipt for me with a ballpoint pen in perfect cursive on what looked like a waitress tablet.
«You should’ve printed out 5 pages and then you wouldn’t have to pay for using the computer,» she explained.
She wanted me to waste paper so I could feel like she wasn’t overcharging me? Was this supposed to be a steal?
I asked, «Do you accept credit card?» as I stood there with a dollar in change in my hand.
«Guurrrl!» (without answering my question and looking at me like I was from another planet)
She took the $ 1 for two black and white copies and somehow I still felt gypped.