The Day Job

The Day Job.

"What a beautiful day," she thought to herself as she looked down at
the view.
The sun covered her face in kisses of orange and gold and the sky was a bright blue that, had it been painted, wouldn't have looked real, and
the mid-afternoon air was clean and filled with the soft fragrance of
the many blossoms that turned their ordinary trees into explosions of
colour.
The square below her was just starting to get busy, with people from
the surrounding buildings strolling through it on their way to various
lunches.
She loved days like this, they always left her smiling. And she was
smiling now as she got her things out and began to prepare.
She felt lighter than usual, as if having the sun warm her shoulders
had lifted some burden that was usually with her. She looked up at the
sky, squinting in the suns brilliance.
"I must buy some new sunglasses," she said aloud, then added, "I'll get
them when I pick up the dry cleaning."
She had sunglasses but they were old and scratched. She looked down at them as she pulled them out of her pocket and slipped them onto her face. They would do for now but she really did have to get new
ones.
"And we need milk and detergent," she thought as she peered at the
picture of a middle aged man she had been given.
"Mr. Price," she muttered before putting the picture away again.
The square was now bustling and she could hear some kids laughing as
they rollerbladed their way around the fountain that stood in the
centre.
She glanced at her watch.
1.25 pm.
He would be there soon.
"1.25, 1.30, say done by 1.35 I can be at the beach by 2.00," she
nodded her smile growing, "Sounds good to me,"
She had a clear view of the fountain now the kids had moved on. She
squinted.
All she could do now was wait.
1.27.
1.28.
1.29.
1.30.
1.31.
"He's late," she said under her breath, her smile faltered. She sighed,
"The beach starts to get crowded after 2.00pm."
Then she saw someone.
She pulled the picture out again and looked at it then back at the man
who was taking a seat beside the fountain and looking intensely into
the brown paper bag that was rested on his lap.
"Well hello Mr. Price." She said her smile returning, "Nice of you to
join us,"
She peered at him again, enclosed as he was in the small
viewfinder.
She took a deep breath and then squeezed her finger. The noise was low and quiet, and no one seemed to notice it, nor did they notice the
strange way Mr. Price seemed to suddenly slump forward.
She swiftly put her things away and made her way down into the car park where her car was waiting. She started the engine and then paused looking at herself in the rear view mirror.
"Maybe I should get the new sunglasses now," she said looking at the
ones on her face. She shrugged and pulled out onto the street, the sun
engulfing her car with warm welcoming arms.
"What a beautiful day," she said smiling as she headed towards the
beach.