❝ sometimes love isn't exactly
what we think it's going
to be. ❞
hearts & other breakable things
by cassidy smith
[ started: 2019 - 2021 ]
[ edited 2021 ]
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januarie robinson - august 14, 2019 -
NICK AND I DREW THE unlucky cards and got stuck on the two center registers for the day, which for us meant nothing, but a whole lot of standing around. We stood in silence for most of it. All thanks to me, really. What does one say to the guy who almost caught you in the arms of his brother who just so happens to also be your boss...?
With a ballpoint pen between my fingers, I scribbled a few cartoon caricatures of my co-workers on a scrap piece of receipt paper.
"Those are really good."
"Oh, no," I waved him off, "these are just some doodles. Normally, I sit at Tony's Coffee where my sister works. It's this cozy little place on the main strip of road. That's where you can get the best references."
"Which sister?"
"Jordyn." I smiled, "She's in her last year of high school. Wants to go to college for Computer Science."
"And you just go there and draw? I'm guessing in an actual sketchbook and not on scraps of receipt paper."
"Mainly on Wednesday. Thursdays are reserved for movies and friend time."
"Hear that, Luke." Nick called across the lobby; however, his voice had very little humor in it, "You're working this girl too hard."
My eyes grew wide. If I thought it was bad the first time around, I was wrong. Lucas and I had avoided each other like the plague after what happened in the office. I'd start panicking whenever we were in a room together. Was I being weird? Was he being weird? Did people think we were acting strange?
I jabbed him in the ribs behind the soda tower, "No. You're not. Don't listen to him.
"I hardly ever do." Lucas called back to us. My heart pounded against my chest. We hadn't talked to each other casually in what seemed like forever on my part, "Especially when he calls me, Luke."
"Sure, sure," Nick smiled and it turned mischievous. Him and Victoria were making up for a lot of the trouble in my life. I actually think they would get along beautifully. As long as he didn't bring up the hair and she didn't bring up the wife.
"Say," he spoke as if the thought had just occurred to him, but I highly doubt it did, "why doesn't Januarie take you to that nice little coffee shop on Wednesday? What'd you call it? Tony's? You both have the day off and you both like coffee seems like the perfect fit."
My eyes darted from Lucas to Nick and then around the lobby, "Nick it's not hard to find. It's this little red building on the side of the main road. I don't think Lucas would need anyone to show him where it is."
