the not so romantic / simon minter

03

She can feel a stray thread from her sweater poking at the inside of her left wrist, by the time she's got more than she can carry in her arms. She's got drinks, bags of food from different places, and Dominic's coffee he told her to get last minute through a text message. 

Today wasn't her day. She didn't feel like being at work. She didn't feel like dealing with her boyfriend. She didn't feel like putting a smile on her pretty face.

When she comes up to the building's door, the doorman quickly pulls the door open, helping her through by grabbing a few bags from her arms, and he smiles at her.

"My main girl, Mags! What's with that frown?" He pokes her cheek, and she swiftly turns her head and pretends to bite his finger. She giggles.

She's been working as long as Nathan, and it's nice to be in his company because he does silly things like that to make her feel better. She reminds him of her Grandfather. They've both got that same greying hair, and that same smile that makes their eyes wrinkle in the corners. She likes to be in his company, even if she is in a terrible mood.

"That man-child giving you a hard time?" He pokes her cheek again before helping her across the room, and pushing the elevator button. "Because if he is, I'll go on up there and give him a piece of my mind."

Mags giggles, and she can feel the warmth of the room rush over her. She touches her nose with her (mostly) free hand. It's cold, and she knows that it's red. She's got such bad pigmentation in her face, that any sort of irritation, or even if it's the slightest bit hot (or cold) her cheeks and nose look red (and sometimes even splotchy).

"I can deal with him." She replies, and her stomach bubbles in contempt at the thought of him treating her so unkindly this morning. "At least I think I can."

Once she gets in the elevator and securely sets down the bags Nathan was carrying for her, she remembers that she still has to cover the hickey on her neck. And by the time she gets back to the office, settles and organizes everything, she finally puts the only large-sized band-aid across her neck.

It looks ridiculous.

It looks like there's something much more worse happening there.

She pulls her hair over her shoulder to hide the bandage. Going to the conference room she notes that it's quiet, and realizes that Dominic is back in his office, and a gentleman wearing a dark green business suit is talking in the hall. He smiles at her, all tooth and gums, and pats her on the shoulder for good measure. He seems like a kind-sort.

When she passes through the door, there are now seven people sitting at the table instead of the nine, originally. She silently sets down the food and drinks on the table, and fixes her bangs from falling in her eyesight.

"We didn't mean to laugh."

Maggie looks up, raising her eyebrows. She notices that the guy is wearing two hoodies, one black, and the other a multitude of colours. He's wearing a cap that reads 'BBK'. She faintly smiles.

"It was an awkward situation, you know? We aren't like..., you know."

"Sexist." The blond boy who riled up Dominic earlier, spoke up.

Maggie scratches the back of her neck, wincing when she scratches a little too hard. She looks at the wall. "He isn't. That's his way of trying to be funny, despite the joke being about someone."