Pulling Me

Part Two. Need Help

A week passed by in an instance. It was the day before New Year's Eve now and Y/N woke up early in hopes of seeing the stranger's face again.

All of their clothes were already laid out from the night before, per usual. Keeping things in order like this helped them stay sane. Their life has always felt hectic before the blip. A sense of control in whatever they could find was always helpful.

They threw on some dark blue jeans and a faded green sweatshirt before stepping into their white converse and slipping a gray beanie over their head. Before they knew it, they were practically running out the door.

Watching each face as they made their way, Y/N paid more attention than ever. While searching, they noticed so many people were sucked into their phones. So much so that they'd nearly run into about ten people.

Is this what I'm like on a normal day? They thought.

It was a sad thing to watch, but Y/N kept on trucking toward the coffee shop. Rounding the corner and before stepping in, they took one last look around the street to make sure no one stood out.

Not a soul looked familiar, so they stepped in.

The bell above the door rang, signaling to the workers that a new customer had arrived. Y/N waved and smiled quickly before scanning the shop.

Nothing. The stranger they'd so hoped to see was not around. Only a few individuals, Mike and Brandy specifically, were there.

Mike and Brandy worked with Y/N but the three never spoke while in the shop. A quick nod and smile always sufficed. It was a mutual understanding that they were all there to work and relax, not socialize.

But today, Y/N felt the need to break that unspoken rule between coworkers, "Hey, hi." They said while crouching next to the worn couch that Brandy was relaxed on. Her face scrunched, clearly confused.

"Have you uh, have you seen a woman come in here recently with like really elaborate braids? Sounds like she has a very thick accent?" They asked, quickly realizing how odd the question sounded.

Before they could think of an excuse to make the question less awkward, Brandy responded "You mean the woman with the strong Russian accent from last week?"

Russian... I knew it. "Yeah, yes. Her. Have you seen her since?"

While Brandy and Y/N didn't ever speak at the shop, they were actually relatively close while at their job site. Brandy knew of their love life that was nonexistent and smiled at the curiosity they were displaying now.

Y/N quickly caught on to her reveling in the moment of seeing them like this, "Oh shut up. I already know what you're thinking. Just answer me already."

Brandy laughed before finally responding, "I actually saw her yesterday morning when I was getting coffee before work."

Their eyes closed tightly shut realizing that they could've seen her if they'd accepted Brandy's invite to get coffee the morning before. Though it was a slight miss, they took this as a good sign. The stranger isn't here just to visit. It seems that the shop is becoming a part of her routine as well.

"Want me to text you if I see her from now on?" She asked while flipping her own laptop open to start getting ready to work.

Y/N contemplated the idea. Their apartment was a ten minute walk away. Probably five if they ran. Work was even further.

"No, it's fine. Hopefully I'll cross paths with her sooner rather than later. Maybe today, even."

Brandy smiled at their optimism. This wasn't a side of Y/N that she got to see often, if ever. She nodded in response and opened her documents to begin work. A silent cue for Y/N to leave her be now to focus.

They ordered their usual but chose a different seating arrangement this time. Usually, they'd be sat at the table in the back. It always had enough room for them to spread out whatever they needed.

This morning, they'd chosen the window seat. Brandy noticed the change and laughed to herself. She could tell that this stranger was really prominent in their mind and that they weren't letting it go until they met her officially.

Brandy
Will you actually have the
balls to talk to her if she
does show up?

Their eyes opened wide as their mouth dropped before looking up to see Brandy's devious smirk. Without responding through text, Y/N swiftly raised their hand and flicked her off, causing Brandy to throw her head back in a quiet laughter.

Though she picked on them, they were glad to have more eyes to look out for the woman.

Sadly, time came and went again. Before they knew it, the day had passed and the woman had not returned. Y/N thought about staying a bit longer, but Brandy urged them to just give up on the day and maybe come in a different morning before work. They obliged, gathering their stuff and heading out the door alongside their coworker.

"You should go on that date your sister is always bugging you about," Brandy said out of the blue as she walked alongside Y/N down the street.

It had caught them completely off guard considering the conversation the two had had earlier about the stranger from the coffee shop, "Why?"

"Why not? You seem interested enough in someone when you don't even know their name. Maybe ONE date will do you good," she responded.

They thought for a second. Their interest in this coffee shop woman didn't necessarily mean they were ready to go on dates, but maybe it was time. Who knows, maybe the woman Mariah would set them up with was the stranger. Anything was worth a try to find her at this point.

Y/N nodded, staying silent and deep in thought as they continued down the sidewalk. After a few minutes, the two split and went their separate ways home.

Their apartment was quiet as always since they'd lived alone. Slipping their shoes off and tossing their beanie on the counter, Y/N pulled their phone out of their pocket and stared at the blank screen.

Am I ready?

Y/N
What's this person that
that you want to set me up
with look like?

Mariah
Oh my god!!!! Is it finally
happening?? Are you really
going to go on a date now??

They sighed reading the response from their sister. It was already exhausting but they couldn't back out now. Just get it over with, they thought.

Y/N
Can you just answer the
question.

Mariah
Oh! Yes, of course. She is
super sweet. On the taller
side. Total babe. Your type
for SURE!

I don't even know what that means, they thought. What was their type? They hadn't dated anyone in years, hadn't even shown interest in anyone. Was Mariah just pulling from their last ex?

Y/N
What is my type???

Mariah
Oh you know ;)

...I literally don't, they thought. Might as well try and figure it out on my own.

Y/N
What's her name?

It felt like their sister took for ever to answer now. Twenty minutes had passed while they waited. Getting her name would help them search social media to see what she looked like, to see if there was even the slightest chance that she was setting them up with the woman that had flooded their mind for the past week.

Finally, a buzz from their phone sent Y/N flying across the room and onto their couch where it had been laying. They couldn't wait any longer.

Mariah
Kate Bishop.