[Really sorry for the late post, been a busy busy week for me!]
I wait for her to come by my desk everyday and I’ve been doing that for the past week. It’s been five days and she still hasn’t appeared, which isn’t supposed to be like her. She was praised to be a very capable and beautiful lady who would take very good care of her team mates, but I feel neglected despite her promises that she would come and see me. Every day, she’s busy scuttling about. I see her in the lift lobby, in the reception area or near the toilet, but always from afar. By the time I get to where she was standing a moment before, she has already hurriedly left for another location, her heels clicking away in the distance.
I pretend I don’t notice the feeling of yearning within me, the longing for her. I haven’t taken a good look at her face for a long time and would love the chance to scrutinise it and to commit every curve and every measurement to my memory, so when I next miss her, I can dig into the recesses of my mind. I pretend I don’t notice the feeling of neglect and jealousy at seeing the other colleagues having such a great time at work, and I’m jealous because I know having lunch with her would really make my day.
I numb myself to those feelings, keep them buried inside my heart, swivel my chair about to face the desk and began typing away on my handphone: “Hi Eleanor, Can I have lunch with you today?”
Such a nice slice-of-life piece. I like the inaccessibility expressed by her clicking heels. Hopefully today will be the day.
You’re not late, by the way – you have until Monday to post. : )
I really enjoyed this. I think your word was perfect. I almost flew through some sentences, then I got to the one about the curve of her face and I slowed down to take it all in, then I sped back up. Upon rereading it, I think that the MC’s thoughts would have had that same fast-slow-fast pace and it’s nice to mimic that while reading. Well done!
Is this a shy admirer, or the beginning of a potential stalker? Preamble for something longer, I think.
Thank you! It’s the beginning of something interesting to come
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Really nice, the desperation really comes through.
KP’s comment definitely expresses my reaction. I’m a little worried for Eleanor!
Also, you manage to give us a picture of Eleanor that I think really tells us about her character, and you do it all through reported actions — very cool.