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"Sorry, Chuck," I say, looking down at the dirty rag crumpled on the floor and the wheels of the cart with ten bucks of beer inside "That guy pushes ets to et tolike a twenty-one-year-old

I stare up into Chuck’s eyes, silently apologizing, but showing hi He walks over and looks at the rag, bends down, picks it up and drops it in the basket He leans his head toward the cart "Go on and put that back, then throw the rag in the washer Maybe this is a good tiet to the back of the store,punched in the face, whenwith ainst the stack of cardboard bundled along the wall

I need your help with soe needs my help I notice those words first, and ain when I get the rest of the e--what she needs is stupid She needs ood

I text her back

Okay, I’s Whatcha need?

It takes her a while to write, and eventually I get back to work, now restocking shelves and cleaning the aisles Seems Chuck thinks I should stay away fro the last aisle when Paige finally es me

I need you tohelp

I start to write back, but I have too ive up on the last aisle and pullthem as I walk into Chuck’s office I stuff them in my cubby and pull out my keys and hat As I turn to leave, I catch Chuck’s attention on me, his feet on his desk and the bat still in his hands He’s trying to be inti He’s in his sixties, but the man has several tattoos from his years in the Navy I’ve only heard the stories behind a few of theuy with a broken ar it’s better to just own up toand reach out my hand He pats the bat in his hand a few ti forward to grab ain," I say, looking down as I slide my hat on Old man or not, I still don’t want tohis disappoint to his resting position, picking the bat up again

Once I’e, and she answers quickly

"You didn’t have to call," she says I sh over the fact that this is what I’ve missed for two days

"And hello to you Yes, I had a fine day, thank you for asking," I tease

"Oh, don’t be an asshole I’et on a plane What do you want?" she asks

"Uh, you needa little meaner than usual

"Oh," she says, and I can tell she alsoover the loudspeaker at the airport, and the voice grows quieter until I can barely hear it "Okay, I’ it will piss her off

"Gross! This is not sexy, Houston We pee here; that’s all," she says

"Well, et to the point, but I haven’t talked to her for a few days, and the last ti with her is kind of fun

"Right, like you’ve had sex in an airport," she says, her voice so sure She has that I-know-I’ to shock her

"I’ve had sex lots of places…Paige," I say, and there is noquiet between us That…saying that…to her…it felt strange to do That was ht was so iht back in place, and check ain It also felt kind of good, which is an even bigger reason to draw that line again--this time in permanent marker