(no subject)
Jude squinted at the address on the package in his hand, then at the back door of the location his GPS had sent him to. Sighing, he unbuckled his seatbelt and let it snap upward, then slid out of the delivery truck, then reached back inside for the stack of packages he'd set aside. He tries the door handle with his elbow, but it didnt give so he rapped the door with a steele-toed boot a few times.
"Coming!" A female voice sing-songed from inside.
Jude stood clear of the door and waited for it to swing open. "Uh, is this the "Lunch Box?" He blurted before landing eyes on the petite, brown haired woman who stood in the doorway. She was probably his mother's age, but lacked the air of exhaustion that often surrounded her. Instead, she sported a creamy complexion, an hour glass figure enhanced by the neon pink, high waisted pencil skirt, and a tuft of lace on her black blouse that did nothing to conceal the swells of her breasts behind the plunging neckline. She looked like she belonged on the lid of a grand piano in a smokey bar, grille microphone in one hand and a cigarette in the other.
Vivid blue eyes locked with his for a moment, then flitted down, and for the first time, he had the distinct impression of being given a once over. "The Munch Box, sweetie, and yes. Do you have a package for me?" Her lips pulled into a smirk and Jude laughed, his response dripping with just as much innuendo.
"Yeah I do. A couple, actually. Big ones."
"Lovely. Do you mind putting them on the counter for me?" And without waiting for an answer, she turned and sashayed into the building.
Jude hustled to catch the open door with his foot and hurried after her, shifting the stack of packages in his arms so he could get a better view of her ass, high and tight, the fabric of her skirt pulled taut and barely wrinkling as she went. There was a slit in the back of her skirt that gave little flashes of the muscles of her calves as she clicked her way through a storeroom on tall, thin heels that buckled around her ankles with little straps. Lady, Jude thought lasciviously, I think I'd do anything you asked me to.
"Right here," she said, breezing through a heavily beaded curtain and patting a glass countertop that was home to a cash register and a few displays. Jude hefted them into place, standing on his tip toes to nudge them with his hips so they didn't fall over. She patted his shoulder. "That's a strapping lad. Thank you."
"Uh, yeah, sure, anytime," he replied, standing there stupidly and feeling as though he were forgetting something.
"Did you have something for me to sign?" She said expectantly.
"Oh shit!" He startled and then turned back the way he came. "I left it in the truck. Hold on."
Once Jude made it to the back room, he dashed for his truck, grabbing the clipboard and the keys that dangled from the ignition. Then, he remembered that the back door was locked. He turned, already resigned to having to trek up the alleyway and around to the storefront but there she was, hip propped against the door, waiting for him.
Sheepishly, Jude grinned and jogged back to her, handing over the clipboard. "Sorry."
"Oh, it's fine…" she waved him away and took the clipboard, scrawling across the line and sitting vigorously before handing it back. "You're new, I take it?"
"That obvious, huh?" Jude chuckled and tucked the clipboard beneath one arm and readjusted his cap with the other.
"Well, maybe a little…" she winked at him. "But Jeanie is our regular driver. She took the summer off for knee surgery."
"Ah, yeah. I'm just a temp right now. Gotta make it through probation and all, but I dunno if I'll work more than just the summer. I'm finishing up my last internship right now and my grandfather kinda wants me to take over his business, so…"
"Sounds like a great opportunity for you. What's the business?"
"He's a general contractor, but he specializes in carpentry and masonry. Builds a lot of houses from the ground up."
"Oh!" The woman brightened. "One of my partners does carpentry. Mostly custom furniture pieces."
"Really?" One of my partners? Jude had questions, but didn't feel he had the right to ask. "I...didn't realize there was a big market for that these days."
"Oh, it's very niche," she agreed with a smile that said there was more than she was letting on. "He gets a lot of referrals in our social circle, but it's more of a hobby, anyway."
"Oh, well, that's still pretty cool," Jude said with a shrug.
The woman looked over her shoulder and straightened, the door closing a fraction. "Well, I don't want to hold you up. But, it was lovely meeting you…" she trailed off expectantly and held out her hand.
"Jude," he replied, exchanging a handshake.
"Jude." She beamed. "And I'm Marie."
"Marie," he parroted and stepped back. "Nice to meet you."
"Maybe I'll see you the next time," Marie waggled her fingers and stepped inside. The weighted door began to close on its own.
"Yeah, I hope so!" Jude winced and turned. Yeah, I hope so. Dumbass, he chastised himself. She's got a partner.
Partners. And she's like, 20,000 levels out of your league.
Jude pulled himself back into the box truck and fastened his seat belt, started the engine, and then checked the clipboard for his next delivery, then programmed the address into his GPS. As he pulled out into traffic, he realized something: he'd never figured out what kind of shop The Munch Box was. He'd been too busy staring at Marie to notice.
"Coming!" A female voice sing-songed from inside.
Jude stood clear of the door and waited for it to swing open. "Uh, is this the "Lunch Box?" He blurted before landing eyes on the petite, brown haired woman who stood in the doorway. She was probably his mother's age, but lacked the air of exhaustion that often surrounded her. Instead, she sported a creamy complexion, an hour glass figure enhanced by the neon pink, high waisted pencil skirt, and a tuft of lace on her black blouse that did nothing to conceal the swells of her breasts behind the plunging neckline. She looked like she belonged on the lid of a grand piano in a smokey bar, grille microphone in one hand and a cigarette in the other.
Vivid blue eyes locked with his for a moment, then flitted down, and for the first time, he had the distinct impression of being given a once over. "The Munch Box, sweetie, and yes. Do you have a package for me?" Her lips pulled into a smirk and Jude laughed, his response dripping with just as much innuendo.
"Yeah I do. A couple, actually. Big ones."
"Lovely. Do you mind putting them on the counter for me?" And without waiting for an answer, she turned and sashayed into the building.
Jude hustled to catch the open door with his foot and hurried after her, shifting the stack of packages in his arms so he could get a better view of her ass, high and tight, the fabric of her skirt pulled taut and barely wrinkling as she went. There was a slit in the back of her skirt that gave little flashes of the muscles of her calves as she clicked her way through a storeroom on tall, thin heels that buckled around her ankles with little straps. Lady, Jude thought lasciviously, I think I'd do anything you asked me to.
"Right here," she said, breezing through a heavily beaded curtain and patting a glass countertop that was home to a cash register and a few displays. Jude hefted them into place, standing on his tip toes to nudge them with his hips so they didn't fall over. She patted his shoulder. "That's a strapping lad. Thank you."
"Uh, yeah, sure, anytime," he replied, standing there stupidly and feeling as though he were forgetting something.
"Did you have something for me to sign?" She said expectantly.
"Oh shit!" He startled and then turned back the way he came. "I left it in the truck. Hold on."
Once Jude made it to the back room, he dashed for his truck, grabbing the clipboard and the keys that dangled from the ignition. Then, he remembered that the back door was locked. He turned, already resigned to having to trek up the alleyway and around to the storefront but there she was, hip propped against the door, waiting for him.
Sheepishly, Jude grinned and jogged back to her, handing over the clipboard. "Sorry."
"Oh, it's fine…" she waved him away and took the clipboard, scrawling across the line and sitting vigorously before handing it back. "You're new, I take it?"
"That obvious, huh?" Jude chuckled and tucked the clipboard beneath one arm and readjusted his cap with the other.
"Well, maybe a little…" she winked at him. "But Jeanie is our regular driver. She took the summer off for knee surgery."
"Ah, yeah. I'm just a temp right now. Gotta make it through probation and all, but I dunno if I'll work more than just the summer. I'm finishing up my last internship right now and my grandfather kinda wants me to take over his business, so…"
"Sounds like a great opportunity for you. What's the business?"
"He's a general contractor, but he specializes in carpentry and masonry. Builds a lot of houses from the ground up."
"Oh!" The woman brightened. "One of my partners does carpentry. Mostly custom furniture pieces."
"Really?" One of my partners? Jude had questions, but didn't feel he had the right to ask. "I...didn't realize there was a big market for that these days."
"Oh, it's very niche," she agreed with a smile that said there was more than she was letting on. "He gets a lot of referrals in our social circle, but it's more of a hobby, anyway."
"Oh, well, that's still pretty cool," Jude said with a shrug.
The woman looked over her shoulder and straightened, the door closing a fraction. "Well, I don't want to hold you up. But, it was lovely meeting you…" she trailed off expectantly and held out her hand.
"Jude," he replied, exchanging a handshake.
"Jude." She beamed. "And I'm Marie."
"Marie," he parroted and stepped back. "Nice to meet you."
"Maybe I'll see you the next time," Marie waggled her fingers and stepped inside. The weighted door began to close on its own.
"Yeah, I hope so!" Jude winced and turned. Yeah, I hope so. Dumbass, he chastised himself. She's got a partner.
Partners. And she's like, 20,000 levels out of your league.
Jude pulled himself back into the box truck and fastened his seat belt, started the engine, and then checked the clipboard for his next delivery, then programmed the address into his GPS. As he pulled out into traffic, he realized something: he'd never figured out what kind of shop The Munch Box was. He'd been too busy staring at Marie to notice.