He slowly made his way back to my desk and sat in the chair in front of it. Our eyes never left each other...
He slowly made his way back to my desk and sat in the chair in front of it. Our eyes never left each other...
“ Good to Great” By Author Monica“ MoGeSu” Sumter
“ Ugh,” I thought to myself as I watched the crowd from the bar.
My eyes scanned the different faces and paused when I got to the crew I’ d come with. I loved my friends dearly but I just wasn’ t feeling apart of the whole scene tonight. I’ d been working extremely hard to close out the year’ s files and I was exhausted. I couldn’ t help but notice how happy they all were. My friend Jasmine was married with kids. Todd was newly engaged. Kristian was single but had a long time boyfriend. We were expecting him to propose any day now. Those were my closest friends but out of my entire circle I was the only truly single person with not even a hint of settling down.
“ TEN! NINE! EIGHT!” The countdown had begun.
I turned away from the crowd and back towards the bar. The bartender stood smiling, watching over the crowd.
“ You better hurry up and grab someone to kiss on at midnight,” she yelled at me over the noise.
“ Nah I’ m flying solo,” I yelled back.“ Well you at least made your resolution?” she asked.
“ Just to go harder in my career this year than I did last year,” I told her proudly.
“ Well maybe that’ s a big part of the reason why you flying solo,” she said as the crowd hit“ ONE!”
“ HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!” everyone shouted and the crowd went wild.
Confetti and balloons streamed from everywhere and people blew horns and kissed. I sat in silence, absolutely stunned at the bartender’ s words. Pissed, I abruptly got up and stormed out of the club and into the crisp, cold night air.
Auld Lang Syne could be heard billowing from every building out into the streets. I had no earthly idea where I was going but I just knew I had to get far away from that damn bar.
“ Just who in the hell do she think she is?” I asked out loud to myself.
“ I worked my ass off to get where I am and I ain’ t letting no bartender take that away from me!”
This year so far had gotten off to an awful start and it was literally only two minutes in. The last place I wanted to go was home just to be alone with my thoughts but the wind was relentless and my hands were cold as ice. I ducked into my favorite diner and basked in the warmth that greeted me. I looked around and the line was longer than I cared to stand in. I took a window seat and decided to wait it out there instead.
While staring out the window I saw visions of the happy couples kissing and bringing in the new year together while the bartender’ s words played over and over in my head. I closed my eyes and just wanted it all to go away. It wasn’ t like I’ d never been in a relationship. I’ d been in a few but they all just brought stress and heartache. I didn’ t need either one of those while trying to further my career. My parents were well taken care of and I was able to put my little brother thorough college so all was good on my end as far as I was concerned. I was happy that they were happy and that was enough for me... right?
“ Happy New Year,” a close by male voice greeted me.
I jumped and turned around. Standing there with two cups that had steam curling up from their tops was a guy I’ d seen around in the diner and the building I work in. I figured he worked there too. I had the slightest idea what his name was.
“ Yea same to you,” I barely said as I turned back towards the window.
“ It’ s pretty cold outside. I figured you could use a little something to warm you up. That line was long and those heels are hella tall so I just took it upon myself to get you your usual.”
I snapped my head around.“ And what is that?”
“ A large hot chocolate heavy on the caramel but light on the whipped cream,” he quoted.
“ Stalk much?” I hesitantly reached up and took the cup as he was handing it my way. He could see the weirded-out look on my face so he explained.
“ We’ re in here at the same time most mornings. I hear you order the same thing all the time.”
12 THRIVE MAGAZINE