So far, I've had three encounters with the startling clerk working at the local gas station. During the first, I felt like I hurt her feelings by cutting the conversation short, as so many customers must do throughout the course of her day, and left feeling guilty. After the second, I left feeling awkward, for she tried to cut the conversation short, I missed her cue, and prolonged it ineffectually. But today, we had a short warm and friendly chat which ended perfectly, neither to short nor to long, which felt great, not that I think about these kinds of things (I think that's my cue to never enter her store again).