Short Story Collection- Love and Death

Love Comes in all Forms

I pulled a rolled up twenty from the bottom of my knock off Michael Kors purse and handed it to the waitress. "I'll take a roll to go please." The young brunette nodded and walked into the kitchen. I looked to my right out the large plate of glass where a flock of birds pecked at a pile of fries and bread left by some strangers.

"We have a few things in common, don't we?" I gazed at the birds, they had no idea where their wings took them, but once they got there, they were pretty damn happy with what they got. One thing I wish I remembered how to be; happy.

"Pardon?" The waitress said behind me with the receipt and my change in her bony pale, hand, and a small brown bag with the roll inside in the other.

I looked her in the eye and shook my head. "It's nothing. May I have my change so I can go?"

She scrambled and handed me my ten dollars and random coins, I crumbled up the receipt and threw it away on my way out. "I'll be back tomorrow I guess, Eliza." I waved and pushed open the door into the crowded sidewalk of New York City.

A man about my age bumped into me, making me lose my balance, though I caught it before needing assistance. He left a trail of sewer mixed with alcohol as he continued without looking back. I stared at him for a while, he walked like an office worker, with unnerving confidence and vigor. His hair was fairly groomed give or take the few stragglers, and his jacket was an expensive brand name that had the initials "H.M." carved into the right side of the collar.

"Now, what could they mean?" I received a strange look from a passerby so I turned and headed back for the office while thinking about the initials.

I know those letters... I thought.

"Bri?" Natalie poked my shoulder blade, bending away from her cubicle. "You okay? You seem a bit distracted today."

"No, it's nothing. It's just this homeless man I bumped into."

"Ew gross. Did you bathe after?" Natalie shivered; her pen waved in her mouth.

"Is that necessary?" I shook my head in disappointment. "Of course not! Not everyone is as jaded as you. Besides," I said. "he looked familiar like I've seen him before." I leaned back in my black office chair and sighed. "Nat? You work with the office employee records right?"

She nodded. "Yeah, why?"

I turned my gaze to my friend, her brow was raised and her mouth curled in a slight grin like she was about to do something illegal. "Could you look up all previous employees with the initials 'H.M.'?"

She moaned. "I suppose. For a price."

"For god's sake Nat!" I sighed and sat straight in my chair. "What is it you want this time?"

She chuckled and bit the top of her pen. "Lunch at the most expensive place and a movie. You can choose the movie, though." She smiled and pulled herself back toward her desk without waiting for my answer.

"Well, whatever. That's not so bad." I went back to my filing and sending out emails to our clients about the closures for the following holidays this month and next month.

There was something I didn't get, though. Why didn't he even look back? I mean he stole my roll, but a normal person would have looked back to see if you were okay, homeless or not. It was like he was trying to avoid eye contact or something.

"Shit," I muttered as I read through the email with every word I had been thinking, instead of what it was supposed to say.

"Everything okay over there?" Natalie leaned back enough to see me.