Scent (Scomiche)

I Wish What was Good for the Banker was Good for the Baker, Too

Kirstin almost spits out her water when I finish telling her about Scott. “You have to be kidding. Your love life sucks. I can’t believe this happened to you.”

“Believe it,” I say, chomping down on an apple slice. “It all, sadly, happened.”

“If I ever met Scott, I’d give him a piece of my mind.”

I shake my head, laughing a little. “He’s charming. I bet you wouldn’t be able to. I’ve tried. It’s hard.”

She shakes her head, glancing around the breakroom, probably looking for a clock.

“What are you guys talking about?” Madeline asks. I didn’t even notice she was there, but obviously she wasn’t there long enough for her to hear what we’re talking about.

“Mitch’s sad love life.” Kirstin laughs pitifully and Madeline joins her.

I sigh. “It’s not funny, you guys. I’m just out here trying to get married and, I don’t know, have a life.” Madeline pushes her hair behind her ear, her cartilage piercing now shining in the light of the dull room.

They laugh harder, so I throw my hands up and stand. “You two are no help.”

“Wait, wait, Mitch,” Kirstin is waving her hand at me, “Don’t go. I’m sorry. What you should do is just try to move it along a little faster. Not too much, don’t pressure the guy, but he said he wants to date you so you being a little more straightforward shouldn’t be a big deal. I’m sure his ex-husband would want him to be happy.”

I scoff. “Yeah, right. He hated me.”

“Oh well.” She shrugs. “Too bad, so sad, he died so it’s your opportunity. You know if it was the other way around and you had died, he would’ve tried to take your spot.” She picks at something under one of her fake, gel nails, painted in a French manicure style.

I think about that for a moment. She’s right, but I don’t think I should live my life based on what Christian would’ve done. “Yeah…. I’ll just see if he’s free to hang out tonight.”

“Then maybe you two can…” Madeline wiggles her eyebrows and Kirstin giggles.

“Noooo, that won’t happen for a long, long time.”

“You never know,” Kirstin sings.

I shake my head, even though that sentence pulled my heart up a little. “That is the one thing I know for sure.”

-

“First day of work. Go.”

Scott leans into the back of the couch, stretching his arms up and legs out. “A lot of training. Watching other people.”

I nod. “Well, you’re learning a lot then, right?”

“Too much at once, but yeah. I can’t wait until I can just work independently without someone supervising or telling me to watch them.” He curls his legs up onto the couch. “How was your day?”

“Pretty good. I think I’m actually making a friend at work.”

The reaction on his face is like if exclamation points had an expression. “Tell me all about them.” He realizes that his big legs are too clunky to keep on the couch, and he lets them fall, his feet making a thud when they hit the floor.

“Her name is Kirstin. She was really quiet when I first met her, but today she was much more talkative. She’s engaged and has a baby on the way. Ummm, I don’t know, she’s really cool and nothing like Bryan.” I stick out my tongue at the thought of him.