pounded on the door again. As Robby raised his fist for another attempt, the door opened to reveal a wiry guy in a cowboy hat and confederate flag boxer shorts squinting against the morning light. I recognized Elvis Wood. Robby removed his hand from his gun and Elvis looked harmless so I walked to the trailer.
Elvis looked at me and smiled. Actually, his eyes locked onto my chest and his mouth hung open. “I ‘member you, Darlin’.” How did men like him manage to always look like they hadn’t shaved in two days? What did they do, only go out every third day?
Robby grabbed Elvis by his neck and pulled him down the two steps leading up to the trailer. “So, you remember Ms. Flanagan?”
When Elvis nodded, his cowboy hat bounced. You had to wonder about him. He put his hat on to answer the door, but not his pants.
“You remember delivering an extra box?”
Elvis stood up straight. His head pulled back about two inches. “You mean that box that wasn’t on my inventory?” He squinted at Robby. “How you know ‘bout that?”
“Why don’t you tell me about it?”
“Well, I inventoried everything I picked up, stuck the numbered labels on ‘em, but once I unloaded, had an extra box. It din’t have any sticker on it so I figured I screwed up, forgot to inventory it when I picked it up.”
“You tell anybody about the box?”
“You kidding? I tell Nip I messed up… again… you think he’s going to keep me on?”
“You know where the box came from?”
“Nope, t’was on the truck.”
“See who put it there?”
“Thought I did and just forgot to mark it.”
“Leave the truck unattended?”
“Hell, yeah. How you think I’m going unload all by myself? Close and lock the doors each trip? Job would take all day.”
“See anyone hanging around the truck, maybe watching you work?”
“No. Wait… you mean someone else snuck it on?” Elvis broke into a big grin and slapped his hat against his leg. “Hell, then I didn’t screw up, did I?”
Robby walked away, shaking his head and I followed.
* * *
The Waalbroek Inn is one of those huge colonial era homes that not only survived but also flourished. The owners managed to modernize the place without losing its charm. I entered the dining room and saw Eddie at a table by a window overlooking the lawn.
When I approached, he stood, took me by my shoulders and said, “Boy, I missed you.” Then he kissed me on the lips. It was a quick kiss but it felt like he wanted it to be longer. I know I did.
We sat and I said, “It’s good to see you too.”
“I’m sorry. I really missed you. Can we get past me acting like a jerk?”
I said, “Me too, yeah, we can,” and looked up to see a dour waiter staring down at us. We ordered the seafood special with glasses of Pinot Grigio and fell quiet.
Eddie asked, “What do you think of long distance romances?”
“I think that they’re hard enough when there’s an end in sight. Impossible when there isn’t. The only exception is when it’s only a casual relation.”
“Yeah, I’d have to agree, but Raquel, I’d really like for us to become closer. I think we have a chance for something together.”
“Maybe, but you’re in Florida. I’m in New York.”
“I know. That’s why I stayed away… didn’t call. Then after I realized how much I missed you, I started to get some ideas.”
He looked at me as if he wanted some kind of response so I asked, “Like?”
“Well, I have contacts at the Achalaca News, the local paper. I’m sure you could get a job there.”
“Mom wants to groom me to take over the Chronicle. What about New York? Couldn’t you move here?”
“I’ve got only about 6 years till I can get my pension. I can’t throw that away now.”
We sat for a moment staring at each other. I was relieved when the waiter interrupted us with our drinks and salads.
Eddie raised his glass and said, “Well, we’re together now. Let’s just make the most of it.”
We clinked
Elvis looked at me and smiled. Actually, his eyes locked onto my chest and his mouth hung open. “I ‘member you, Darlin’.” How did men like him manage to always look like they hadn’t shaved in two days? What did they do, only go out every third day?
Robby grabbed Elvis by his neck and pulled him down the two steps leading up to the trailer. “So, you remember Ms. Flanagan?”
When Elvis nodded, his cowboy hat bounced. You had to wonder about him. He put his hat on to answer the door, but not his pants.
“You remember delivering an extra box?”
Elvis stood up straight. His head pulled back about two inches. “You mean that box that wasn’t on my inventory?” He squinted at Robby. “How you know ‘bout that?”
“Why don’t you tell me about it?”
“Well, I inventoried everything I picked up, stuck the numbered labels on ‘em, but once I unloaded, had an extra box. It din’t have any sticker on it so I figured I screwed up, forgot to inventory it when I picked it up.”
“You tell anybody about the box?”
“You kidding? I tell Nip I messed up… again… you think he’s going to keep me on?”
“You know where the box came from?”
“Nope, t’was on the truck.”
“See who put it there?”
“Thought I did and just forgot to mark it.”
“Leave the truck unattended?”
“Hell, yeah. How you think I’m going unload all by myself? Close and lock the doors each trip? Job would take all day.”
“See anyone hanging around the truck, maybe watching you work?”
“No. Wait… you mean someone else snuck it on?” Elvis broke into a big grin and slapped his hat against his leg. “Hell, then I didn’t screw up, did I?”
Robby walked away, shaking his head and I followed.
* * *
The Waalbroek Inn is one of those huge colonial era homes that not only survived but also flourished. The owners managed to modernize the place without losing its charm. I entered the dining room and saw Eddie at a table by a window overlooking the lawn.
When I approached, he stood, took me by my shoulders and said, “Boy, I missed you.” Then he kissed me on the lips. It was a quick kiss but it felt like he wanted it to be longer. I know I did.
We sat and I said, “It’s good to see you too.”
“I’m sorry. I really missed you. Can we get past me acting like a jerk?”
I said, “Me too, yeah, we can,” and looked up to see a dour waiter staring down at us. We ordered the seafood special with glasses of Pinot Grigio and fell quiet.
Eddie asked, “What do you think of long distance romances?”
“I think that they’re hard enough when there’s an end in sight. Impossible when there isn’t. The only exception is when it’s only a casual relation.”
“Yeah, I’d have to agree, but Raquel, I’d really like for us to become closer. I think we have a chance for something together.”
“Maybe, but you’re in Florida. I’m in New York.”
“I know. That’s why I stayed away… didn’t call. Then after I realized how much I missed you, I started to get some ideas.”
He looked at me as if he wanted some kind of response so I asked, “Like?”
“Well, I have contacts at the Achalaca News, the local paper. I’m sure you could get a job there.”
“Mom wants to groom me to take over the Chronicle. What about New York? Couldn’t you move here?”
“I’ve got only about 6 years till I can get my pension. I can’t throw that away now.”
We sat for a moment staring at each other. I was relieved when the waiter interrupted us with our drinks and salads.
Eddie raised his glass and said, “Well, we’re together now. Let’s just make the most of it.”
We clinked
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