Sally reached up to give a passionate kiss so out of place between unmarrieds in a small town that the eleven-year-old batter lost his concentration and knocked the last pitch six inches over Wally’s head and into one of the two front windows of the house directly beyond.
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“But you just returned it!” Smith retorted to Wally’s request for the truck, a rare note of anger in his voice.
“Well, just think of it as an extension of the rental.” Wally, leaning slightly over Smith’s counter as Sally looked on from one of the store’s windows with a shopping bag full of just-bought overnight essentials, slid a five dollar bill towards Smith’s downward palm. “Another five, another day.”
Smith looked off at Sally, looked at Wally sternly, and slid the bill the remaining distance to his edge of the counter. “You can give me a ride home.” Smith retreated from the counter to retrieve a jacket from a rack sitting at the far end of the counter.
“Will do, but one other thing.” Wally reached into a pocket of his own jacket to retrieve a blank envelope.
“Edsel, I’m leaving a few minutes early. Be sure to close up careful, now,” Smith called to his assistant sweeping in the back of the store. “And what might the ‘other thing’ be?”
Wally smiled and slid the envelope into the left pocket of Smith’s jacket. “I need you to deliver this to Sally’s sisters. As soon as we drop you off. It’s only a quarter of a mile from your door to ours, right?”
Smith finished flipping down his errant collar, looked at both halves of the couple, and let out a raspy laugh as he smoothed his gray moustache.
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