Walmart Sam

Since COVID, I've kept getting my Walmart grocery order from pick-up. It's so convenient. I can order online, hit Publix, and then zip across the street to pick up my Walmart order. It's the bomb, even though I feel weird sitting in my car while someone loads my groceries.

For the longest time, it's been this skinny, solemn kid who says nothing unless spoken to. Half the time, he doesn't even acknowledge he's done. He just closes the trunk. Occasionally, I had someone different, but it was when I began going directly from the gym that I got Sam (name changed to protect) regularly. 

He caught me dancing in my car and laughed. He was outgoing, cheeky, and conscious of the items he put into my car. Once, the milk leaked, and he went inside to switch it out. Another time, he didn't like the look of a cucumber and got me another one. Each time, he chatted with me like a long-lost friend, constantly reminding me to give him a good review.

Of course, I did. People like that deserve to be commended.

It didn't take much for him to learn I was a writer. Nice guy chatting me up? Sure, I'll give you my bank information. Okay, no, it wasn't like that, but I told him I was a romance author, and every time he'd fill my trunk, we'd chat about my writing. He had tons of questions.

Him: "There are all types of genres? Paranormal? Like wolves? With humans? Where is your book set? What's a series?"

Other than people asking me if I'm done with my book, not many ask anything else. It was nice to talk shop for the five minutes he'd linger after loading my groceries. A couple of times, he asked about my social media, but I only heard Facebook, and since I rarely go on my personal one, let alone my author's Facebook, I never gave him that information. 

Until he mentioned Instagram one day. 

That is a social media platform I've perfected, so I gave that to him, and he immediately followed me. Later, while posting for the day, I checked out his Instagram, and his pinned picture stopped my thumb from swiping.

It was something like this: (This is not him. This guy is from my Daily Hunk calendar my daughter got me for Christmas, but you get the drift)

So, what does a romance writer do after seeing what's under her Walmart delivery guy's uniform?

I asked him if he'd be on the cover of one of my novels!

He said sure. 

Stay tuned...