Love & Other Possibilities

Chapter 6 - Winter

    The work day passed by with it's pleasant monotony, my project for the day consisting of filling the everyday stock from the back. Tuesday was Ross' late morning in the office, as he always had to take his mother grocery shopping in the morning, so wasn't usually in until 10:30 or so, which was fine by me. My anxiety about seeing him today was high, and even though I told myself I was being ridiculous, Erika's interpretation of Ross' behavior last night had be riled. Whether I liked it or not, Erika had a 6th sense about guys, which she never hesitated to remind me of. 

    Walking back to the back room from the sales floor, box of Disney Princess plates in hand I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror that hung on the wall just beside the costume changing area. Despite my initial idea of wearing my hair down I'd ended up throwing it up into it's usual piled position atop my head, my assigned tendrils hanging down at the nap of my neck. I knew the only reason I contemplated wearing it down was to see if Ross' reaction would have been similar to last night. I wore a hunter green v-neck t-shirt with black skinny jeans and a pair of tan ugg boots. My lashes were tinted with mascara, and my lips were painted a frosted berry - I was a sucker for different lipsticks, and it was one of the few things I was good at. 

    "Hey-" 

     The unexpected voice made me jump just as I made it to the far right corner of the backroom, dropping the box in my hands to the ground. Princess plates rolled across the floor as I whirled to look at the individual - Ross. He must have snuck back here while I was on the floor. He stood just in front of me, loitering in the last aisle of back stock. He was wearing a grey long sleeved t-shirt, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and dark jeans, and he was half an hour early. 

"Oh jeeze, didn't mean to scare you." He laughed, bending down to grab at the plates that rolled by his feet. I chuckled, my hand at my chest, kneeling down to gather the scattered items. 

    "Sorry, I - I didn't know you were here." I laughed, a hard blush burning my face. 

    "Yeah, Mom postponed shopping till next week, so I figured I'd just come in early. How'd your friends' show go last night?"  He asked. He took a step closer to me as he put the packages of plates in his arm in the box in my arms. He smelled like soft cologne and coffee, and I had keep my thoughts focused. 

    "Oh, uh, she did really good! Of course, she's so talented-" I said, trying to take a step back inconspicuously as he stood beside me, his hands in his pockets. The warm light overhead flickered off the citrine flecks in his eyes, and he had a small half smile tilting his mouth, making my breath caught in my chest. I directed attention to the open space where the box of back stock went, which was thankfully about three steps in the opposite direction of him. I put the space between us before I continued, hoping the warmth on my face wasn't visible. "It doesn't take much for her to do well." I said, turning to face him. My heart settled with the distance between us. I was good with distance.

    "She seems nice. I would have swung back by to see if she was still playing, but I didn't get out of dinner with Molly until like 7:30." He nodded. 

     I knew this wasn't what he meant, but a small part of me wanted to think that really, he wanted to come back to see me. That his wording that he couldn't 'get out' of dinner with his girlfriend maybe meant something... But then I reminded myself that first of all, that wasn't true, and second of all, wishing for that made me a horrible person. 

    "Yeah, she was off by then. You could have come by and gotten a drink though, we didn't leave until like nine or nine fifteen." I smiled. 

    "Oh yeah? Yeah, I was pretty tired so I just head home. But please, tell her thank you for the free coffee, she didn't have to do that." He nodded. I smiled. 

    "Oh she loves throwing her weight around at those little shops. But sure, I'll tell her." I smiled, grabbing at the next box in line. 

    "Thanks... I didn't know you liked Indie music. Or folk, whatever you call it." He smiled as he took a few steps back, then paused, turning to look at me again. I nodded, my brow bent in enthusiasm at the topic - I was a sucker for conversations about music.

    "Oh yeah! I know, I don't really know how to classify it either. But yeah, Ray LaMontange, Bon Iver, Hozier, Tom Odell, Kodeline, Kaleo... I could go on." I smiled at him. His eyebrows raised, impressed. 

    "I can tell. I know Ray LaMontage, Hozier, and Tom Odell... I like Amos Lee too, he's probably one of my favorites. The Head and the Heart are another good one, Mumford & Sons... Molly and I actually have tickets to see Hozier in a few weeks." He said, referring to the concert I'd tried to get tickets to but hadn't been able to. My eyes widened. 

   "No way! I am so jealous! He's amazing live..." I beamed. 

    "Have you seen him?" He asked, his head tilting slightly. 

    "No, just... Well I basically live on the internet so..." I said with a shrug, and he laughed. 

    "Yeah, we're excited. Molly's not so much of a fan, she's a bit more... Mainstream? I mean, not really, but kinda. She likes it because I like it." He said with a nod. 

    "That's nice." I smiled, irritated how she - who doesn't even like the artist - was going, but I wasn't. Of course, I should know by now that was how it worked. 

    The conversation ended not too long afterward, and I carried on with my task, walking back and forth to and from, boxes in hand. I would pass him and he would smile, every once in a while talking about something, bringing up a conversation. We would talk for a moment before we carried on with our tasks - nothing had changed. Part of me was relieved, and part of me disappointing. The relieved part though, was larger, and stronger. I was glad things hadn't changed - I didn't do well with change. I was comfortable with our easy, banter filled relationship. I was good with distance..