Her back was turned but she knew he was there in the doorway as she stared over the roofs of the city. Her chicken salad sat perched on the edge, half was waiting for his arrival. She knew the number of soft taps before he reached her side. His entire scent would surround me as he leaned forward to kiss her cheek.
This was their first time together in silence. They had their first meeting during lunchtime 3 years ago. They were strangers trying to escape the rat rate of the sounds pressed down beneath us. All the honking horns, sounds of tires stopping and starting, and bike messengers felt faraway up here.
No one ever took the last flight of stairs onto the roof. They probably thought the door was locked but none of them ever dared to give it an extra shove. She didn’t know what made her do it but she held her breath and then relaxed when no alarm sounded.
He stood there with a small smile on his face with his eyes closed before he turned in her direction. He was waiting for her. The look in his eyes said that this wasn’t the first time that he waited for her. Her own feet carried her there like a lost pigeon looking for birdseed.
His eyes never left hers as he handed her half of his sandwich. Chicken salad and juicy, cold grapes. They stood together in silence, looking over their city. Sanctuaries are hard to find in crowded places but here they were together.
She didn’t know how long they stood there together but she savored every bite. Since when did chicken salad ever taste this good. Maybe it was the fact that she dared to open the door today. It’t not like anything was special about this Wednesday.
Or maybe it was the fact that she found someone else who found a hiding place away from the crowds. This was better than listening to the office gossip of the administrators. Maybe it was the fact that he didn’t feel the need to say a word. His eyes said everything and they reminded her of warm chestnuts.
She saw him hold back and take the last bite of her sandwich together. It was like he was trying to create a memory with her. She watched as his hand reached into his pocket to take out a napkin. He gently dabbed the corner of her mouth. It was the first time she saw that smile.
Without saying a word he tucked the napkin into her pocket. Then, he leaned forward and kissed the side of her cheek. His full lips barely brushed her skin. She watched his eyes smile down at her again.
“Until next Wednesday?”
“Chicken salad again? Did you make it?”
His lips just laughed and her squeezed the tops of her arms. “Until next week.”
She watched as he walked back to the door. His head turned slightly and she saw him look back at her through the glass window of the door. There was that smile again. He didn’t turn back before he disappeared.
She didn’t know what to think of their first meeting. When she curled her fingers around the napkin he put in her pocket she heard a crunch. She unwrapped it like a present and laughed when she looked down at the small packet. Birdseed.
Did he hear her comment when she turned down Mark last week. He asked her lunch but she knew it was just casual. He asked all the new hires that were female to lunch. She told him she had to go feed her pet pigeon. He actually didn’t know how to respond and just nodded before he told her next time.
She thought she heard a small laugh as he left. Their eyes met. They hadn’t been introduced but he was Mark’s boss. Actually, he was everyone’s boss. The women in the office also said he was single. Which is why she was shocked when he winked in her direction before he turned back to his computer.
Wasn’t there some HR rule against that? Did he actually notice that she one of his new hires? No one every cared before. She was just someone who did the fancy spreadsheets and PowerPoints for them.
What did she do now as she walked past his office back to her desk that sat kitty corner from him? He didn’t look up as she sat back down at her desk. It was back to work again. She managed to forget about her lunch until Mark walked over. She watched as he picked up the packet on the corner of her desk.
“You really did go to fee your pigeon. I thought you were just making that up.”
Her eyes blinked at the packet as he set it back down on her desk.
“What’s your pet’s name?”
“My pet?”
“Yeah, your pigeon has a name right?”
She felt a slight panic rise in her throat. Then, she looked over Mark’s shoulder at the name plate on the door. “His name is Misha.”
“Oh, right. Well, I have to get back my own reports.” Mark nodded and then whistled back to his a few rows over.
She stared down at the packet of seeds and tried not to laugh out loud. When she looked back up her eyes caught his again and he winked again with his other eye. She thought of the bursting flavor of the grapes from her new pet. Silence is something to be savored.
I know my post was later but I’ve been writing. I hope you enjoyed the short I started from my own prompts today. I just wanted to share what I’ve been working on. Remember to be kind, I followed my own instructions and this is my raw writing. I did go back in and change the voice to third person after I realized I switched from first to third halfway through.
Tomorrow is Friday and I think I’m going to keep going with my short. You can follow my own prompt by continuing to work on what you started this week. Just write for 5 -10 minutes. Let your fingers fly and see where they take you.
Happy writing this weekend! My posts are Monday to Friday!
Imagine Inspire Create: 52 Weeks of action and gratitude is available at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09S6XCLFY/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_Q7MHM9CFBSASDG56YMJQ
Get closer to your writing goals with my Writer’s Journal filled with writing prompts and exercises. You can find a copy at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0931QRL7C/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_VTHN0QSHXRYK6RJ1XSWQ.
Writer's Block Inc 