This isn't weird.

Any Minute

"Would you like to go ahead and order, Miss?"

The waiter was young, probably just out of highschool. He had kind eyes and a friendly, open face, which on any other day would have been comforting. Today, however, Millie just wanted everything to be the same as always. The change in staff made her feel uneasy, and a bit old.

"I'm still waiting. I'm meeting someone. He'll be here soon," Millie replied with a forced smile, her eyes darting over to the clock on the wall.

"Would you like to start with some coffee?" he suggested.

"Sure, yeah. That would be great. Um, a medium roast with cream, and a dark roast, black."

"Right away, Miss," the waiter said, and true to his word, returned within the minute. He placed the cups carefully in front of her and smiled. They were to-go cups, which she hadn't requested, but she didn't protest. "I'll check back with you shortly."

Millie took a sip, trying to seem casual. It didn't taste like anything. "Thanks. Won't be long. He'll be here any minute." She looked down to her phone at the growing string of unanswered texts. Ben hadn't replied to anything since yesterday morning.

11:24 am: omg it's so busy today

11:58 am: ffs its tuesday don't these people have jobs to go to?

12:56 pm: jfc we get some weirdos in here. creepy old guy just asked if i'd sell him a lock of my hair. fuckin lowballed me on the price too

3:22 pm: wanna hang out later? I'm off at 5:30

5:35 pm: Holy fuck I just saw my ex. THE ex. Kinda feel sick. I guess we're getting coffee or whatever. Can I call you for a minute?

8:42 pm: hey can u talk?

11:03 pm: are you awake?

12:05 am: hope you're ok. see you at bagel o'clock

6:04 am: we still on for this morning?

6:10 am: hello???

6:17 am: bennnnnnnn

6:28 am: hope u didn't lose your phone

6:34 am: or die in a ditch

6:36 am: u have to tell me if you're dead in a ditch

6:36 am: but please don't be

6:40 am: I got our table

6:45 am: are you on your way?

6:50 am: Ben, I'm getting worried

6:57 am: I really need to see you today.

7:08 am: I broke up with Gen last night.

7:14 am: Please be on your way. Please. I really, really need to see you.

7:25 am: please be here

7:28 am: Ben

7:32 am: I really need you

7:39 am: Please, Ben

7:55 am: please

This was the longest he had gone without replying to her since... the first night they met, Millie realized. Her stomach churned with anxiety. Could he be angry with her? Was he sick or hurt somehow? Her mind flipped rapidly through a series of worst case scenarios. She tried to call again. Voicemail.

"Miss, in case you'd like something to eat while you wait." The waiter placed a small scone wrapped in white paper on the table in front of her. "On the house."

Millie looked up at the young server, blinking back tears. "Thank you," she said, her voice cracking. "I think I'm done waiting. But thank you. Thank you for being so nice to me today." She opened her wallet and dropped a twenty on the table. She abandoned the coffees, but took the scone. Though she knew she wouldn't eat it, she didn't want to scorn the gesture.

Ben's apartment was only a few minutes away. There was still enough time to swing by and check on him before her shift started, if she was quick about it. Her face and hands felt numb as she made the drive.

Parked just outside of the apartment entrance, Ben's car was easy to spot. She parked her own next to it and hurried inside. The building seemed to have gained a hundred new stories as the elevator ferried her slowly up to the top floor. She hugged herself tightly all the while, gripping the sides of her own arms so hard that her fingernails dug into her skin. Finally, the elevator dinged to signal her release, and she made her way down the hall to his door.

Millie took a deep breath and told herself everything was fine. Everything was totally fine. It had to be. She knocked on the door and waited a moment, but there was no response. "Ben?" she called, and knocked louder. Silence. One more time, she banged her fist against the door as hard as she could. It swung abruptly open.

"What do you want?"

The scowling woman standing in front of her was vaguely familiar, but Millie couldn't place her right away. Her blonde hair was in disarray and she was wearing only a long black t-shirt, which Millie recognized as Ben's. "Oh, you're that lesbian girl. Ben's still sleeping. You want me to wake him up?"

At last Millie realized who she was looking at, and she stood frozen in place as her brain struggled to process the situation.

"Well?" the woman demanded impatiently.

Millie found her breath. "No. No, that's okay."

"Cool. Whatever." The door closed in her face.

The silence of the hallway was suddenly deafeningly loud. The hallway felt smaller, the walls closer together, and the elevator was even worse. Time slowed to a crawl as she waited and waited for it to reach the ground. Her fingernails, once again digging deep into her triceps, were beginning to draw blood, but she couldn't feel it. Just when she had nearly lost hope that she would ever escape its claustrophobic confines, the elevator finally came to a halt and released her with an ominous ding; a few more stumbling steps, and she was outside. She inhaled a deep breath of fresh air and stood blinking in the blinding sunlight for a few very long seconds before throwing up in the parking lot.