Page 29 of An Overdue Match
“Really. The letter came to you, not the other way around. Knowing Rachel, she’ll probably find the whole thing funny.”
Dalton sighed, and his shoulders relaxed for the first time. “What should I do about that?” He tapped the letter.
Tai folded the paper and put it back in the envelope. “If you want, I can take care of it for you.”
“You can? Really? That would be great, man.”
“Don’t worry about it. I think I know just what to do.”
13
“Umm, excuse me?”
I turn away from the cart I’d been placing returned books on and face the grandfatherly gentleman on the other side of the welcome desk. His faded, oversized dungarees are barely being held up by the suspenders slung across his shoulders, under what Grampie would call adunlap belly(because it done lapped over his belt buckle).
“Can I help you with something?” I smile at him sweetly, praying under my breath that the clasp holding up the left side of his pants will keep its grip. It wouldn’t be the first time I’d been mooned at the library, but that’s an experience I don’t particularly want to repeat.
“There are some strange noises coming from the book return receptacle outside. Sounds like maybe a critter has got himself stuck inside.” He hooks a thumb toward the exit door.
I shudder. Again, not the first time. “Thank you for letting me know.”
The man shuffles off, hiking his pants up as he goes.
I really don’t want to play Ace Ventura at the moment. Sometimes snakes or lizards crawl through the slot for books, looking for shelter or whatever reptiles look for ... their cousin the bookworm, perhaps?
I snicker at my own joke, then remember I have to go evict the creepy crawly creature and a shiver runs down my spine. Maybe I can talk Hayley into doing it instead.
“Oh Hayley,” I singsong as I enter the breakroom. She’s scrolling on her phone with one hand, a fork raised to her mouth with the other. “How much do you love me?”
She eyes me warily as she swallows a bite of her lunch. “By the look on your face and the sound of your voice, not as much as you want me to. Why?”
“Something’s got itself stuck inside the return box again.”
She points at her food with her fork. “I’m on break.”
“Please.” I clasp my hands in front of me and beg. “Pretty, pretty please.”
“No dice. It’s your turn. Remember?”
“Rock, paper, scissors?”
She rolls her eyes. “Fine.”
We both hold out a fist in front of us and chant “rock, paper, scissors, shoot.” I keep my fist there in the hopes she throws scissors, but her hand comes down with her flat palm facing the ground.
“Paper covers rock. I win.” She takes another bite of her lunch, and I turn, grumbling.
“Oh, Evangeline?”
I look back at her. “Yeah?”
“Red touch black, safe for Jack. Red touch yellow, kill a fellow.”
My expression goes bland. “Yes, because I’m going to stand there long enough to figure out the color pattern on a potentially venomous snake. Why don’t we call animal control for these things again?”
“They take forever to get here. Just open the back and step aside. The animals usually leave on their own. Eventually.”
I never thought snake charmer would be a part of the job description when I’d decided to become a librarian, but hereI am. Walking as if someone is behind me with a gun pointed at my back, I approach the waist-high drop-off box against my will, pausing when I’m about ten feet away. Huh. I don’t hear anything. Maybe the creature has already crawled out on its own somehow. I take another tentative step forward, freezing when I hear it.
