Every morning the streets would be packed. Dave walked shoulder to shoulder with strangers on his way to the office. Wireless headphones played techno music, turning the mundane shuffle into a solo rave.
Dave had to cancel his haircut appointment, for the sixth time, after work do to a last minute meeting tagged onto his day the night before. His hair was curly, so curly that instead of resting on his broad shoulders it instead reached further and further towards the sun as the days turned into weeks. He wore tennis shoes with gel soles and he had several blazers he kept on rotation between his closet and the dry cleaners.
Once at his desk it took Dave twenty minutes to catch up on his emails. Each email that started with or contained the word ‘favor’ was deleted, there was no time for favors. At noon he stopped by the office building’s cafeteria on the first floor. The thirty story building housed many businesses, some quite different from the tech company Dave worked for. His turkey sandwich and bottle of chocolate milk cost $16.24.
His view during lunch was of the same close quarter maze he fought his way through each morning. Dave kept his head down while he ate. He never talked to anyone while at work outside of impersonal emails and answering questions during meetings. Nobody ever said anything to anyone unless they were new and didn’t know any better.
“Hello.”
The word cut through the air and startled Dave. For a moment he kept his gaze out the window, wondering if somehow he had overheard a passerby talking on their phone through the thick glass.
“Do you mind if I sit with you?”
He turned to see a woman standing beside him, a turkey sandwich in one hand and a bottle of strawberry milk in the other. Without saying a word he nodded and gestured towards the empty chair across from him. She had blue eyes. Her hair rested on her shoulders the way he wished his would. She was wearing a white skirt which went well past her knees and a green blouse.
“It’s my first day,” she said. “I’m Kelsey, by the way.”
Dave nodded.
“I didn’t interrupt you, did I? If you want to be alone I can leave. It’s just that there aren’t many other seats.”
Dave shook his head.
“I’m Dave,” he replied.
“Where do you work? This building is so big I feel like I could talk to a dozen people and each one would have a different job. I’m on floor six, marketing for various toy companies.”
“Tech,” replied Dave. “Sales.”
She smiled in that polite way that’s more of a crease from one side of the face to the other.
“Floor eighteen,” he added, finding his voice. “They cram us into cubicles. I’ve been talking to people using email for so long I can’t remember the last time I had an actual conversation here.”
“Maybe that’s why I keep getting strange looks from everyone.” She took a bite out of her sandwich and swished it around in her right cheek. “I’ve been here since nine and this is the first conversation I’ve had.”
“Are you new to the city?”
She nodded.
“If you’d like,” he could feel himself blushing, “I could give you a tour. Doesn’t have to be tonight or anything, maybe we just grab a coffee when you have some free time and take a walk up and down the streets a bit.”
“Tonight would be perfect. Wait, not unless you feel like waiting. There’s some meeting I have to attend that’s supposed to keep me here until 6:00.”
“I’m in a similar boat,” he replied. “We could meet here when our meetings get out.”
“I’d like that,” she replied.
*****
Kelsey’s cubicle space was just enough to fit her keyboard and monitor onto a small desk with her chair tucked in. After lunch she wedged herself into place and opened up her email. She had until the meeting at the end of the day to come up with a few slogans for a toy line involving dinosaur dolls from Triceratops High.
By the end of the day she had four pitches, each more ridiculous than the last. The large room where the meeting was held felt just as cramped as her office space as people filled the chairs and lined the walls.
Her boss, Mr. Graves, a man in his mid-fifties with a bushy grey mustache and a ‘full head’ of jet black hair, sat with his elbows on the conference table and his fingers in a pyramid. After each set of pitches he would shake his head and say, in a curt voice, “Next.”
“Hi,” said Kelsey. “It’s my first day.” She caught his glare and sank her gaze into the paper in her hands. “Exams are extinct at Triceratops High.” His shoulders rose before he let out a heavy sigh. “Meet-ee-your new classmates at,” he raised an eyebrow and she cut her line short, “too soon?”
Mr. Graves erupted in a contagious fit of laughter which soon spread about the conference room.
“You’re all right, kid,” he said. “Kelsey, was it? I like you. Let’s go with that one.”
*****
Dave was waiting in the cafeteria with a cup of coffee when Kelsey arrived. She was wearing a pastel green coat and had a beige purse big enough for a bowling ball in her hand.
“Where to first?” she asked.
“Somewhere we can get a proper cup of coffee,” he said, raising his empty paper cup in the air. “There’s a place down the street I like quite a bit. How was your first day?”
“It was great! Well, the meeting at the end was at least. My boss loved my pitch and I got a big laugh out of everyone.”
“Wish my meeting went that well. Glad your day was capped with a laugh, only four more to go before eternity.”
“How was your day? You didn’t happen to cause everyone to laugh at your meeting too, did you?”
“I didn’t even manage to wedge a smile from between my bosses’ lips. Everyone there was going through the motions. I got to present, which is never easy. I barely slept a wink last night thinking about it.” He pushed the revolving door and Kelsey shuffled in close behind him. Once outside he took in a deep breath as he led the way towards the coffee shop. “I always feel like myself again the second I leave that building.”
“What keeps you from feeling like yourself while you’re inside?”
“Expectations I suppose. If I were walking by myself I’d have my headphones in and be listening to music. Can’t listen to anything other than the clacking of keys on the keyboard while stuck in my cubicle.” He pressed the button at the crosswalk. “We’re almost there. If you go left here there’s a deli that makes the best tuna melt you’ll ever have in your life. Oh, and if you have time after we get coffee there’s a record store down the street a ways I’d like to check out. It’s been a while since I ventured down this way. Usually after work its straight home, rinse and repeat.”
“Let’s listen to some music then. Do you have ear buds we can share?”
He removed his ear buds from his coat pocket and handed the left one to Kelsey.
“You sure you’re ready for this?” he asked, a grin curling up the sides of his face.
She nodded.
The light turned and they walked across the street. He picked his morning playlist. The first song started slow but picked up about in minute in. As they walked towards the coffee shop he watched her, waiting for the moment the song would turn. She turned to him, a big smile on her face. They continued on down the street, both enjoying their rave for two.
Thank you for reading this week’s entry of Friday Romance. I hope you enjoyed! Do you know anyone who would enjoy romance stories in their inbox? Please share with friends and family if you wish, this helps my newsletter grow and reach more readers.
Question: Does this story remind you of anyone? If so, please forward it to them.
Question: What other genres do you like to read?
Thank you to all who have checked out The Centennial Courtship on Nook and Kindle! Would you want to live in the small town of Brooks Landing?
If you’re looking for more reading options, I have a book available on Kindle and Nook as well as various serials on Kindle Vella.
The Centennial Courtship on Kindle. Please leave a review on Amazon if you’ve read it. You can either write a review or just rate it out of 5 stars.
The Centennial Courtship is now available for Nook readers!
Check out the first 3 chapters for FREE on Kindle Vella. (Easily read on your phone)
Abigail Bloom's life is thrown into a sweeping romance when a new deputy rolls into the small town of Brooks Landing, but when her ex-husband enters back into her life, she's unsure if she can hold onto her new chance at true love. A break-in in the small town causes Abigail's ex to suspect the new deputy - Can she trust her new love interest or is he using her as an alibi?
How about some serial fiction? “One Town Over” on Kindle Vella offers up another small town romance, this time set in Peek Creak (which may sound familiar if you’ve read “The Centennial Courtship”). Follow along as a new romance blooms! You can read on your phone/tablet/computer. (contemporary romance, office romance, romantic comedy)
(First 3 episodes FREE) John Prince's life in Peak Creek seems perfect. He's been seeing Cassandra Queen for six months and hopes to move in together. However, Cassandra resists the change, putting John's romantic future into question. When an opportunity to advance at work opens up, John feels his luck turning around. Katie Young, a recent transfer at the firm, has other plans. Their rivalry collides when they have to co-present during a company retreat.
Romance story collections (available on Kindle Vella) First 3 episodes are FREE in each collection (9 FREE stories). Perfect for quick reading sessions on your phone:
The Fantasy of Love: A Romance Story Collection
The Mystery of Love: A Romance Story Collection
The Science of Love: A Romance Story Collection
My Link Tree (Where to find me)
Connect with me on Instagram @danleicht
Wondering what to read next? Discover more on danleicht.com