Romance Rewind: The Whole Jar
Mark pushed himself away from his desk just as the clock in the corner of his computer monitor turned to 4:00 pm. It was Friday, which meant he’d be stopping by the deli after work to pick up...
Mark pushed himself away from his desk just as the clock in the corner of his computer monitor turned to 4:00 pm. It was Friday, which meant he’d be stopping by the deli after work to pick up sub sandwiches for him and his wife, Hanna.
For the past five years it’d been the same order, his a classic ham on swiss with mustard, mayo, lettuce and tomato, and hers with similar fixings minus the tomato and provolone instead of swiss. Since she became pregnant three months ago she was changing up her order each week. Mark checked his phone to make sure he had the latest concoction ready for when he would reach the counter. “Lots of pickles, like, more than you think should be on there.” He smirked at her request, reading it in her voice as he walked towards the elevator. She had a way of speaking that somehow always sounded like music, maybe it was because he loved her so.
After getting to the parking garage and finding his car, he’d been late that morning from shoveling snow and his usual spot was taken, he got into the driver’s seat and took a moment to rest. Mark’s job was to create ad campaigns for major companies. It was a job he enjoyed, although he was careful not to call it a career. At 27 he thought to himself there was still time to get his dream of becoming a novelist off the ground, not that time or age had anything to do with it, but to him he saw the years as the door to his childhood daydreams closing more and more. If the door were to lock he wouldn’t know what to do with himself. His job gave him the opportunity to use his creativity, and for that he was grateful.
During the drive to the deli Mark couldn’t decide on what station he wanted to listen to on the radio. He was a fan of the classics, the songs that played on the old Las Vegas strip, but he also enjoyed songs from the late nineties. The two couldn’t be any more different. He settled on grunge, but after one song ads began and he returned to surfing.
Dean was talking about always loving somebody when Mark pulled into the deli parking lot. There were already a few cars outside and he wondered if there would be a line. Hanna would be off work soon and he liked getting home on Fridays just as she was clocking out from her home office in the upstairs spare bedroom.
When Mark entered he went from hopeful to annoyed. Ralph, the burly man behind the deli counter, was arguing with a customer about their order. Ralph worked at the deli practically every day as far as Mark could tell, and he always seemed to genuinely enjoy his work. What was it about the deli that gave Ralph so much joy? Mark couldn’t place it.
Over the years they’d spoken and learned about one another. The deli was the first job Ralph ever had, and he seemed adamant that’d it’d be his last. The owner was a friend of his family’s and he was counting down the days until he’d want to sell, thinking “next year” would always be the one. With the business under his watchful eye he’d hire someone new and take a step back, while still stopping in to see the regulars every now and then.
“You asked me for mustard!” shouted Ralph. “Look, right here, I even wrote it…”
“Show me!” replied the customer.
“No, no,” said Ralph, “I misread the order. You wanted today’s special but without mustard, I jotted that down but when making the sub didn’t refer back to your request. I’ll tell you what, you can have this sub for free if you’d like. Give it to a family member, or a friend, whoever, and I’ll get started on remaking your order.”
“That’s really kind of you, Ralph.”
“Don’t mention it. I mean it,” he replied with a wink.
When it was finally Mark’s turn in line he greeted Ralph with a kind smile.
“The usual for you,” said Ralph, “and what’s Hanna want this week? I’ve got to be honest, it’s been exciting. Last week she wanted imitation crab meat on what was basically a grilled cheese sub. I made one for myself before heading out of here and it was delicious. I’m thinking of making it a special and putting it on rotation.
“I’m glad I can make your day. Her request this time is basically the usual.”
“Provolone instead of swiss, right? No tomatoes. It’s been a while.”
“Yeah, but also a lot of pickles. Like, a lot.”
Ralph winked and went to work. When he finished Mark’s sub he placed it on the counter. It was wrapped in white paper and looked as if a gift on Christmas morning. When the second one was placed it looked as if it’d been dropped in the snow. The pickles managed to soak the paper.
“Let me wrap hers in some plastic,” said Ralph. “I might have gone a bit overboard.”
“She’ll appreciate it, trust me,” replied Mark. “How’s Anthony been doing lately? Does he still stop by? Feels like I haven’t seen him in months.”
“He’s probably at home sitting on a big pile of cash from all the money I’m making him. You think this place would have as many regulars if his mug was behind this counter all day? I think not. But for real, he’s doing okay. Still obsessed with all the morning game shows. He talks about them like they’re his own kids. I’m the closest thing that guy has to a family and he knows it.”
“We all do, pal. What do I owe you? I imagine practically emptying a jar of pickles comes with a price.”
“The usual, Mark. I look after the good ones.”
“You’re too kind. I’ll catch you next week.”
“Tell Hanna I appreciate the creativity. That crab meat grilled cheese is going to be a big hit.”
“Will do.”
After pulling into the garage Mark placed the subs atop his suitcase and balanced them as he walked to the door. When he got inside he reached as far as he could while keeping his shoes on the mat so he wouldn’t get the floor wet and managed to edge his briefcase onto the kitchen table.
As he was taking his shoes off he could hear Hanna creaking down the steps. He checked his watch, she must’ve gone a bit over her standard workday.
“I can already taste the pickles,” she exclaimed from the hallway. “You got my text, right?”
“Yes,” replied Mark. He pulled his tie away from his collar and began undoing it as he turned to look at her. “Ralph says thanks for the new recipes. He thinks your sub from last week is going to be a big hit.”
“He doesn’t need to thank me,” she said, rubbing her belly, “it’s this character who has all the great ideas.”
“Maybe by the time our little chef is old enough to work Ralph will finally be the owner of that place.”
“Our little sandwich maker,” she said, smirking at her husband.
“Just think, someday we’ll be eating for free. It’ll all be worth it.”
He caught her gaze and the two burst into a fit of laughter.
Thank you for reading this week’s entry of Romance Rewind. I hope you enjoyed! Do you know anyone who would enjoy romance stories in their inbox? Please share with friends and family if you wish, this helps my newsletter grow and reach more readers.
If you haven’t visited my Amazon Author Page lately, it’s been updated with my Kindle Vella series! The Centennial Engagement is COMPLETE on Kindle Vella. Check it out and look out for the eBook version coming to Amazon soon!
More Friday Romance Stories:
Coffee Pot Conversations:
My current project - which will be making its way to your Kindle this holiday season - is available on Kindle Vella.
The Centennial Engagement (The Centennial Series Book 2)
Book a room at the bed-and-breakfast and return to Brooks Landing during the holidays. Abigail and Hunter's relationship continues to grow, but are they ready to make the next step? Meanwhile, Colin finds himself in a blooming love triangle. Unfortunately for Hunter, and Colin, their love lives are uprooted when the neighboring town of Peak Creek calls on the help of Officer Robinson (and his crime-stopping partner Colin Bloom) to solve a mystery once again-This time before Christmas.
The Centennial Courtship is also available on Smashwords and Nook.