Charlie normally showed up between 12:10 and 12:30. It was 12:47 and she still hadn’t seen him. Danielle would be back anytime. It was a Thursday. If Abby missed him she would have to wait all the way until Tuesday before she had another chance.
The door opened and in walked a mailman she’d never seen before.
“Good day,” he said.
“Where’s our regular mailman?”
“He’s hunting.”
“Hunting?” Abby asked. In the circles she had traveled in, nobody hunted.
“Yeah, I think he’s out for a few days. Burning up some of his vacation time.”
“Hunting for what?”
“Deer. It’s bow hunting season. Didn’t you know that?”
“No.”
“Charlie goes every year at this time,” said the impostor mailman as set down a bin of mail, not where Charlie normally set it. Abby glanced at the pile and saw not one rubber band. Everything about this guy was making her mad.
“Does he go out in the country?” she asked.
“Well, sure. Did you think he hunted in the city?”
“No. I didn’t think he hunted at all.”
“Do you have anything for me today?”
She handed him a stack of letters.
“Good day,” he said, prepared to go.
“Wait a minute,” she said.
“What is it?”
“I…” She shook her head. “Never mind. I guess I don’t have anything to say.”
“Okay then. Have a good day.”
“You too.”
He left and she sat there, deflating. The room, she realized with an abrupt stab of anger, was freezing cold. Why was the air conditioning kept at sixty-two degrees? Because it’s what the partners liked? The partners who were never around because they were too busy golfing and having meetings at restaurants? Abby got up to find the thermostat and kicked the mail bin as hard as she could. It skidded across the floor a couple of feet.
“Are you okay?” asked Danielle, having returned from lunch. Her tiny tummy was puffing out against her size two pencil skirt.
“I’m fine. Where’s the thermostat? It’s freezing in here. I don’t know how the plants don’t all die.”
“We can’t access it. It’s in Mr. Miller’s office, but we’re not supposed to mess with it.” Danielle rubbed her stomach. “I’m so stuffed. Blaaaa.”
“Well then, I guess I’m leaving for the day. Have a good weekend.”
“Oh, that’s right. End of the workweek for you.”
“Yep. Lucky me,” said Abby, going to her office to retrieve her purse. “Lucky, lucky me.”
Chapter 13