I looked up and down the street a few times before I pulled into the only open parking spot in front of the small hardware store. For a few moments I admired the slowly peeling signage on the windows promising unbelievable bargains and excellent service, but then I returned my attention to the people around me. An old man, his back to me, was slowly crossing the street. A few yards closer, at the corner of the store, a group of day laborers lingered, talking and laughing while they waited for someone to pick them up. I didn't know any of them, but they all somehow seemed to belong here, their shirts dirty, and their skin tanned from the vicious desert sun.

And even if they didn't belong, they surely weren't cops.

Or my new victim.

A smile flashed over my face as I leaned my seat back as far as it would go and stretched my arms to reach the rear window. A wave of hot air splashed into my face when the middle portion slid to the side, and before I could even sit back up, the relentless dust started to come inside. For a brief moment I doubted my plans, wondering what if there was a better way, but once again coming up empty.

“Trucks are supposed to be dirty,” I said and pulled the key out of the ignition.

The engine turned over a few more times but then seized together with the AC. Quickly the afternoon heat filled the cabin and when I finally got out, beads of sweat were already forming on my forehead.

Trying to escape the sun as quickly as possible, I hurried to the back of the truck. I hastily checked the belts that held down the piles of moving blankets but after just a few seconds, a shiny, yellow cab caught my attention. Barely moving at walking speed, it pulled up at the diner across the street, then stopped.

She was finally there, just on time.

I put my head down and continued to tighten the belts, but out of the corner of my eyes I watched closely as the cab's door opened and a curvy, brunette emerged. She was too tall and heavy for my taste but I knew immediately that she was the one I had been waiting for.

So far, the day was turning out pretty well.

The cab sped off as soon as the door had closed. Despite the instructions I had given her, Julia stood there for a minute, looking up and down the street like I had done just a little while ago. She was probably trying to spot me standing around somewhere waiting for her.

I quickly turned and stepped behind the cab of my truck. It was tall enough that I didn't have to crouch to avoid being seen and through the tinted windows I kept an eye on her, grinning faintly. In less than an hour I was going to have a shiny new toy.

I brushed my hair out of my face and took a deep breath. I had been looking forward to this moment for weeks.