Hearts and Other Breakable Things

chapter twenty-eight ✔️

januarie robinson
- may 31, 2019 -

            LUCAS AND I HAD BARELY spoken a word to each other since Josiah's surprise visit two weeks ago and I wasn't entirely sure why. Every time I went to speak with him or he'd even look in my direction an unreadable expression passed over his face and he'd look away. It was breaking me a little. I couldn't seem to focus on anything. Half the time I asked customers the same question at least twice, earning me worried glances from almost everyone.

            Punching out for my fifteen-minute break, I dropped fifty cents under the register and poured myself a much-needed soda. I grabbed my drink and was about to head to the breakroom, but something inside me snapped. Apparently, it was going to be up to me to start the icebreaker conversation. I didn't even think Lucas and I would have ice to break anymore with how long I'd been there.

            I pulled my keys from my pocket, unlocked the door, but still knocked before I entered. Lucas glanced up for only a second and went straight back to his computer. His hand lingered over the mouse, but didn't make any intentions of moving. I closed the door behind me and sat on the desk behind him.

            "I'm on my break and was really hoping I could talk to you about something."

            "Yeah, sure," he nodded. My eyes caught sight of some kind of logo before he pulled up a different document to cover it, "Go ahead."

            "Well, up to this point, I never really gave college much thought," I admitted. With my soda in hand, I let my legs dangle over the side of the desk, "Why waste thousands of dollars on higher education when I had no clue what I wanted to do with the rest of my life."

            Lucas clicked out of all the documents and turned in his chair. He leaned back in the seat to try and get comfortable, but his eyes never stayed on me for very long, "That's smart. Save all the money you can and if you figure it out, you'll have the money. If you don't, you'll still have a savings at least."

            I smiled, there was the normal aura we had, "Exactly. But then I started here." I looked at the ground, suddenly embarrassed at my own words. I had to put my drink on the desk. With the sweat on my palms and the condensation from the cup, I was afraid it might just slip from my grasp, "And I thought, maybe a business degree. What do you think? Do you think I'd be good at that?"

            "I think that's a great idea. If that's what you want." That caught my attention and I forced myself to look up at him. If it was what I wanted... I could feel and hear my heart beating everywhere. In my fingers and toes. It was almost overwhelming.

            His features turned soft, "I think you'd be incredible in HR. You're so friendly and caring. And, great with people."

            He cleared his throat and then it was his turn to look at the floor between us, "You have so much potential. So much life still ahead of you. You don't want to end up like George and I if you can help it."