Top 10 - Diversity
Vidhi Patel has spent a large part of her childhood immersed in the world of politics. Now, after graduating from medical school and becoming a pediatrician, she has to make life-changing decisions. Get married and go down the pat...
Turning the key for the office door, it finally sank in. This place is mine and I worked hard to be here. I smiled widely, looking at the decoration piles, waiting to be hung up. Taking off the lab coat, I set off to work.
Sometime later, I heard a knock on the front door and I turned, surprised to see Terrence standing outside, a reusable bag and coffee tray in hand. Hurriedly, I let him in and gestured to the table for his stuff.
"Morning! Didn't know you were coming! Don't you have to head to the high school?" I rushed out as I went back to hanging the beach balls from the receptionist ledge.
"The great thing about teaching high school. First bell doesn't ring until 7:30, "he glances at his watch, "And it is only 6:30. Did you eat breakfast?"
Grimacing, I realized I left my morning coffee and bagel on the countertop. Deciding to omit that part, I bit out a lie,
"Yup. You?"
"Nice try Vidhi. You are terrible at lying to me. Come here and eat!"
"But the beachballs and whiteboards-"
"Can wait. They will be here after breakfast and coffee. I can help you hang stuff up. I bought your favorite! Whole wheat toasted bagel with half peanut butter and half speculoos cookie spread...and a black coffee." After an afterthought, he stuttered,
"That's still your favorite, right? I have other bagels as well-"
I stepped away from the ladder and walked towards him, smiling.
"Don't worry, Terrence. I'm as predictable as New Jersey turning blue in a presidential cycle." Chuckling, I conveyed my thanks with a hug.
"Still making political jokes this early in the morning, things haven't changed one bit."
We finished up our breakfast, a comfortable silence between us.
Terrence's POV:
As we finished up our breakfast, I was tempted to ask all the questions ready to explode in my head, but a glance at the clock told me that I needed to help her hang up these beach balls before opening time.
"So...what time are you done here?" I asked, trying not to be too obvious.
"Ah, no clue. Probably late." Vidhi told me as she stood up and walked back to the ladder to hang up the rest of the decorations.
"Do you want me to stand on the ladder?"
She fiercely shook her head and just told me to hand her the invisible string, determination written across her face, but fear was evident in her eyes. She taped the string to the ceiling and just as I was about to hand her the second decoration, the ladder rocked a bit, sending Vidhi backward. Her shriek was cut short when she landed on me, not as close to the floor as she thought she would be.
"Whoa, guess my fear wasn't that irrational after all. Thanks for saving me from sure disaster." She told me when she back on two feet.
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