Routine Maintenance

"Hey, Larry," Elizabeth said, brightening up a little as the big Black maintenance man appeared at her door. She took him over to the fussy air conditioner, watching his bulky, muscular frame as he got to work.

"Always a pain in the ass when these new units don't work. You look rosy, it been keepin' you too hot?"

"No ... I just got done with a workout," Elizabeth said.

"Well, you're looking mighty fine today. And where is the big star today?"

"He's on a road trip to the Texas cities. He'll be back on Sunday," Elizabeth said grumpily.

"You know, back in the day, I fixed mechanical issues. Nowdays, everything is a computer program to tell you what's wrong with it. Computer program needed to help fix it," he said, looking at her demeanor. "Sharing your man with his profession got you down?"

"Yeah," Elizabeth admitted. "We met, he was a dropout looking to be somebody. Had all the time in the world for me. Now he's somebody. And has no time in the world for me. We'll adjust, I'm sure."

"I used to be an athlete."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yep, linebacker in the day. Look at my footage now, you'd say he was LT before there was an LT. Then tore my ACL -- medicine wasn't as good back in those days, and I never got back to where I was. But when I was there ... all sorts of temptations. Both for the men on the road, and their wives at home. And at the end of the day, you have to decide. Do you pick the temptations, or what you have at home?"

He bent down, picking up his tools. Elizabeth could swear there was a big bulge in his pants. She shook her head. This is exactly what he was talking about.

"You have a good day, Miss. And call me ... anytime."