Chapter 1
The costs of stamps had gone up again. She was two penny’s short.
Or maybe not, Sakura hadn’t reached the bottom of her bag yet, there could be a glimmer of copper yet.
The AC breathed down her neck as she dug about, sifting past patient charts she’d taken home for the day. It wasn’t something Sakura liked to do, but it saved her time at work, allowing her to clock out before night shift got to the hospital and asked for some ‘favors’. Besides, they were nice to read with a glass of cranberry juice when she got bored and couldn’t get into a book.
Shoot! She bit her lip. A shot of lightning trailed up her finger. Paper cuts are the worst, oh goodness, why now? Oh, I don’t even have a band-aid. Well, maybe I’ve one at the bottom of my bag with these two stupid pennies.
She was sure the two items were chatting together about how fun it was to make a public embarrassment of their owner while she stood in sweat-soaked scrubs. She was sure there was blood on them somewhere too.
“Lady, you either have the change for a stamp, or you don’t. Can you hurry it up?” The man behind her sounded like someone had crapped in his coffee. Maybe she would crap in his coffee if he spoke to her again.
She looked up at the employee standing behind the counter. “I swear I have the right change, I’m sorry I wasn’t expecting a raise in postage. It hasn’t gone up in—”
The older woman standing behind the counter nodded. “A while, it’s been messing people up all day, I’m sorry hon.” She was nothing but grace.
Air hit her neck. “Three seconds.” Unlike the man behind her.
Her fingers met a chill. “I’ve got them!” She pulled out a dime, a beautiful, shiny dime. The sound it made on the counter was music to her ears. “Keep the change for the next poor soul.” She smiled at the woman, who quickly returned the gesture.
“See, it all worked out hon. Your letter should arrive within the week. Next time, I suggest buying a book of forever stamps and a book of extra ounce stamps. Always nice to have postage beforehand” The older woman noted, the wrinkles on her face deepened to canyons as she smiled at her.
“Thanks, ma’am.” Sakura gave a quick bow and a glare to the red-headed man standing behind her. His gaze was dull in an unsettling way. As if he noted everything that was going on around him without caring about it at all. But he was dressed like an edge-lord and Sakura was sure he had some form of weapon on him—or something that could be made into a weapon with a moment’s notice.
She wouldn’t stick around for that moment. She booked it.
The lack of aircon outside was decently upsetting. With summer’s climax fast approaching the air outside was boiling her alive, she wondered a brief moment if the wax seal on her letter would melt in the heat. Her pen pal assured her that the seals on the letters she sent arrived intact and were quite pretty, but she always worried.
She unlocked her car, ready to blast the AC the moment the engine started.
“What kind of fool doesn’t have the money for proper postage?” She froze in her tracks, thankfully the summer heat freed her.
She spun about, hand still on the handle of her car.
“I’m sorry?”
There he was. The red-headed stranger from inside. He had formed a knife, he had to have. He was going to kill her right here in the parking lot.
Shikamaru was on the night shift. She wasn’t getting saved.
“That woman was right. Get a pack of forever stamps. Or, seeing as you’re using wax seals, get some two-ounce stamps, you won’t need the extra ounce stamp. It’s the same price either way, but much more useful for letter sending.” He started picking at his nails, which Sakura noted were painted a pretty emerald green.
She recoiled a moment, she wasn’t stabbed. She could work with this. “Uh, thanks. I haven’t heard of forever stamps before, I assume that they’re good. . . forever?”
The man’s face didn’t change. “Good for you, you can understand what words mean. You must have graduated middle school recently.”
She played with the name badge on her chest. “I’m a PA—I would certainly hope I finished middle school.” An awkward laugh broke free from her lungs. She turned her attention to the flower bushes in front of the post office. Purple and pretty, a few bees and butterflies flew about them reminding her of nurses at the nursing station of a full moon.
“PA, impressive. Well, Ms. PA, good luck next time you’re in a post office and taking up people’s precious time.” A curt smile grew on the man’s face, she was almost jealous of his skin. It looked great. The look of constipated murder, not so much.
“Thanks, you too.” She smiled and ducked into her car.
And locked it.