It has been easily 8 years since Roger saw Alejandra.
He wasn't 100% sure but the young woman he saw was what he imagined Alejandra would look like all grown up. Of course he hadn't seen her and he had heard through word of mouth that she and her father had a falling out. So bad in fact she had runaway when she was a teen.
He saw this young woman walking into a corner store on the bad side of town when he was walking out.
He was in the area to get some of the best Mexican food in the city but the place was apparently closed on mondays.
Now he was just in a different part of town and nothing to do.
It was a very hot June day. The kind of muggy day that you just sit around and sweat. He walked into a liquor store and bought a cold Gatorade and a few small flask sized vodka bottle and was walking out when he saw Alejandra.
She didn't notice him but he definitely was taken by her looks. Roger was sitting in his car ready to leave when he decided he at least needed to see if it was her.
If this was indeed Alejandra he could at least tell his friend that he had seen her and that she looked healthy.
He waited in his car.
Roger was trying to figure out how best to approach her.
Right outside the store? If it was Alejandra she may not want a very public audience.
"Hey are you my friend's runaway daughter?"
It seemed too confrontational.
He decided to just see where she goes and decide from there.
The young woman walked out maybe 5 minutes later.
Roger watched her stop to open the small paper grocery bag and studied what she looked like.
This young woman looked to be somewhere between 18-20.
She had a slight athletic look to her but larger breasts for her frame. C's maybe? Either way the June heat made her body glisten.
Especially around her cleavage.
She had long slender legs and a trim body. She was wearing a dark loose fitting tank top with khaki shorts. The color of the shorts accentuated her beautiful tan skin and the loose fit somehow made her breasts seem bigger. She was wearing some surfer girl style strappy sandals.
She had bought a pack of cigarettes.
As she exited the store she opened the pack, through the wrapper in a nearby trashcan. Then walked down the street towards and sat at a bus stop about 400 feet from the front of the store.
"Well. If I'm going to approach her now is the best time"
Roger got out of his car and walked over to the bus stop and sat on the other end of the bench.
She scooted over to give him space without looking at him.
Finally he just asked "are you Alejandra?"
The young woman looked over at him.
She blinked a few times before asking in a very young manner "what?"
So Roger asked again.
"Are you Alejandra?
I haven't seen you in years"
She smiled and told him that he must have her mixed up with someone else.
The way she said it was almost the same way Alejandra would have. At least he thought. He admitted to himself she was much younger last time he saw her.
All he could do then was offer a vague apology for bothering her. He got up to leave. But he reached into his wallet and took out his card.
It was more of a novelty card he had made to "pick up women" after he got divorced but he still had a ton left.
"Roger's Delivery"then in small print at the bottom it said he delivered the O.
Most women he gave that to didn't see it. The line looked almost like a thin dotted line at the bottom.
He handed this girl one of his cards and said
"I don't know if you're Alejandra or not. If it's you I know your dad can be an asshole but if you ever need anything call me"
The young woman took the card and read the bottom line out loud right away.
"You deliver the O?,
Are you trying to pick up on me?"
Damn her young eyes.
"Look, it's a dumb card. Ordered them as a joke but what I said was honest.
If you ever need help call me."
He decided to walk away in embarrassment and not look back.
He did his part. He could live with himself.
He got about 20 feet away before he heard her say "can you give me a ride back to my apartment?
I live a few blocks away"
