Finding You

Zombies are the Least of my Problems

"Can I see?" He asks and I stop breathing.

"I mean if you want. It's not that good though." I scratch at my neck. I pull the laptop onto the table and he moves to my side, right beside me. My watch unlocks it and I click my email.

From: Thomas Kennedy
Subject: Perfection

Great work again, Natalie. It's perfect. Go ahead and submit it to Collin for approval and begin uploading and scheduling for posting on the website. Get some sleep gorgeous. See ya tomorrow.

I blush at the email. He's never been so forward with me before. Of course he's like this while Brad is beside me.

To: Thomas Kennedy
Subject: Consider it done

Thanks! I'll have it done before midnight. Video should go up without a problem. I'll post it with you tomorrow. Good night!

I send the email and become hyperaware of Brad staring down at me and the computer.

"I didn't realize you were dating someone." He states and I bite my lip.

"I'm not. I'm going through a divorce and since the company is so small all of us are pretty close. He's not usually so weird." I click on the video and open it without so much as a glance at Brad. My face is beet red.

I slide the computer over so he can see the video at a better angle. He slides one headphone in and plays the video. It's pretty short, only about 7 minutes, which is good because this is our introduction to what we do. We all did a short little segment but Thomas was the lead. He had it first and was in charge of arranging the video in the order that he wanted and I was in charge of the final product.

Brad moves the mouse and moves it, speeding the video up and jumping to different parts. He looks at my transitions and editing and I can feel all the criticisms coming. I close my eyes and look out the window and completely away from the scene going on.

"It's really good. I'm impressed for a small company. There's just this one little thing." He hands me one of the headphones and I slide it into my ear slowly.

"Listen." He moves it to a moment and I listen and hear what sounds like a weird noise that should not be there. It's like someone was talking and it didn't get taken out.

"Oh wow. Good ear." I move my finger to the mouse pad and pull the video back up in the editing software. My fingers go to work snipping it out and listening for a good moment to snip it back together. Once I find it, I start a few seconds before the weird noise and we both listen for it and I sigh, relieved that it's gone.

I pull my email up again and type out a short message to Collin. I attach the video and send it off. I close all of my applications and groan as I close the youtube tab, knowing well that Brad saw what I was listening to.

"What had you worried today?" He asks as we both take our headphone out. I close the laptop and slide it away from me and sigh.

"My husband, who I've been separated from for a year now, finally sent over divorce papers and I forgot to sign in a place. So he's been calling all day and texting and sending emails. I ran away to Georgia to get away from him and somehow he still manages to drive me insane." I turn towards him, crossing my legs.

"Exs are the worst. Mine was supposed to meet me here this afternoon but only invited me out so she could go to the apartment and get all of her stuff out." He shrugs. "I had this feeling she would do something like that so I came anyways and decided to stay a while." He explains and I half smile.

"It's a good thing you did. I was going to come say hey earlier but fell into editing and was sure you'd be gone before I finished."

"I'm glad I stayed too. You've been good company." He smiles and I can't help but smile with him.

"I never in a million years thought that I would have the chance to meet you, much less hear you call me good company."

"I've enjoyed our conversation even if it was a little unorthodox."

"I've never been that open about my past with someone. It's nice to get it off my chest." I sigh and reach up to start pulling the bobby pins out of my hair.

"Hey guys. We close in an hour." The barista tells us. "Okay, we'll leave soon." I smile at him as he walks away. I let my hair fall from my bun, still twisted. I shove the pins into my laptop bag and unravel my hair, feeling the tension headache, that was beginning, fade.

"Sorry, my hair gives me headaches when I keep it up too long." I apologize as Brad watches me. He takes in my appearance and smiles.

"So we can either exchange numbers and call it or night or we could find some trouble to get into." I raise my eyebrow.

"I could be a crazy stalker or just crazy in general. Are you sure you'd want to do either of those things with me, a stranger?" I ask and grab my lip between my thumb and forefinger, nervously. He nods slowly.

"You could but I don't think you are." He smiles and I feel butterflies. There's something about that smile. It's playful and mischievous.

"Just so you know, I am nothing special. I don't have anything going for me and I have a lot of baggage." I break the silence and  he shrugs.

"And I'm just a grown man who plays video games for a living." He says plainly. We stare at each other for what feels like an eternity. I watch him stand from the booth and holds his hands out to me. I look at it. There is no way that this is happening. I wish someone was here to pinch me or give me a punch in the arm. I must have fallen asleep in the booth. Do I really want to wake up if this is a dream though?