The Delivery Dude

Firewood Friday

Neo's face greeted me with a humorous expression at the door, "The burn looks better, you however..."

"I know," I took the safety goggles off my head, sawdust falling from my short motley ponytail, "It's a miracle all I've got is this scar," I gestured to my Bunsen burner arm which had healed up nicely in just a week, thanks to the aloe vera.

"What was it this week? On a construction site?" Neo guessed from the look of my fluorescent yellow shirt and hard hat, "You know women are trying to stop catcallers, not egg them on."

"Hardly," I shook myself down, wood shavings falling to the welcome mat, "Woodwork club. All males and yet..."

"Not a single digit?" Neo could finish the sentence.

"I nearly sawed my arm off when one of the guys took his shirt off," I stretch my fingers happy they were all still there.

"You ought to be careful, this boy hunting could cause you some permanent damage," Neo chuckled.

"It's no joke! I'm the joke," I took my pizza out of his hands.

"It has extra cheese," Neo got in before I could ask, "And you're not a joke, you're just desperate."

"Gee way to make a girl feel better," I gave him the cash.

"Look I'm going to be straight with you 'cause you're amusing and I like our little anecdotes," he put his hands out as if waiting for an invitation.
I nodded, thinking any suggestion from a male may be of help in my field research.

"Desperation comes across, and guys want the girl they can't have," he ran his fingers across his chiselled jawline thinking, "Be a mystery, flirt then walk away."

"Easy for you to say, your job revolves around quick five second exchanges. Me, I've had no practice, I mean I'm probably the first girl you've delivered to that's blurted out her full life story," I pointed out the obvious.

He titled his head, not denying it.

"See!" I took out a piece of pizza and took a bite, in a defeatist way, "I'm an open book," I mumbled through a mouthful, slightly regretting the large bite since it was so hot.

"Being open is ok, it's the information on the page that needs to be well written."

I fanned my mouth, my tongue burnt to a crisp from the hot sauce, "What the hell are you on about?"

"Research woodwork, running techniques and science facts, having common ground with a guy's hobby is an attractive quality."

I thought about it, "So when you like someone..."

"I watch the Notebook, remember their favourite type of Bubble Tea, and lightly breeze over a book on what they're studying at uni," he grinned, his pearly whites slightly annoying due to their straightness and shine, "Three simple things and in return..."

"You're a happy boy, no need for the nitty gritty," I tried not to gag.

"Dating 101, enjoy studying," he departed leaving me pondering whether romance was just for the movies and the real reason relationships work are because one person pretends while the other blushes over their partners method acting.

"There is no moment in life that can't be improved with pizza."

- Daria Morgendorffer