The man is not only infuriating but would test the patience of a saint.
Like a game of tennis, we’ve been playing email ping-pong, yet we’re no further forward. He hates my suggestions, and his are boring and mundane and not what we are about at Safire & Spark. In my last email, I replied, telling him that I would amend the workshop choices to something more suitable. I may have told a white lie, because no, that’s not happening. Not on my watch.
Biting my lower lip, I consider my options… Join him around the exact same table we sat around the day I bumped into him at the thrift store, or pretend I don’t see him.
As I prepare to leave, I choose a third option. Instead of continuing with my day, I decide to stay put and lean against a streetlamp pole, simply watching him, drinking every inch of him in.
Narrowing my eyes to get a clearer view, I chuckle to myself when I see one of those delicious lemon and poppy seed muffins I bought nearly five weeks ago for him. He’s also drinking a matcha latte and wearing an acupressure clip like mine between his thumb and index finger, indicating he’s got yet another headache. The guy is as tense as a tightrope, there’s no doubt in my mind he has one every day.
Completely unaware of me, I watch every deliberate move he makes, loving every second of how delicious he looks today. Regardless of how rigid he is in everything he does, he’s never not gorgeous. Although the guy needs to book a vacation or visit a retreat to learn how to relax, preferably without Wi-Fi, but I doubt he would want to do that.
Eli digs his fingers into the back of his neck, rolling it left and right, but I can tell from the way he closes his eyes briefly, then opens them again, combined with the lump between his brows thickening and wrinkling, that his head is bothering him. It’s not just a vacation he needs; he needs a full-body massage to help pummel away the tension he holds tightly in his body like a vessel.
Slowly, he lifts the mug of matcha latte in the air, inspecting it as if it might poison him if he drinks it, so he smells it first. Then he grimaces and tightens his face before closing his eyes briefly, finally brave enough to taste it.
He almost drops the mug on the table as he gags, wiping his hand across his mouth and shaking his shoulders, shivering, as if it’s the worst thing he’s ever tasted.
I have to cover my mouth to hold back how funny he is, even though he doesn’t know it, as a mix of joy and entertainment overwhelms me. For someone who isn’t eager to try new things and is grumpier than a bear unable to scratch an itch, I commend him for at least giving it a shot. Matcha is an acquired taste.
I’m spellbound as I watch him tugging off his tie and unbuttoning his top button, then rolling up the sleeves of his crisp white shirt like he’s psyching himself up for a challenge.
Then he goes in for a second sip, but this one is worse than the first. This time, he coughs and splutters before grabbing a bottle of water he must have bought as a backup and downs half of it. He pushes the matcha latte away, shaking his head in disgust, then takes a huge bite of his muffin, which I assume is to get rid of the taste of matcha in his mouth.
This is too much fun and to mess with him some more, I decide to drop him a text.
Me
We need to discuss venues and finalize the day’s schedule. Are you free for a chat?
I look up and watch him read my text, and I don’t know what I said that was so amusing, but he smiles. It’s a rare occurrence, like a once-in-a-blue-moon moment, but seeing him smile stirs something inside me, making me want to send another message just to see him smile again. The dots dance on my screen, indicating he’s typing back, and within seconds, which is unlike him, the message appears.
Eli
I’m busy.
Me
Like you have been for the last few weeks? Are you allergic to phones or meeting in person? Final decisions need to be made by the end of next week.
Eli
Okay, and I do have one decision that my brothers agree to that I forgot to tell you about.
Me
Great, what is it?
Eli
The color theme is to be black, white, and gold. We’re having a slight rebrand. Same logo but in gold.
That’s hardly a big decision, but it’s one thing to tick off the list.
Me
Please forward me the new logo.
Eli