“I have a sweatshirt in my office. I can get that for you. I need to go downstairs and get all the documents anyway. Why don’t you cut the band on those boxes and start putting them together, that would be a big help. There are scissors, tape, and markers in the supply locker over on that wall. It’s labeled.”
“I’m on it, or ten-four or whatever the right lingo is,” she said.
He shook his head. It didn’t take him long to go downstairsand gather everything. By the time he got back it was evident that Sheila hadn’t wasted a moment.
With the sleeves of her black turtleneck pushed up on her forearms, the table full of supplies, and two boxes already assembled, she smiled when she looked up and noticed him.
“How do these look? Do we pass the quality inspection?”
He acted like it was serious business, pacing up and back, lifting the box, thumping it on each seam. “I believe… this is a perfect ten.”
She curtsied. “Thank you kindly.”
Tucker dragged a chair over to the table. “Okay. This is the list of all the families. There’s also one page per family, so we can kind of cross-check and be sure we don’t leave anyone out. We’ll need to tape one sheet to the front of each box. It has the name, address, and any allergies on this sheet. Then take one of those big, fat, permanent markers and write the last name in block print across the top with this alphanumeric combination next to it.”
“What’s the code stand for?”
“It’s the map grid coordinates. It’ll make it easier to assign them for delivery. That’s how we’ll line them up against the wall over there.”
She nodded. “I’d suggest we sort the papers down by code first, then, as we put the boxes together, they’ll be presorted. Easier than sorting big boxes later.”
“That is so simple, I’m embarrassed to say I never thought of it.”
“I’m known for my organizational and planning skills.” She pressed her lips together. “Guess I earned my pay today.”
“I did tell you there’s no pay.”
“Maybe I should get a bonus. You think?”
“I’ll come up with some kind of compensation, it being Christmas and all.” He gave her a wink. “Why don’t you sort the papers, and I’ll keep making boxes.”
“Sure.” She started flipping the papers down on the table in piles, shifting them down as she discovered new combinations, but keeping them in alphanumeric order.
He watched her assemble boxes, folding them down, securing the seams with tape, and then doing it all again.
“I’m ready,” she said.
“At this rate, this is not going to be an all-nighter.”
“But you promised me one.”
He couldn’t take his eyes off her. “I never break a promise.”
He watched her take in a hitched breath, then wipe her brow. It was cold in here, was she sweating?
She lifted her gaze to his. “Good. Me either.” With a flirty wiggle, she picked up a box, taped the sheet to the front, and then added name and code and looked to him for approval.
“Very nice.” He nodded. “And the box is well put together too.”
She eyed it with a sultry smile, looking like she was happy with his comment.
The two of them found a rhythm, working quietly. Sheila was almost as quick as he was at putting boxes together, and he considered himself pretty fast.
“Are you getting thirsty?” he asked. “I’m going to go get a drink out of the machine.”
“I’ll take water.”
He jogged downstairs and came back. He lifted two bottles in the air. “H2O anyone?”
