Coffee Talk

Chapter Fifteen: Editor

    The houses whizzed past as I raced down the highway, back towards Mark's apartment.

    What should I tell him? God, I'm already so embarrassed from before. What'll he do if he knew Kurt advanced on me?

    I shook the thoughts from my head as my car once again slid into the parking spot in front of Mark's place. I hopped out and rushed up the stairs, knocking on his door.

    Mark soon opened it and greeted me with confusion. "Hey, w-why are you back so soon?"

    I looked at him with nervous eyes, then glanced around. "Can I come in?"

    Mark opened the door wider and let me step inside. He closed the door behind me and turned around to face me.

    I dropped my voice lower. "Um, you remember Kurt?"

    "Yeah, your co-worker."

    "Yeah.", I replied. "Well, we were laughing and joking today, as we always do. Suddenly, he just... leaned in to kiss me."

    Mark's expression was unchanging. The same confusion as before filled his eyes.

    "Really?", he asked.

    I looked at the floor. "You know, I've always thought of him as a friend, even a brother. But... I had no idea he had feelings for me."

    Mark nodded and looked at his shoes. "And... did you kiss him back?"

    "No, no, of course not. I backed away and ran. I-I didn't know what to do. I mean, we were actually talking about you. I told him how much... well, how much I like you. And for him to go and do something like that right after, I just..." I felt my eyes begin to form tears.

    "Hey, hey, it's okay." Mark pulled me in for a hug. "Shhh."

    I let myself cry as I buried my face in Mark's shirt.

    "It's just been- a really stressful day.", I sniffled.

    "It really has. I'm sorry." He sighed and hugged me tighter. "You did the right thing." Mark reached an arm behind me to grab a tissue. I wiped my cheeks with it and pulled away. I felt protected in his embrace.

    "Thank you." My eyes slowly raised to meet his and he smiled.

    "You're here, and everything's going to be alright."

I looked at my feet and sighed. "I don't know what I'm going to do. I mean, that's my workplace. I-I'm supposed to be working today. But... I just can't bare to go back."

Mark nodded.

"And Kim can't deal with this right now because Gerald is in the hospital. I just..."

Mark narrowed his eyebrows. "Hmm."

I gave him a look. "...What?"

"This might be crazy... but what if you, if you agree, of course... what if you became one of my editors?" Mark bit his lip.

I raised my eyebrows. "Mark, I don't know the first thing about-"

"I'll teach you.", he offered. He picked up on the hesitation in my expression. "Look, I know it's not ideal, but... if, and only if, you needed a temporary job instead of the one you're in now, I'm offering to help you out."

I paused to think. I had never thoroughly investigated my career options, and was truly unsure of what I wanted to be. Maybe I'm good at editing? I liked to occasionally draw and paint with my mom, who works back home in New York as an art gallery overseer. What if I actually enjoy this?