It was raining all day and all day long I watched Penny and Colt talking to each other as if I were a third wheel.
I kept my mouth shut and I kept my composure because without me they would have never landed this job.
“Why are you so quiet today, Darlene? You’re not giving us any input” Penny asked.
“Oh, you guys noticed that I’m here, because since I came in today, both of you have been nonstop chatting to either about work or something you guys did last night, or god knows what.”
They both looked at each other.
“We’re so sorry. I guess we are leaving you out of things.”
“It’s fine. As long as we all are on the same page with this job. We have to make sure everything goes well or else it is our butts on the line.”
We all agreed and once again, we pulled it together to become the team that we strive to be. At the end of the day. Colt and Penny invited me to go to the movies with them. And I told them that I had other plans and they both gave each other this look. As if I would never have other plans unless it is with them.
“Um, where are you going?” Penny asked.
“Oh, I’m going to see some friends.”
“Friends?” Colt asked
“I do have other friends then you guys. You know?”
“No, we don’t know. Since you’ve been here it’s all about me and Penny. Now you’re popping up that you have other friends. Is this your way of just brushing us off and pretending you have friends just so we don’t feel guilty?” Colt asked.
“Oh my god, you two need to get over yourselves. I do have friends and I’m on my way there. I’m a bit late. So, I will see you guys in the morning. I’ll bring the coffee this time. How’s that?”
“Okay, sure. You know we–”
“Yeah, I know what you guys have. I’ve been with you guys like you said since I got here. So don’t worry about it. I’ll bring the coffee and I’ll talk to you later.”
I turned my back and walked off very quickly not wanting to see their expression and not caring what they were saying to each other. Because honestly, it was my fault that it went this way. I clung to the very first people who at least gave me an iota of attention because I was the new girl. I need to stop that. I am a person that people would like to know.
It took me fifteen minutes to get to the coffee shop. I see Sammy is wiping down all the tables. And Noel seems to be doing something in the back. Once I opened the glass door a smell I’ve never smelled before in the coffee shop captured my scenes and made love to me in a very scent-ual way.
It must be a new creation of Noel’s. I thought looking at him skillfully working.
“Hi, I’m here to help.”
Sammy looked up from wiping the tables.
“Well Darkling, nice to see you again.” I frowned at the name.” Listen, I’m sorry. It’s gonna stick. You are darkling, and don’t take any offense to it. I think it’s a cute name. So that’s why I keep calling you darkling it is not to get on your nerves. I just thought it was funny and I just like it okay.?”
“I’m not gonna take offense by it since you’re telling me it is coming from a bad place and not that you’re going at me.”
“No, I wasn’t going at you. I just thought it was funny. And it just is a cute name.”
“. Okay, what do you want me to do?”
“Well, I’m wiping down these tables and I’m almost done. Behind the counter. There are little named tags for the tables. I need you to start putting the tags on the tables before the clients get here. They should be here in another forty-five minutes. That is why the last people that are in here right now are wrapping it up.” She said this giving the people a hint that they need to wrap up and leave.
Instead, they just looked over their laptops and gave her this look as if you’re not rushing me, I paid my money. That kind of look.
I laughed and went straight to the counter and put my bags down near a little stool that was behind them. I took the name tags. Out and looked at them. I just couldn’t help but smile. The first one said, “Fangs are not.” And I looked at Noel and he didn’t give me one iota that he saw me smiling at these name tags.
“Are you really going to put these on the table? fangs or not and the second one is if you got them bite them. Like what is going on? what kind of thing is this tonight?”
“They have a very easy-going reading club and tonight is authors and readers. So, they wanted to have fun and wanted to be all-inclusive, like I told you. You’re going to have some lighties and you’re going to have some nighters. Why not have fun?”
“Um, can I ask you something? Are they all about fangs and biting?”
“No, keep looking.”
I went through and scrolled down. I came to one that said, “I glow” and I could not help but let out a laugh that was so not me. Noel turned around was like, “Did you snort?”
I was like “No I did not snort. Ladies do not snort.”
Then Sammy turned around and said” Yes. She snorted and sorry, Darkling I had to out you.”
I had the biggest smile, and this is the most relaxed I’ve been in days. Yeah, it’s kind of sad that I do miss Penny and Colt but at the same time, I’m making new friends and they’re easygoing. We finished wiping down the tables and setting up the name tags. Noel had three different pitchers of newly brewed coffee that he wanted to try out for this event.
Slowly but surely, the readers and the authors started trickling in. I watched the different people and realized that they weren’t that different. They look the same. They have odd mannerisms. Some of them really engulf the whole concept of being a nighter. With the dark clothes and the fangs being out and present. Dark eyeliners and spiky hair.
The lighters, oh my goodness, you would swear you’re watching a B-rated movie with hair up ponytails and a ribbon. The pinkest outfits were as if they were waiting to be attacked. Then you have the other ones that are just very serious about their reading and their authors.
You can tell by the way they wore tweed clothes and, the little briefcase and glasses that may not be prescription but made them look studious.
I could not help but just smile because this was very comforting to me, believe it or not, and I was doing something out of the ordinary.
A young woman wearing dark rimmed glasses and dark red lipstick that made her skin look very anemic stood to make an announcement.
“I would like to welcome you all here for the second annual Book Lover’s Unite. A place where it does not matter if you are a nighter or a lighter. It only matters if you love literature. I want to remind you of the rules. No aggressive behavior of any kind to the staff. they are here to make our time together a memorable one. If those of you feel a bit peekish please raise a finger and go to our host Noel and he will see to your needs. That is all.”
Everyone applauded and the meeting commenced. Until one of the authors decided to stand and read from her book. Then everyone, even the nighters were dead silent. It got to a point where I almost heard the drop of water from the tap hit the cup because it was so quiet. And when she finished her last line, they all stood and applauded in such a rambunctious way that you cannot deny that she was the best author out there.
“Are they bringing you in? Let me know. Fia”