THE MOMENT
"If it isn't the man of my dreams...," Richard tensed when he recognized the familiar, sultry voice from behind him. He whirled around, food carriers in hand, to confirm his suspicion. It was definitely Vanessa; her sparkling green eyes widened, then she smiled. "Hey, it's you," she said. "You look good."
"Thanks, you too...," Richard returned the compliment with subtle pettiness. She looked horrible, for an elf, and he couldn't have run into her during a more embarrassing moment. Her short red hair was barely combed, her cream-white button-up blouse was completely wrinkled, and she was wearing slippers with ragged jeans. She wasn't even wearing any jewelry on her long, pointed ears. He was wearing a green & gold shirt given to him by the pizza place, but he still felt more put together than her. He was starting to wonder what he ever saw in her. He had to drag out the moment; he might never get the chance again.
"So, whatcha up to these days?" he asked. Vanessa laughed and shook her head while gesturing around at the wall of cubicles next to them, then directly at Richard.
"Work keeps me pretty busy," she nodded. "I've got a whole floor to manage and feed now."
"I got promoted too!" She was obviously trying to impress him, but he'd grown beyond what he used to be. "I'm assistant regional supervisor now," he said.
"Well, good on you for getting in the trenches to help out with the deliveries," she nodded at the carriers. They were rectangular cubes made of green leather and held up by black handles; each one had six pizzas in it.
"I have to, it's for training," he wasn't going to let her keep thinking she was just a deliveryman. He was much more. But maybe she was starting to see it. She certainly seemed to be extra attentive. While he wouldn't call it 'amicable', they had a reasonably civil breakup. After a while, he stopped reaching out altogether, and life went on. And despite that history, she was still there, insisting on being near him. "But, next week I'm starting in the office," he said.
"Wow, Mundo's Office?" she asked with appropriate awe. Mundo's Pizzeria was a multiversal restaurant, and its main location was the size of an entire Earth. The 'Office' was where all the important people handled the logistics, and it took up the whole of Alaska on that Earth. "That's pretty big, congratulations," she said. "Good luck." The well-wishes came with a warm smile that reminded him exactly what he saw in her. And, she wasn't making any move to walk away; she was waiting for something. For him to act.
"Maybe once my hours are regular, we can catch up...," he said. Her smile evaporated, and her eyes turned cold.
"We're done," she shook her head. "I had to change my phone number because you wouldn't stop calling to beg me back. Do you know how complicated that is in the multiverse?"
"Look, I was just being polite," Richard replied instantly. "I thought you could use it, since you look like crap. You call me the man of your dreams and hang around as if waiting for me to say something, what am I supposed to think?" he asked. He was angry, and he could feel the heat on his cheeks. And, she laughed.
"Please don't think I feel the need to explain myself to you," she sighed with a smirk. "But, I think it'd be good for you to know other possibilities exist. I'm well aware of my current appearance. I haven't left the office in three days; we've been working on a big project and finally completed it today. I thought it'd be good for the team to throw them a little party in appreciation," she deliberately focused on the pizzas he was still carrying, then met his eyes, and glanced at the pizzas again. "And, for the record, the bald spot behind your head, and your waist, are bigger. I didn't even recognize you until you turned around. So... can I get my team's food, Dick?"