There I was; the pizza guy, dressed in my warm red, white and ice blue uniform, doing what needed to be done to get pies delivered in 30 minutes or less.
I was home for the summer between my freshman and sophomore years of college, and I'd returned to what many perceived to be the mindless job of pizza delivery. Truth to be told, it wasn't mentally challenging, but it never got old, because I always got to meet new people, the money was pretty good, and in the summer... women wore less clothing.
One hot day in July stands out in my mind.
The order itself was unremarkable; a medium hamburger pizza. When it came out of the oven, I was the driver next in line, so out the door I went with it.
The address was in an area with a reputation for generating pretty good tips. At night, anyway. During the day was often a different story, though, as the odds of kids out of school ordering lunch was higher.
I pulled up in front of the house and hopped out of my car, carefully leveling the pizza bag on my arm as I hustled to the front door. I rang the door bell and looked in through the glass storm door. The front door stood open, and I could see through the living room to the patio door. This house had a pool.
And girls.
I heard them before I saw them. Giggling.
Then, one of them stuck their head around the corner. I recognized her as a girl that had been one year behind me in high school.
Two girls wearing bikinis made a mad dash across past the foyer of the house, briefly passing into and then out of my view. Actually, they were both holding their bikini tops in place with their hands.
More giggling, and then they came around the corner to the front door.