M.K. Lee's Blog: Telling Tales, page 50
November 7, 2020
From Across The Hall – 7
It’s a rainy Wednesday morning when they first make eye contact. Ruben has been in work a couple of hours, his jacket so soaked on his run between the bus and the shopping centre despite his umbrella that he’s not sure it will dry by the time he gets to go home. He is just considering offering to do a pastry run to give everyone in the store a little sugar boost, when Ruben sees him. Or rather, barista-guy catches him looking.
Barista-guy skids to a halt outside the coffee shop, slipping on a...
November 6, 2020
From Across The Hall – 6
He’s not even all that shy, Ruben tells himself one evening as he’s staring down at the tablet his stylus is poised over, frowning that yet again he’s found himself drawing barista-man into his work. Okay, so it’s been a while since he’s dated, and yes, he really did get a little jaded after the boyfriend who will not be named. But he’s not shy, he really isn’t. He can flirt with the best of them. In fact, he’s been smirked at enough times for doing so at work with customers even without conscio...
Treatment
He’d never been good at receiving the silent treatment. But being on the receiving end of it from Gareth was a whole other level of discomfort. Mark stared at his bent head, silently pleading with him to look up from the book he was either engrossed in or pretending to read. No amount of clearing his throat or shifting in his seat got Gareth’s attention.
“So you’re not going to say anything to me? Anything at all?”
“I thought you had the answer to everything,” Gareth replied, stiffly turni...
November 5, 2020
From Across The Hall – 5
Ruben has imagined green eyes, blue eyes, deep, beautiful brown ones. Barista-guy has thick, heavy eyebrows one day, and carefully plucked ones the next. There is forever present stubble that made Ruben once spilt a coffee for fantasising about the feel of on his neck. Truly, it’s hell when he’s at the cash register and barista-guy is in full view, talking to customers and his beautiful laughter carrying across to taunt him. At least, Ruben’s decided that it’s beautiful; he couldn’t really hear ...
November 4, 2020
From Across The Hall – 4
Ruben doesn’t know how he hasn’t managed to convince himself to go to the coffee shop yet. He’s not adverse to any of the cakes and sandwiches on display in there, and the scent that drifts out from the constantly purring coffee machines is always so good, like a little burst of caffeine without even having to try for it.
The shopping centre has an entire food court on the floor below the multiscreen cinema, as well as a different type of eatery on every floor. Ruben favours a sandwich bar up...
Scrape
The scrape of the branches against the window had ceased to irritate him, blending into little more than background noise. He only looked up for the clattering at the back gate, jolting as the bin struck the side of the house. He looked at the window, debating even getting up from his desk. But the thought of the bin lid rattling around out there and what damage it might do sent him rushing to the back door, yanking it open and bracing against the expected gale.
There was nothing but stillnes...
November 3, 2020
From Across The Hall – 3
He really does like his job, Ruben thinks as he untangles a mound of coat hangers that have been slung into a now-ripping box, hoping it doesn’t tear any further and send the wretched things scattering across the floor. He has decent hours, only works one weekend in four, Mark is a great manager who isn’t afraid to muck in and help out when they’re busy, and it’s not the kind of job that exhausts him so much he can’t think of anything else when he goes home.
Ruben is working on a couple of pi...
November 2, 2020
From Across The Hall – 2
The thing about working in a shopping centre in the very centre of town, is that it’s a job that’s rarely without some form of entertainment. Be it the screaming child who smears ice cream on the freshly-cleaned windows of every store they pass, the competition between stores to outdo each other for seasonal displays, or that general smile and nod between workers from various stores that says something along the lines of what are we doing here.
Not that Ruben doesn’t like his job, because he ...
Integrity
He speaks of integrity. Moral fiber, and honesty. One of those folks who speaks as they find, views things as plain as day. He can twist that integrity, mould it any way he sees fit so that anything that is beyond his understanding is open to persecution. His morals are intact, but his heart and soul are not.
Holding court in a pub corner, in a cubicle at work, or even on the platform at the train station, does not mean anyone is listening. Their eyes glaze over, they nod in all the right pl...
November 1, 2020
From Across The Hall – 1
Summary: Ruben has a crush on the cute barista in the coffee shop opposite from where he works. Will he ever work up the courage to at least say hello?
One chapter posting a day November 1 through December 1.
Ruben’s late for work again.
He charges through the rotating doors at the main entrance of the shopping centre willing them to spin faster, and in doing so commits the ultimate sin of touching the door. Ruben’s face smacks against the glass as it comes to a juddering stop, smea...
