Cupcake and Blue Skies

Senti-MENTAL

     

Fifty-seven, fifty- eight, fifty-nine... Carl Brick counted the seconds until one 'o clock, knowing that she'd walk by. He strolled casually to the window of his large office and cracked the door, just a little until he spotted Maggie, right on time as usual. She'd started temping at the law firm about a month prior and since then Carl had been wanting to ask her on a date. He couldn't wait any longer. He crept from behind his office door and strolled casually across the hall to her desk. Once he arrived, he leaned against it.

She looked up. "Yeah, whadd'ya want?"

Boy she's a fireball, Carl thought. A real go-getter. Her attitude only amused him more. "I was wanting to see..." C'mon Carl, you can do it. "I wondered if you'd like to come over to my house. A few buddies from work were dropping by, and it'd be nice to have ya." Of course, Carl knew damn well nobody was stopping by his house. No one ever came by to play a game of Canasta or watch The Wonder Years. He couldn't even get anyone to check on his cats while we worked during the day. But Carl, the eternal optimist only looked at his circumstances as minor road blocks.

"Oh, uh... I guess. Sure, whatever," she frowned. "Got some beer over there?"

"Well now, I don't usually partake--" He noticed her frown. "Yes, sure I have beer. Plenty of beer," he replied, dreading the trip he'd have to make to the store to spend his hard-earned dollars on alcoholic beverages.

Maggie's fine features and green eyes perked up. She tossed her dark hair behind her back. "Well, okay then. You got yourself a date." She rolled her eyes and went back to her typing not noticing the manner in which Carl floated into his office.

He spent the remainder of the day dreaming about a world in which all went well. Maybe she'd marry him. Endless afternoons with picnic lunches in the park. Catching drops of ice cream from her cone. Playing with his cats. Carl loved his cats and while most judgy folks might have labeled them as 'feral', Carl wanted nothing to do with that word. Ever so often he'd have to replace a couch, or maybe the entire carpet, but to him, his cats were family and he never avoided in investing in the ones he loved.

The afternoon danced by on a carpet of AstroTurf and a pitcher of freshly squeezed lemonade. Carl was in and out of day dreams and refused to take any further calls. As his work day ended, he made his way to the elevator when he heard a distracting sound.

"Outta my way, jerk!" came a rough voice from behind him. "Move it or loose it, punk!" He noticed it was Maggie, sliding her way around a circle of office workers who had stopped to chit chat.

He smiled to himself, yep, she's a real prize. He wet his lips as she maneuvered closer to him.