Page 5 of West (The Moral Compass 1)
“Hmmm, you’re the lovely lady from before. Are you following me?”
I wish.
I’ve not got much recollection of what happens after. I can’t stop looking at her eyes and her mouth and wondering what it would be like to take her mouth right here, right now. She’s looking at me strangely, and then what I say next is just about the most stupid thing ever.
“Are you sure you’re okay? You don’t suffer from absent seizures, do you?”
What the fuck, West? Who says that to the most beautiful
creature on the planet?
I’m so busy reprimanding myself internally that I don’t hear her reply. I only catch that she’s ordering a latte. She’s fucking perfect. No strange concoction, just a plain old coffee.
The server takes my order and gets it prepared at unusual lightning-fast speed. For some strange reason, I can’t get the latte out of my head, and it ended up on my order. The server hands over the three drinks.
“Here, that’s for you. Hope your day starts to improve from here on out.”
Oh, come on, West. You can do better than this.
I look down at her, and her cheeks have flushed. She looks shocked and slightly embarrassed. The server is grumbling about us taking up space, so she thanks me for the coffee and leaves with a, “hope to see you around.” All I can manage is a, “you too.”
Fuck’s sake, West. Give yourself a shake, man, she’s walking away!
I’m just about to follow and Alicia appears from nowhere.
“Ah, West, you’re a true love. Thanks for this.”
I sneak a peek at the beautiful woman as she makes her way to the platform. She turns to look back at me and then her face falls and she turns away.
Fuck, Alicia, why did you have to turn up now?
We make our way down the platform and to the first-class carriages. I look around but I can’t see who I’m looking for.
Maybe I need to take the train more often.
Chapter 3
Sutton
The train pulls in, and I jump off as quick as I can. I don’t want to run into Mr. Hot Coffee and Miss Chocolate Hair. I pull out my phone and open the maps. I need to find this building and get myself settled and ready for my interview and presentation. I need to ‘chill my beans’ as Kara would say.
I see the little blue icon flashing and off I go. I’ve still got thirty-five minutes before I’m up, but I like to be prepared. The streets are busy with people rushing to work. I find the building and take a good look at the outside.
What would it be like to work in a place like this? This is my dream job. It’s what I’ve worked for since leaving school. This job means everything. I can move to a big house and find somewhere that doesn’t have wet black walls, where the neighbours don’t party all night and sleep all day, and somewhere where the kids say ‘good morning’ and not ‘what the fuck are you looking at?’ Yes, it’s that type of place, but as I’ve resigned myself to be a singleton forever, it’s all I can afford. I can feel myself drifting off again into What-If Land.
I’m standing across the street looking up at the high rise and finally awaken from my dream.
Oh dear God, no.
That was Miss Chocolate Hair going into the building. But Mr. Hot Coffee is nowhere to be seen. Phew. Thank God he doesn’t work in this building. That would be too much.
I check my phone and realise it is 9:20 and time for me to make my entrance. I walk up to the reception desk.
“Sutton Smith. I have an interview at 9:30.”
“Of course, Miss Smith, please take the elevator to the twenty-third floor. Another receptionist will see you there. I will let them know you are coming.”
“Thank you,” I say as I head off in the direction of the elevators. Somewhere, up there on the twenty-third floor, my destiny awaits.
