not sure I wanted to go. I appreciated him wanting to look out for
the new girl, but I really didn’t want to make a habit of getting together like
this. Then I remembered Jimmy’s call.
“Oh, okay. Sure.”
“I just had a few
minutes and thought I’d check and see how you were doing with the new job.”
“Oh, it’s fine.
But I’m glad you called. I had a call from Jimmy last night, so I wanted to
talk to you about something.”
“Great! See you
shortly.”
Self-talk can be
good and it can be harmful. I seemed to be doing a lot of it lately. Naturally,
I reminded myself this was all about Jimmy. I also reminded myself Tucker was
by now officially engaged. I further reflected on the knowledge that the girls
in my office never missed a thing. Any one of them could spot me having coffee
with Tucker, and I’d spend the rest of the day convincing them all over again
that we were just friends. My conversation with myself was still going strong
as I walked into the Madison café and spotted Tucker at a table near the back.
“You said Jimmy
called?” he asked a few minutes later as I sat down with my coffee.
“Yes, and he’s
coming home! He was leaving Guam last night when he called.”
“I thought you
said he was in the Philippines.”
“Yeah, I did. I
had no idea he was in Guam. But it doesn’t matter. I’m just glad he’s finally
coming home.”
Tucker reached
over and squeezed my hand. “Shelby, that’s great! You must be so relieved!”
“I am. I just can’t
believe it. And he’s catching a flight to the base in Millington. I guess that’s
not far from here?”
“Not at all—it’s
just up the road. What a relief to get him back in the states, huh? When will
he come in?”
I stirred the
cream in my coffee. “I’m not sure. He had no idea. I get the impression they
catch a flight here, a flight there, just trying to make it home.”
“Well, let me know
when he’s due in. I’d love to see him.”
I tucked my hair
behind my ear. “Actually, I was wondering if you could help me. I’m thinking of
throwing a welcome home party for him and—”
“Count me in! How
can I help?”
“Really? Well,
thanks. I’m not sure yet. I’ll let you know, but I was wondering if you could
get in touch with some of the other guys you all used to hang out with. Are any
of them still here in Memphis?”
He yawned then
scratched the day’s growth on his chin. I figured he must have been on a long
shift. “Let’s see. I know Pat Sulley is still in town. Blake Fenton’s around
somewhere. Oh, and Chris Hawley’s back, coaching football over at Briarcrest.
Andrew Mitchell lives in Jackson, but he’d drive over if he knew Jimmy was
coming in. Then there’s Lance and—”
“Okay, I’ll let
you work on that. I don’t remember any of those guys.”
“You don’t?” He
actually looked shocked.
“No, none of them.
You might find this hard to believe, but I tried to avoid you and Jimmy and
your legion of pests.”
“Well, yeah, I
guess I can’t blame you.”
“If you can get in
touch with those guys, then I’ll let you know as soon as I hear when Jimmy will
be here.”
“Shelby! There you
are!”
I looked up just
as my roommate approached the table. “Hey, Sandra. I was just taking a break.
You know Tucker, right? Tucker Thompson?”
Refined gentleman
that he was, he was on his feet, extending his hand to Sandra.
“Sure, I’ve seen
you around,” she responded. “Sandra Garcia. Nice to make an official
acquaintance.” She shot him her biggest smile.
“The pleasure’s
mine. Will you join us?”
She looked at me,
so I waved her to the seat beside me.
“Thanks,” she
said, still smiling and looking back and forth between us.
“Tucker, Sandra is
my new roommate.”
“Oh? Well, that’s
great. So how’s that working out? Any regrets?”
“Aside from some
rather messy finches, it’s fine.”
“Hey, those are my
babies you’re talking about!”
“Her messy,
the new girl, but I really didn’t want to make a habit of getting together like
this. Then I remembered Jimmy’s call.
“Oh, okay. Sure.”
“I just had a few
minutes and thought I’d check and see how you were doing with the new job.”
“Oh, it’s fine.
But I’m glad you called. I had a call from Jimmy last night, so I wanted to
talk to you about something.”
“Great! See you
shortly.”
Self-talk can be
good and it can be harmful. I seemed to be doing a lot of it lately. Naturally,
I reminded myself this was all about Jimmy. I also reminded myself Tucker was
by now officially engaged. I further reflected on the knowledge that the girls
in my office never missed a thing. Any one of them could spot me having coffee
with Tucker, and I’d spend the rest of the day convincing them all over again
that we were just friends. My conversation with myself was still going strong
as I walked into the Madison café and spotted Tucker at a table near the back.
“You said Jimmy
called?” he asked a few minutes later as I sat down with my coffee.
“Yes, and he’s
coming home! He was leaving Guam last night when he called.”
“I thought you
said he was in the Philippines.”
“Yeah, I did. I
had no idea he was in Guam. But it doesn’t matter. I’m just glad he’s finally
coming home.”
Tucker reached
over and squeezed my hand. “Shelby, that’s great! You must be so relieved!”
“I am. I just can’t
believe it. And he’s catching a flight to the base in Millington. I guess that’s
not far from here?”
“Not at all—it’s
just up the road. What a relief to get him back in the states, huh? When will
he come in?”
I stirred the
cream in my coffee. “I’m not sure. He had no idea. I get the impression they
catch a flight here, a flight there, just trying to make it home.”
“Well, let me know
when he’s due in. I’d love to see him.”
I tucked my hair
behind my ear. “Actually, I was wondering if you could help me. I’m thinking of
throwing a welcome home party for him and—”
“Count me in! How
can I help?”
“Really? Well,
thanks. I’m not sure yet. I’ll let you know, but I was wondering if you could
get in touch with some of the other guys you all used to hang out with. Are any
of them still here in Memphis?”
He yawned then
scratched the day’s growth on his chin. I figured he must have been on a long
shift. “Let’s see. I know Pat Sulley is still in town. Blake Fenton’s around
somewhere. Oh, and Chris Hawley’s back, coaching football over at Briarcrest.
Andrew Mitchell lives in Jackson, but he’d drive over if he knew Jimmy was
coming in. Then there’s Lance and—”
“Okay, I’ll let
you work on that. I don’t remember any of those guys.”
“You don’t?” He
actually looked shocked.
“No, none of them.
You might find this hard to believe, but I tried to avoid you and Jimmy and
your legion of pests.”
“Well, yeah, I
guess I can’t blame you.”
“If you can get in
touch with those guys, then I’ll let you know as soon as I hear when Jimmy will
be here.”
“Shelby! There you
are!”
I looked up just
as my roommate approached the table. “Hey, Sandra. I was just taking a break.
You know Tucker, right? Tucker Thompson?”
Refined gentleman
that he was, he was on his feet, extending his hand to Sandra.
“Sure, I’ve seen
you around,” she responded. “Sandra Garcia. Nice to make an official
acquaintance.” She shot him her biggest smile.
“The pleasure’s
mine. Will you join us?”
She looked at me,
so I waved her to the seat beside me.
“Thanks,” she
said, still smiling and looking back and forth between us.
“Tucker, Sandra is
my new roommate.”
“Oh? Well, that’s
great. So how’s that working out? Any regrets?”
“Aside from some
rather messy finches, it’s fine.”
“Hey, those are my
babies you’re talking about!”
“Her messy,
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