"Neil told me he delivered Faded Memory and The Crow to you on Saturday," Krista said to Carl as she handed him his coffee on Monday morning.
Mornings were still quiet in the coffee shop. Lunch times had gotten busier, but mornings were still quiet enough for Carl to talk to Krista.
"Yeah," Carl said, smiling. "He helped me hang them and then stayed over for lunch. It was nice to have company for once."
Up The Ladder to the Roof by The Supremes finished playing, and Runaway With Me by Carly Rae Jepson started to play.
"Is this a 'running away from all your problems' playlist?" Carl asked.
Krista laughed. "No. It's a 'finding a place where you can experience joy' playlist. The someone is a bonus. But the place you can run away to is a must."
"That's why I'm here."
"I would never have guessed."
Carl laughed.
"You can't hide forever," Krista said. "At some point you still need to face things. Most of the time your problems will follow you no matter where you go, and eventually they will catch up with you."
"Maybe, but I can hide for now."
Krista served another customer and Carl went to stare at some of the new art that was on the wall. There was a painting of a computer on desk in a dark shadow. It hit a little too close to home for Carl.
He walked back to the counter to return his cup.
"Do you want to come to dinner at my house on Friday?" Krista asked.
"Me? You barely know me."
"Yes, but I think you'd be a nice addition to the group. Neil and Leandra both like you, and I do, too. I'm sure Sarah will feel the same. She's my wife."
"I didn't know you were married!" Carl exclaimed.
"I am! It'll be fifteen years this year!"
"Congratulations," Carl said, smiling.
"So, will you come over to our house this Friday? You don't have to bring anything, but we usually order from a restaurant we all like and split the bill."
"You're sure you want me there?"
"Yes! I have a good feeling about you. And so do Neil and Leandra. And if you come over and you're terrible, we'll send you to put out the compostables and lock the door behind you." She laughed.
"OK. I'll be there. You'll send me the info?"
"Of course! And the time I send you is the time that I expect you to be there! I don't go for any of this 'fashionably late' business or this business of telling guests to come at seven but expecting them to be there at eight. Seven means seven! Text if you'll be more than half an hour late!"
"Understood. I'll be there on time." Carl got up. "And now I'm off to be on time for work."
Krista looked at the clock on the wall. "It's nine fifty. Do you start work at ten?"
"No," Carl said. "I start at nine."
He waved to Krista and headed out the door.
YOU ARE READING
Missing Things
General FictionIt's Missing Things, the story of Carl, a tech worker making his way through a post-pandemic office. It's a story about loss and nostalgia. It's about never being able to go back to a time you can still remember. It's about lost connections. But it'...
