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My mind slips away from me as I take it all in and I revel in the magic of it.
I turn slowly, breathing in the scent of freshly ground coffee beans, warm chocolate and vanilla, and gaze around. The back wall is exposed brick with hundreds of small planter pots hanging from silver loops. Fresh herbs and flowers stem within them and spatter the wall with color as exposed lightbulbs hang overhead from thick black wire. Heavy beams stretch out across the ceiling and my eyes trace the patterns of the wood. It’s a truly beautiful sight and the tug of a smile ghosts the corners of my lips as I make my way to the queue.
Digging for my purse in the bottom of my bag feels like a criminal offence. I can practically hear the eye rolls around me as I pull notebook after notebook out, followed by some pens, a bag of hair-grips and my keys, before finding any sight of the card I need. With each new item dragged from the depths of what might as well be Mary Poppins’ bag itself, my cheeks turn a deeper shade of red.
“Hey.” The soft voice behind me is as unexpected as it is uplifting and a small squeak bursts from me as I spin to face the man standing a few inches too close.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Please go around me.” I try my best to smile apologetically, painfully aware of how easy it would be for him to reach out and touch me; grab me. “I’m just trying to find my purse.”
The man lets out a soft laugh and shakes his head, and my heart hammers in my throat.
“It’s Mikaela right? The new receptionist?”
What?
My chest caves as the breath is ripped from my lungs and the world begins to creep in towards me, every hair on the back of my neck stands to attention and the silent grip of terror wraps its bony fingers around my throat as my eyes automatically scan the room. I can’t move. I can’t make a sound. I can only stand frozen. And then suddenly the stranger is backing away, his eyes wide and his words streaming from him at an obscene speed.
“Oh God, that sounded so creepy. No. I’m so sorry. I’m Max. One of the Editorial Assistants at Wilcox. I promise you, I neither followed you here, nor did I intend to make it seem like I was a crazed stalker or something. This is my favourite lunch spot. Total coincidence, I promise.” He huffs out an awkward laugh as the choke hold loosens and I laugh stiffly, shoving my things back into my bag before extending a hand to him.
“Nice to meet you, Max.”
There’s a crawling sensation on the back of my neck, lingering even now.
“Yes, that’s how normal people start a conversation. You’re right.” He beams at me as he shakes my hand and somehow this simple thing - this stranger’s smile - puts me at ease, as if I have known him for a lot longer than the last two awkward minutes. “Can I buy you lunch to apologise for my awful manners?”
“Sure.” This time when I laugh it sounds freer - it feels easier - but I can’t stop myself from glancing around at the faces surrounding us. “Thank you, Max.”
“You are most welcome, Mikaela.”
MaxKingfordisunapologeticallybeautiful. His deep, dark skin is smooth - the perfect canvas for the abyss of dark brown that pulls its victims into the depths of his eyes - and his smile is wide and carefree. When he laughs, it’s as if an entire chorus sounds from him - booming and bright and unencumbered - and the first time I heard it, I think I got lost in it. Now, I find myself wanting to hear it again.
The walk back to the office is somewhat shorter than the walk to the café, probably due to the conversation and the laughter that keeps me from checking my watch every five seconds, and for a moment genuine shock ricochets off of me when I look up to see that sophisticated, all glass high-rise that homes my brother’s company.
“Thank you again for lunch, Max. I really appreciate it.”
Max smiles another of his award winning smiles as he flashes the half-sleeping security guard his staff badge and leads me to the elevator.
“It was my pleasure.” He pushes the button for the tenth floor and turns to face me. “I remember my first day on the job and honestly, if any of them up there had even bothered to ask my name it would have made my day.” He shrugs. “Buying the newbie lunch seems like a pretty good way to make sure the first day isn’t completely awful.”
Although his smile never falters and his eyes still shine with open kindness, his words seem to draw out a melancholy that neither of us expect and my smile is wistful, if not a little sad. I could like Max if I stay here. I could really like Max because he’s right. If anyone else - other than Jamie and his aggravating, obnoxious friend - had stopped by my desk just once to say hello I would have felt ten times better than I had as I slipped out unnoticed for lunch. But no one had. No one except for Max.
“Well.” I sigh as the elevator doors slide open to reveal the busy bustle of the office once more. “My first day is officially not completely awful.”
He laughs loudly, his dark eyes shining bright as he throws his hands into the air in a dorky display of celebration, ignoring the disgruntled looks and murmurs of disapproval from all around. “Well then, mission success!”
I can feel his eyes on me still, watching as I slip back behind the giant desk and I smile to myself, pushing my hair back. It’s a long minute before he speaks again.
“Same time tomorrow?” His voice is light, possibly even hopeful, and I turn to him with my first genuine smile in this ridiculously uncomfortable office.
“Sounds perfect.” I turn to face him. “But this time I’m buying.”
“Oh, you have a deal,” he calls back over his shoulder. “EA’s are hardly living the life of the rich and famous, sweetheart. You can feed me.”
Ben
Jamie’s office is unseasonably warm in comparison to the rest of the floor. He says he likes to keep it ‘toasty’ which is why I’m standing with my hands in my pockets, my jacket thrown over the back of a chair and my sleeves rolled up. I loosened my tie and undid the top button of my shirt within thirty minutes of being in this greenhouse, but even now I can feel the gnawing sensation of discomfort crawling up my skin.
It’s just too warm.
