Working as a letter carrier for the United States Postal Service is by no means what anyone would refer to as an "exciting" job. It's a very basic existence. Get up each morning, bright and early. Put on the same uniform with its various shades of blue. Go into your station, set up your route. Depart to the street, follow the same, predetermined path each day. Sure the types and volume of mail and packages vary from day to day, but that's about as much real suspense as there is of a very mundane life.
And Mark was okay with that, for the most part. As someone who was very much a creature of habit, getting into a routine presented a comfort zone. It also fit his personality as a socially anxious, mostly solitary person, getting to spend most of his time out on the road alone, away from the fear of human interaction was something that settled his troubled mind. He was content, if not altogether happy. At least the bills were paid, and the job was steady.
He'd been working at his particular station for some time now, long enough that the opportunity to move up in seniority presented itself to him, and with seniority at the post office comes some benefits. Better vacation preferences, sure. Better pay, of course. But perhaps the most beneficial perk of being a senior carrier is the choice of which route you get to call your own. Once a senior carrier in the station retires, his route in the office becomes up for grabs, and that just so happens to be where our story begins.
There was much rejoicing that day. Mostly for Bobby, as it was his last day of a 39 year career in blue. Some of the other carriers got together and brought in a cake, to give the old-timer a proper send off. The atmosphere was light that day, as carriers were taking their turns saying their goodbyes. Making small talk. It helped that the mail was pretty light, those days always seem to be good indicators of how the overall mood of the office was going to go.
Everyone was curious as to who was going to get Bobby's old route, now that he was on his way out. Mark had the first option to take it, should he want it. Honestly, everyone in the office had been eyeing the route for a while. For whatever reason, the route was just easier, took less time, and was in a great location. Mark was a bit apprehensive, as he'd grown accustomed to his route, and learning a whole new route, new customers, new every day routine, had him a little nervous.
When it came time for Mark to say his personal goodbyes, Bobby came over, and after a formal congratulations, he asked "So... any advice, from your experienced perspective?"
Bobby looked at him with a bit of a grin, paused, before patting him on the shoulder. "My advice?" The old-timer smiled, "Take the route. Best decision I ever made in my 39 years here. You'll never regret it." Mark nodded, smiled, said good luck, and moved back over to his case, setting up his route. He took a deep breath, and thought to himself that it was in fact, time to take a chance, and make a change.
Hunter was the type of girl that you did not want to screw with. You could tell from word one that she was the type where you either come along for the ride, or get the hell out of her way. She didn't have time for bullshit in her life. She'd already been through all of that and more. She was whip-smart, with a firecracker wit, and a mouth that she wasn't afraid to use. Always goal oriented, stubborn to a fault and fully driven to get everything she deserved, there's no denying she could take care of herself.
She used all of this attitude, brain and skill to land a job where she could basically be her boss-bitch self, and didn't even have to go into the office most days. When you're the boss, they let you make these kinds of decisions, and the lack of a dreadful, traffic-filled commute, allowed for more time to focus on her passions. She was, at her core, a very down to earth person. Quite literally, preferring to spend her free time outdoors. Camping, gardening, climbing trees, hunting with her dogs, Lilith and Sterling, she was, is and always will be at her most comfortable when she was communing with mother nature. Often times you could find her in her backyard, with her headset on, taking care of business, all the while soaking up the sun.
Mark had been on his new route now for a few days, and he was adjusting to it, one day at a time. Bobby was right, it was certainly the best route in the office, and offered a much more relaxed pace than his old route. No worries about shortening your lunch break on this one, there was more than enough time to get everything delivered properly without having the supervisors on your back. This relaxed pace was already allowing Mark more time to get to know some of the customers on his route. Actually getting the time to stop and smell the roses if you will. And while his shy demeanor would make him uncomfortable around new people, they were friendly (well, not the Robinsons on Berkshire St., but that's another story for another day). He was polite, never turning down common pleasantries. He was really starting to find his groove.
It was on the fourth day of his new assignment that he first caught a glimpse of her. She was in her living room that day, pacing back and forth, headset on, ranting about something he couldn't quite hear. The sun, shining through the window and glistening off her long dark hair. Dressed in a pale white and green sundress, he was literally stopped in his tracks. Lingering probably a little too long, but he couldn't help it. It's not every day he caught a glimpse of something so lovely. He grinned as he gathered her mail that day, looking down at the name more carefully than usual. "Hunter" he thought to himself. "What a lovely name," he said under his breath as he smiled, depositing her mail in the box and turning away.
He took one last look back through the window as he moved away from the house, and it was at that point that he saw her, looking back at him. She smiled and gave him the slightest wave, before tucking her hair back behind her headset. Mark was certain that his face must have turned the brightest shade of red as his heart rapidly accelerated in his chest, but he politely tipped the brim of his cap and smiled back as he turned back and went along his route for the day. She turned back away from the window, as he walked along, finished the loop and sat back in the truck, his heart still racing, and his mind positively swimming.
Hunter had, in fact, noticed her new mailman, eyeing her through the window. She didn't mind. It's not as if she wasn't used to men gawking at her. Plus, he was kinda cute, she thought. Certainly her type, kind green eyes, rugged stubble from not having shaved in a few days, and the type of dad-bod that you could imagine yourself snuggling up to at night. Quite the change of pace from the older gentleman that used to bring her mail every day. Not that she was particularly looking to get involved, but the smile she returned to him was genuine.
Mark was unable to get that smile out of his still racing mind for the entire rest of his work day. It's amazing what one look from a stranger can do to awaken something inside your mind that had long been kept dormant. Mark's romantic inclinations had all but dried up after his marriage fell apart, a long battle that was ultimately lost when the hope of rekindling a spark was officially dead. It was a huge blow to his confidence as a man, his own self-worth, to know that the desire for him that once burned bright could be completely snuffed out. His walls were high and he kept them guarded well.
Hunter's situation was different. She spent years of her life dedicated and true to a man who only hurt her. She craved approval, she wanted nothing more than to give him everything, and it was never enough. Years of abuse, of lying, of cheating. Finally it broke her. She escaped her situation, working up the courage to walk away, but it damn near broke her. She focused on her work, and that tough exterior, which her ex had built. But what she truly craved more than anything, was a man that could handle her, respect her, and was worthy of everything that she had to offer. For that, she would do anything.
Mark woke up the next day with a bit more spring to his step. He actually was looking forward to going to work for the first time in a long while. Usually a bit stand-offish around the office, his demeanor on that day was far more inviting, his co-workers even stopping to ask what was up. He just smiled back at them and told them to politely mind their business, but he knew why. He hadn't been able to get her off his mind from the moment he had laid his eyes on her, and he only hoped he would be so lucky as to catch another glimpse of this woman who had so enraptured his mind.
He was in luck that day, as he approached her house, gathering the mail, heart once again racing, sweat forming on his brow on this bright, sunny summer's day. She was outside, soaking up the sun in another one of her dresses, taking a break from work and tending to her garden. She looked so peaceful, smiling, carefully crafting her flower bed. She didn't even notice him approaching, but he couldn't let the moment pass without at least introducing himself.
