Courier

The courier stood on the ground floor beside the main road. He left the medium size box addressed to me on the ground behind him. Passersby headed to the boutique grocery store; buses ran along the street feet away from him; coworkers crossed the walkway toward restaurants.

I stood on the second floor landing above, waiting for him. Others entered and exited the main lobby. With each new person I looked to see if one or another may hold the box I ordered.

No. 084

Elevator

The doors to the elevator opened, and a couple new to the gym stood inside. “We’re riding it up and down,” she said. I got in and stood beside them, pressing the correct button for the top floor of the garage. 

She turned to her boyfriend and continued a conversation. “He was in a pissy mood, too. He said he was going to file a police report. Honestly, I respected the girl behind the front desk for not taking his shit. She called security to come get him.” The doors to the elevator opened, and I let them exit before me.

My mind wandered—Maybe someone took a photo of him in the locker room. Or he found someone rummaging through his locker. Perhaps an ex-boyfriend was stalking him, and he had a restraining order the gym wouldn’t honor. Maybe one of the handsy maintenance guys took too long of a look while he was in the shower.

No. 076