I felt an odd disturbance in my force-field
as Reid from Criminal Minds stepped through
the squeaky double doors.
His off-beat swagger sent a rather weird
chill up my spinal cord, a loss nerve.
Within hours, the night crew gossip spread
like wildfire. There he was, corduroy
jeans, chucks, buttoned up shirt and tie;
careful not to forget his messenger bag.
It's obvious the way he clumsily reverts
his stares, I can't help but smile.
Kenny walks up, hands in his pockets.
"Can I help you, Sir?"
Reid jerks back.
"Yeah, where's your liquor section?"
Kenny shows him the way a I let out
my anxiety and relief. As I was
busy organizing the cigarettes,
Kenny taps his pen on the
counter behind me."Can I help you, Sir?"
I ask, mimicking his demeanor
from earlier."Yeah, can you tell me
who Stretch is over there.
He your boyfriend or something?"
"You really want to know?"
Kenny leans over, so close
I swear I could smell his
Mountain Dew breath
with a hint of aftershave.
Reid is back, having his liquor
of choice on my conveyor belt.
"Excuse me, can you point me
to the intersection of 134th
and Center Road?" I stopped.
My heart.
The words needed caught in my throat.
"Uhh...well, my shift ends in five minutes."
He looked up, puzzled.
"You know how 'bout
I just drive you there."