Winter Hearts

In Which Siana's Daydream Escalates

Shaking herself, she crossed the road and continued on her way. She entered the building where she worked and left her umbrella with the security. She took off her overcoat and bypassed the lift lobby to take the workers' lift in the back. 

As she waited, she put on her lanyard and checked her security pass. She was working as an admin assistant at the hotel in the building, and had to make sure she was presentable at all times. As she waited, she heard a commotion behind her and the hiss of walkie talkies as security came through some restricted access doors.

To her surprise, they walked in escorting the boys, all dressed in black suits and sporting their various hairstyles. N saw her first and smiled and waved. He nodded politely as he said, "Didn't we see you outside?"

She only managed to nod as one of the security came up to her and apologised that she would have to take the lift separately because they were running late for an appearance. The lift pinged open. It was one of those huge lifts that could accommodate a car, since this was a convention centre that held all sorts of exhibitions.

N looked at the lift, then security and then at her. The officer immediately guessed N's intentions and nodded reluctantly. N gestured for her to get in, and she did so, standing as close to the button panel and as out of the way as she could. The boys filed in, one by one acknowledging her, and she felt her face burning as she saw Leo bringing up the rear. She bowed her head before he walked by, as if in shyness, to avoid an awkward exchange or non-exchange with him.

One of the officers she was familiar with, and he came in last and stood by her. In a tiny voice she asked which floor, and he answered jovially. She pressed the buttons for her floor and theirs, and realised they would be getting off first, which felt like a relief.

Loudly the officer who knew her asked if he would see her at lunch today at the cafeteria as usual. She smiled reluctantly and nodded, hoping a large hand would appear from the heavens and zip his mouth shut. She suddenly felt like she was under a microscope.

The lift stopped, and everyone started getting out.

She could feel Leo hanging back, and that he was going to be the last one out. She felt hot and bothered, and was a little aghast at herself for being all flustered.

She told herself, he  was just a guy who was on the way to work, just like her. Just a guy who had a childhood like her, who grew up playing and fighting with friends like she did, and who found something to do and was chasing a dream, just like any other person she came across.

Except this was Leo, and Leo had caught her staring at him, and Leo probably knew that she had thought and dreamed and talked about him in many ways, way before he ever even saw her for the first time.

Leo, who knew more about what she was feeling right now, than she could ever possibly know about even his public life. Because him knowing only that one tiny thing about her, was one thing too many. It made her burn with embarrassment and she wished him to walk right past her without a thought.

Everyone left the lift and proceeded down the long hallway. She looked up to see Leo approaching, the last one left in the lift with her. She was horrified to see that he was staring straight at her as he walked forward, that same almost blank, bored look in his eyes.

He slowed down and faced her. Her finger was still on the button holding the door open. Her pulse was racing, her mouth dry. His arm reached out towards hers, and she had an alarming thought that he was going to lean against the wall behind her and kiss her.

His head came forward as he leaned in, and her eyes dropped to look at his lips. Slowly, ever so slowly, he licked his lips with his tongue. She gasped, her mouth dropping open.

Then she heard a soft click, and then another and another. She looked up to see him concentrating on the panel to her side. 

She glanced over to see him pressing every single button between this floor and hers. He did it slowly, almost thoughtfully. When he finished, he looked slightly pleased and straightened up, looking her belligerently in the eyes. She raised her eyebrows, thinking, how rude and mean.

His eyes, black, relaxed and still empty of expression. But his mouth... a slight crinkle in the muscle under his skin told her he was smirking. 

But when she looked again, it was blank Leo all over.

Suddenly he was gone, a small gust of wind playing at her feet in his wake.