Pulling
away from her desk, she stretched and got to her feet. If she didn’t make
herself take these short hourly breaks, there was no telling how long she’d
stare at her computer screen until she realized it had gotten dark outside and
it was time to go to bed. Or her stomach reminded her that it had been a while
since she’d eaten anything.
Her central
air conditioner kicked on. Even with it set as high as she could tolerate to
save on her electric bill, she still needed the ceiling fan to keep her cool. It
was a hotter than usual July, and she had a low tolerance for heat. Yet she
could change neither the weather nor where she had to live to be close to her
job. Fortunately, it paid well. Thank goodness the ocean was less than twenty
miles away.
“I need a
drink,” she told herself. It was as good an excuse as any. A bottle of icy cold
water would taste pretty good right about now.
Striding
from her office, she casually glanced out the front window on her way to the
kitchen. The postal truck was coming around the corner as it stopped at every mailbox
located in front of each home.
Initially,
her mail used to come around elevenish in the mornings, up until two weeks ago.
Then it didn’t arrive until after three, sometimes as late as four p.m. She’d
called the post office to find out why, and they’d explained that some of the
routes had been changed. With the addition of several new subdivisions being
built on her side of town, they also had to hire more postal deliverers.
“As in
mailmen,” she told herself, peering at the approaching truck to see if the
person driving it was whom she hoped it would be.
The first
time she’d seen Thad, it had almost been a shock to her system. She was so used
to having Mr. Sessons come by to drop off her bills and all, having a younger
and, better yet, good-looking mailman take over the route had been a delightful
surprise.
In the
beginning, when she’d noticed him approaching her front door with a package
that was too large to fit in the box, she’d gone to meet him halfway down the
walk. They’d exchanged greetings, and she’d quickly discovered he wasn’t
wearing a ring.
“That
really doesn’t mean a thing these days,” she’d told herself. Lots of married
men didn’t wear a band.
But she
couldn’t deny the little flutter her heart made every time he showed up. And
today, she was expecting a bulky package. Which meant she’d get to briefly chat
with him again.
The large
outside thermometer attached to the tree just beyond her front door read ninety-seven
degrees. “Add in the humidity factor, and the fact that that thing’s in the
shade, means it has to be well over a hundred degrees out there.”
Her
decision was second nature. Getting a bottle of water from the fridge, she
walked out the front door just as the mail truck pulled up to her mailbox.
Stopping on the walkway, she watched as Thad exited the vehicle and walked
around to the rear to open the back door. Pulling out a large box, he hefted it
onto his right shoulder.
“Good
afternoon, Arlene!”
“Good
afternoon to you, too, Thad. Is it hot enough out here for you?”
As he drew
nearer, she became aware of how red his face was. She also saw there was no
sweat beading his skin, and she worried for him. “Thad, you need to get out of
the heat for a while. You look like you’re about to have a stroke.”
“I’ll be
fine.” Walking past her, he set the package on the front porch.
She waited
until he was coming back toward her before holding out the water bottle. “Here.
I thought you might need this.”
He sighed
heavily and took it. “Thanks. I do. I ran out a little while ago, and I was
planning on stopping at the Gas-n-Go on the next block for some more.”
She watched
as he unscrewed the cap, then cupped his hand underneath his lower lip. She
gasped when he slowly poured the water directly into his palm and sipped it
from there. Noticing her astonished expression, he chuckled.
“I know it
seems odd that I don’t drink it directly from the bottle, but it’s—”
“You’re a
Cancerian.” The words popped out before she could think.
Thad
paused, blinking in surprise.
Pointing to
the bottle, Arlene lowered her voice. “I’m sorry. But when I saw you…”
“It’s
okay.” He nodded and sipped a few more swallows, then capped the bottle. “Most
of the time, when people see me drinking that way, they just assume I’m…quirky.”
She smiled.
“I know what you mean.”
He studied
her. “The only way you would know I’m a Cancerian is because you know about us.
Or because…”
“I’m one of
you,” she finished for him. “Do you also pour your coffee or tea into a saucer
and sip it from there?”
“Do you sip
your soup from the bowl instead of using a spoon?” he countered with a grin.
A car drove
by. He glanced at it as it went past them.
“Look, I’d
love to stay and chat some more, but I need to finish my route.”
Arlene
quickly apologized. “I’m sorry to take up so much of your time.”
“No, no.”
He waved it off. “I’m glad you did.” Holding up the bottle, he added, “And
thank you so much for this.”
“You’re
welcome.”
He turned
to go back to his truck when he stopped and looked around at her. “Uhh,
Arlene?”
“Yes?”
“I usually
finish around six. Would you like to go have dinner with me when I’m done?”
“I’d love
to.”
He beamed
at her. “That’s great! What do you say I pick you up around seven? Or is that
too late?”
“Seven
o’clock’s fine,” she assured him.
“All right!
I’ll see you then. Until later!” He waved at her and hurried to his vehicle.
She watched
him climb inside, give her another wave, and drive off.
Feeling
better than she had in a long time, Arlene retrieved her package by the front
door and took it inside.
Another
Cancerian. She’d met another Cancerian.
It felt
like it was going to be a beautiful summer.
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