She's The Wild West

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER TEN

Ms. Mori didn't mention the gala until the second half of my shift on Saturday, the day before the event, and I didn't ask up until then because I was too nervous. I also thought that if I asked if I was going, it would come off like I was asking to go, and I didn't want to seem like I was asking to go.

Saturday was normal. I started my shift, on time, did my tasks and had lunch with Adam and Clara for an hour with no self deprecating comments or sex talk to be heard. The only thing different about lunch was the very end.

I'd just put my dishes into the plastic cafeteria bins once I was done eating and I was about to go back upstairs when I noticed that one of the kiosks, Chez Marcel, had big chocolate chip cookies in their display case. They usually had macarons and macaroons (which I found out were different because the chef caught me staring one time and explained it), but it was the first time I'd seen them selling chocolate chip cookies.

I told Adam and Clara to go on ahead without me, got into line and bought one. I didn't give Ms. Mori's name, one because the cookies weren't that expensive and two, because I'd yet to give her name once since I first started the job. I'd thought about it, but never done it, always opting for the free meals which were delicious anyways.

After I bought the cookie I went upstairs, back to Ms. Mori's office where I found her exactly as I had left her. That always proved to be the case when I returned from my lunches. I'd never seen her eat before. There were times when she was out of the office for a while when she could've been eating, but she definitely didn't have a routine lunch time like I did.

Ms. Mori didn't glance up when I entered the room and she didn't glance up when I walked over to her desk and held out the cookie either. Her head was down, eyes glued to the tablet on her desk as she scrolled through mountains of emails. She noticed my presence, waited a while and then finally sighed.

"Why?"

She still didn't look up. Just asked me why I was standing there in as few words as possible. Her raven hair drifted into her face and she did her usual tuck behind her ear only for it to slip and fall back.

"I brought you this."

Then she finally looked at my hand. The cookie was wrapped in a small, lilac bag made of parchment paper with a window of plastic in the center to show what flavor it was. Ms. Mori stared at the cookie for a short moment.

"Why?" she asked, sounding bored.

I felt my face flush a little and I suddenly felt like maybe bringing her a cookie was stupid. I didn't even know if she liked cookies, or liked chocolate chips, or had any allergies, or anything. I didn't know what kind of foods she liked, disliked, wanted to try but never had. I didn't know, but I found myself wanting to.

"I never see you eat anything for lunch and I know you didn't ask me to bring you anything but I saw the cookie and just kind of bought it. Do you like chocolate chip cookies?"

She brought her gaze up to meet mine, midnight eyes intense as ever, then lowered her gaze back to the cookie. I was surprised when she took it from my hand.

"They're edible." Then before I could respond, "Take a seat Monroe."

Ms. Mori set the cookie down beside her tablet while I grabbed the chair by the bookcase and placed it in front of her desk.

"Tomorrow is the annual Wrigsworth Charity Gala and I want you in attendance."

Woah, Adam was right!

"The event will take place between 5:30pm and 9:00pm. Do you have any prior engagements?"

"No."