A social meeting on the way to work wasn’t a bother to Tommy at all. He would have, some years back, pushed past the girl without a word, yet, as the months passed, that relentless passion for work left no traces as it went. It tired him now, bored him; and the workplace atmosphere held none of the tranquillity of old times. There was so much unrest now, everyone from his former “business partner” to the secretaries and the ticker-tape kids queuing up for the chance to take his place. He’d never let that happen. Those with a true passion for the company left him alone. They knew that all this recent growth was down to him. Those who tried to push him aside cared only for their egos, not for work or even for money. Sadly, the noise from the disloyal egomaniac side blotted out the voices of those with any pragmatism. Tommy was sick of it all. His personal life was inextricably tied to that damned company, or else he’d have stepped down long ago.
He shouldn’t think about it too much. Unnecessary stress. “Oh, no, ma’am. This is no trouble to me at all.” His head was foggy now, and violently foggy, thumping with it. Tommy would never be able to cut short a long and harmful line of thought. He always caught it too late, and then it had packed his peace of mind and run. It was difficult for him to force any sense into himself now. That pain, all down one side of his face, wouldn’t shift. His neck ached with the weight of it. He counted himself very, very lucky to have run into someone friendly, and someone who’d take his mind away from all this pointless neurosis. Tommy had placed no value on small talk before, but now, it came as a blessing. He’d matured since those old solitary days.
A smile. He had to smile. Yes, he had to. A smile came at last, if thin, if wan, and he offered a hand to shake. No, wrong hand. Handshakes were supposed to be from your left hand. Pointless to worry about now. Remedying that would have been all the more awkward. Fuck. This kind of petty etiquette most likely didn’t exist in America. That — he had to keep telling himself that. Not to worry, not to seem to worry. He addressed his mistake only with that self-deprecating smile. “Yes, indeed, it’s very nice to meet you.” There was a certain defeated sigh behind his voice, but he could do nothing but trust in that his accent hid it. Americans took a polished English accent, in any form, as calmness and ease. He’d studied Received Pronunciation for long enough that he’d never be able to sound American, and that, as much as it was a mixed blessing, was something he was deeply thankful for. “It’s Newton. Thomas Newton. And as for you?”
she brushes past people every day who are
very clearly on their way to work, and she
frequently thinks about how she could NEVER
imagine doing what they do; getting up every
morning and sitting in an office for eight hours
day sounds, to put it lightly, hellish. then again,
she didn't quite plan on this life, either. if she
hadn't followed her ex-husband into an audition
one day, there's no telling where she'd be
now. she'd only begun to feel comfortable
calling this her JOB a couple of years
ago. should fate have sent her in a different
direction, she could be wearing a suit and
headed to some kind of a secretarial job
right now. instead, her life always feels
a tad HECTIC - and that's the way she
likes it.
❝oh, well, i'm GLAD.❞ she's vaguely surprised
by his unflappable kindness. most people
she runs into here aren't exactly interested
in a chat - or even eye contact, for that
matter. then again, there are a lot of days
in which she doesn't feel particularly
personable, either. she doesn't consider
herself to be cold by any means - maybe
a bit more reserved when it comes to
certain people, sure, but not unfriendly.
she mirrors the stranger's smile with one
of her own as her hand comes up to give
his a shake. ❝it's nice to meet you,❞ she
responds genuinely, dropping her hand
back down to rest at her side. ❝thomas -
i'm susan.❞ her hand proceeds to occupy
a spot against her hip and her head gives
a vaguely CURIOUS, very slight cock to
one side. ❝where were you on your way to,
thomas? if you don't mind my asking.❞
amandla
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