Chapter 1: Introduction
“Here's your usual, Mrs. Thompson—the Garden Delight with extra cheese and light on the mushrooms.”
The gray-haired woman at my door offers me a warm smile. “Thank you, Luke.” Her gaze lingers on me for a second too long. I politely nod and take in her eyes twinkling like two jellies. She has ordered more pizza from me than anyone else in this quiet suburban neighborhood.
I find myself wondering if she’s eating all that pizza by herself. Not that I’m judging. Hell, I can certainly appreciate a woman who loves her food. I can't help but peek at Mrs. Thompson’s round, ample figure as she turns around. God, she must weigh a solid three hundred pounds. I shudder involuntarily at the thought of the heavy breaths and the slick sweat she must experience when she's climbing a steep flight of stairs.
Pizza delivery has given me quite an insight into people’s preferences. And habits.
Everybody has them, including Mrs. Thompson’s love of pizza. As I fire up my 1998 Honda Civic, I realize that this pizza-delivery gig is more than just dropping off piping-hot pies at people's doorsteps. It's peeling back the layers of these customers--learning about their strange quirks, their odd routines, their private lives. It's like a buffet of vices and indulgences.
Pizza delivery. You get to indulge in the cheesy, greasy, intoxicating aroma of pizza while heading to the houses of these insatiable, often peculiar souls. I had seen everything from men using their feet to eating slice after slice, and women eating entire pies in one sitting. It was a voyeur's paradise.
On this particular day, I was scheduled to deliver a large 3-foot BBQ Chicken Pizza to Jenkins & Hammond Law Firm.