Love Without Tragedy | JB | a.u| BWWM | COMPLETE

Five.

I'd been vacuuming the same spot over and over again for the last half hour as I stared into space.

Anywhere was better than home, I kept repeating to myself as I felt my body throb repeatedly as I moved my limbs.

The smaller suits weren't too much to deal with. Usually, the only people to stay in them were ones who just needed a place to sleep for one night.

Even though my shift was to end soon, I didn't want to go home early. I decided I'd relax at the coffee shop after work, just to be alone and to have a moment to sit still.

After putting my cleaning equipment away and sending the dirty towels and linen to the laundry, I headed to the coffee shop and settled at a table at a window with a chocolate chip muffin and a tall cup of coffee.

I watched the world go by as I listened to my body radiate pain. It didn't show on my face, I hoped, but I felt it and I heard it in the base of my ears as my pulse worked overtime. I watched some people rush by as they got on with their lives, I watched people in the coffee shop get on with their lives: work, relaxation, chattering, laughter... I just stared as it all happened in front of me, my mind in a different world.

I felt a tear roll down my cheek but I quickly wiped it and put on a smile, as if someone was watching me and I didn't want them to notice.

I exhaled and let my curly hair down and stretched it out over my shoulders. I looked down at my muffin then cut it into four bite-size pieces.

"Banks."

I quickly looked up and found Mr Bieber standing at my table with a cup of coffee in his hand.

"Mr Bieber." I put on a smile.

"I didn't know you liked coming down here. I actually thought you'd get today off since you're in my suite every other day."

"I take my job seriously." I said.

He smiled that amused smile at me.

"May I sit?" He asked.

"Knock yourself out." I said.

He pulled out a chair and sat opposite me.

He examined my face for a moment but I looked down at my muffin and felt thankful, for the first time, for my thick curly hair.

"You like your own company? You don't say much." He said.

"I don't know what to talk to you about." I emphasized on the word 'you' as if I were referring to him as a different type of human.

"Well, you do a good job at cleaning my suite so... Thank you." He said.

No one's ever thanked me for the work I do around here.

"Do you always thank people who work for you?" I asked him.

"If I feel they deserve it. I'm not a monster, Banks." He said, amused.

Coulda fooled me, Mr Perfection.

"Well... You're welcome." I said.

I picked up a piece of my muffin and put it in my mouth and slowly chewed it.

Mr Bieber chuckled.

I looked up at him.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing." He smiled and sipped his coffee.

I noticed he was wearing a grey hoodie. Maybe he came back from the gym? He looked so carefree when he was dressed all casual. Like the 20-something year old he really was.