warmed milk is spun through a dark galaxy. flecks and splatters compose a night sky as a deft hand guides a constellation into a delicate-looking bird. what the bird is, and what it looks like is up to interpretation. there's a beak and something that looks like feathers. slender digits rest against a saucer and push it towards its receiver in a silent, but welcome invitation.

this isn't part of their job.

adele half-thinks to go to ask hr. adele half-knows most of their complaints have likely been disregarded.

probably because they submit them all the time.

they swirl the milk in its container a bit absently, lifting the lid to inspect to see if there was anything left before sloppily pouring what remains into the second cup. less effort, but coffee that would do fine. they rinse out the frother—brought from home at the insistence of some of their other anonymous coworkers—and set it aside again. "ah," the arrival of a quiet realization, "i forgot to ask." they stare at the cup a little longer. maybe they already asked. was it supposed to be iced or? hot? could've been both. maybe she liked things lukewarm.

she kind of looked like she would.

they tuck that comment in cheek. probably would sound weird. adele leans back against the low-lying countertop, inspecting their own coffee cup for a beat before they looked back in their would-be co-worker. at least, that's what they think is happening here. someone had told them to onboard this girl, but they—well, they have to think that they might've seen her in passing once or twice before. maybe when she was getting hired or something. or maybe it was for something else? there was chatter from their other colleagues.

she was someone important. her name is—"you were saying something earlier." not her name. but, at least they remembered the conversation. that's already better than most days in the office. everything seems to go over their head or, well. around them.

"about where you were working before this, you were doing what exactly?" pause. "mari—lee." they remembered the rest just in time.

adele sips quietly at their coffee. weird name.

marilee beaufort