Beverage Guy

Hi everyone, I'm Merigold. 

This is the first of my writings I'm posting here. It's actually an excerpt from the middle of The One Who Got Away, a multi-chapter story I will be posting as well. But this one here can also be read as a standalone – or as a teaser.

xoxo

Beverage Guy

Kay had specifically planned on not being nervous. 

Well, here she was: a nervous mess. Introducing a new boyfriend to family was nerve-wracking in itself, but adding a disability into the mix took it to a whole new level.

"Is that her?" Seth pointed his chin towards the other end of the plaza. Kay followed his gaze and nodded. Her older sister was approaching the café in her usual brisk stride, high heels clacking. She was in business woman mode.

The knot in Kay's stomach tightened, and she wrapped her hands around Seth's slim upper arm, momentarily burying her face in his shoulder with a groan.

A kiss brushed the top of her head. "It's gonna be fine."

She looked up, meeting those dark deep eyes that always managed to calm her down. Those eyes that never failed. And just like that, her nervousness dissipated, transforming into something else: A sense of We. This was her man. Whoever had a problem with her relationship could go fuck themselves. Stella included. She craned her neck and placed a kiss on Seth's lips. "I love you", she whispered, then turned around to see her sister now just a few strides away from their table and seeking her gaze. 

Kay stood up. "Hey you." Please don't fuck this up Sis. Please please please. 

Kay could only hope that her sister would keep in mind what they had talked about on the phone.

"Is there anything I should know about… you know, dealing with him?" Stella had asked, and Kay had told her the one and only thing there was to know: "He's a regular person, Stel. Please don't treat him any differently."

"Hi Sis," Stella now offered a quick hug, then her eyes darted from Kay to Seth. They didn't linger any longer on him than a second. "Hi", she nervously gripped the strap of her handbag. "I'm Stella." 

"Hey Stella. I'm Seth." As always with people who were being weird around him, he didn't bat an eye at her apparent discomfort. Instead, he gave her a genuine smile.

Stella stiffly shifted on her feet, and it was clear that she was feeling awkward about the impossibility of a handshake.  

"We haven't ordered yet", Kay said to fill the silence, shoving the menu card across the table.

"Never been here before", Stella gladly went along with the small talk as she sat down. "Cute place." She picked up the menu card, studying it with just a little too much interest, apparently relieved to have something to focus on. "Oh, they have a nice tea selection", she murmured approvingly. 

"The Genmaicha is really good", Seth remarked. "If you're into green tea."

Stella looked up distractedly. Or more like startled. As if the fact that he was taking part in the conversation surprised her. "I love that one", she responded with an uneasy smile, and Kay could see she was doing that thing many people did when talking to Seth: Keeping her gaze unnaturally fixated on his face, as if the rest of him was forbidden to look at.

Kay rolled her eyes to herself. This was something she herself had never done when she had first seen him post-injury. Quite the opposite actually, she hadn’t been able to stop staring. Granted, she and Seth hadn’t been strangers at that point. Far from that.

They ordered their drinks – Chai Latte for Kay, Iced Rooibos for Seth and Genmaicha for Stella. The young waitress was of the flustered sort. She avoided eye contact with all three of them and just nodded fervently when scribbling down their orders, never looking up. Kay sighed silently. There was always something. Every single time. Either they were unnaturally friendly, or they talked too loud, or spoke of Seth in the third person, or acted super stiff, or – like the girl right here – they were flustered. Kay knew she should have been used to it by now, but it still managed to annoy her. Every single time. She exchanged a silent look with her boyfriend. Seth smirked, giving her a wink. Because he knew what she was thinking, and because he somehow managed to never get annoyed by that kind of stuff. Which still amazed her. Every single time.

As soon as she had the orders down, the waitress couldn’t hurry off fast enough. And because she made sure to keep her eyes down, she somehow tripped over her own feet and then bumped against the back of Seth’s chair. "Are you ok?" he asked, turning his head, but she was so busy apologizing that she didn’t even hear him. After the tenth "I'm SO sorry", she scurried away, face bright red.

"I almost feel bad for her now", Kay remarked dryly, and she glanced at her sister. But Stella was preoccupied with something else entirely, a somewhat dumbfounded look on her face. Kay, after following her gaze, knew immediately what this was about: One of Seth’s legs had started spasming when the waitress had bumped into the chair. It was jumping slightly, at least as far as the strap across the ankle would allow it to. Just briefly, Kay considered pressing down on the bouncing knee, but it was one of those loose spasms that he didn't even take notice of and that didn't give him any discomfort, so she let it be. 

From opposite of her, Stella's gaze was boring into her like a laser beam. She was probably hoping for some kind of clue – or cue. Kay gave her a short, pointed look. No, I'm not gonna fill the silence for you. She put on her sunglasses, coolly leaning back in her chair. 

Stella had no other option but to eventually turn to Seth, again doing that face-fixating thing with her eyes. "It's so good to finally meet you", she said – again – apparently working very hard on not looking down at his jumping leg. "I've been hearing about you for a decade."

A strange look went across Seth’s face, and the corner of his lips twiched. "Actually, I've realized that we've met before,", he said after a small pause. "Years ago, at Kay’s 25th birthday."

Kay arched an eyebrow at her boyfriend, because this was news to her, too. But then again, her 25th birthday had happened eight years ago, which was basically the Stone Age. And it had ended with a lot of Tequila. So she might just as well have forgotten.

Stella, on her part, looked utterly confused, her face one big question mark. "25th birthday?"

"It was that party where I rented the cabin next to the woods", Kay helped her out. "Remember, it was really hot that night? Oh and I think you had to leave early because of some job trip the next day."

Seth nodded, looking at Stella. "We talked only briefly when you were on your way out. I'm not sure we even exchanged names. I certainly didn't know then that you're Kay's sister."  

Kay knew that unlike Seth with his photographic memory, her sister was terrible at remembering people and their faces. For a long moment, Stella continued to look clueless, her brow knitted in confusion. But then her eyes suddenly widened and her jaw dropped. "Beverage Guy", she uttered, more to herself, then she quickly cleared her throat. "You were the one hauling in those crates with the drinks."

"That's right." Seth smiled, and only Kay was able to notice the subtle tension in his jawline.

Stella was staring at him like frozen, a whole set of emotions moving over her face within just one second. And Kay knew exactly why: Her sister had just had an image flash up before her inner eye – the image of a tall, broad-shouldered Adonis carrying around heavy boxes; a greek god walking the earth. Even someone not good at remembering faces would remember that guy. And then apparently save the mental image under some cheesy name tag.

Not even bothered by the awkward silence that was now stretching between the three of them, Kay stayed quiet. She was watching her sister closely, waiting. 

The emotion flashing up in Stella's eyes was one of guilt. Yup, Kay thought, not entirely without satisfaction. You've just realized he's actually a man. That your sister is not in love with a personified wheelchair, but with THAT guy.

And then she saw Stella look at Seth, REALLY look at him for the first time since she'd gotten here. Now, her sister's eyes finally left his face, furtively wandering down his body, taking in his unmoving limbs and the bulky chair. And the overwhelmed expression on her face was replaced by something else entirely: Clarity.

Kay nodded unconsciously. This was the moment where Stella came to see Seth's disability for what it really was: A formerly strong body that no longer worked – nothing more and nothing less. 

It was Seth who eventually broke the silence, still looking at Stella. "I had much longer hair back in those days. So it’s no wonder you didn't recognize me just now." 

And then his straight face broke into one of those irresistible, disarming grins of his. 

God, Kay thought, gazing at her boyfriend, can you actually make me fall in love with you even more?

For a fraction of a second, Stella stared at him in amazement. A hesitant smile formed on her face. And then all three of them burst into laughter, and Kay could virtually see the tension leaving her sister's body.  

 

Stella seemed to be much more at ease after that. Even though Kay was glad for it, it gave her a sort of a bitter aftertaste to know that it would have probably taken much longer for Stella to get to this point if she hadn’t suddenly remembered able-bodied Seth. Then again, she had yet to meet a person who he wouldn't have managed to put at ease just by the friendly calmness he exuded. Plus, that smile. 

Kay let him and Stella do most of the talking; after all, this was about the sister and the boyfriend getting to know each other. 

As the conversation went on, Stella seemed to forget more and more about the wheelchair and Seth’s inability to move, and she seemed more like her usual self. Only from time to time she would awkwardly avert her eyes before furtively looking again – like when Kay helped him with his tea, or when he went into recline for a short pressure relief. But the longer they talked, those furtive looks took on a curious quality rather than an uneasy one.

"You live up on Pinehill, right?" Seth asked. "Very nice area."

Stella nodded, her face lighting up at the mention of her home. "We got lucky. I always dreamed of living in one of those properties, and my husband happened to know someone who was selling."

"Their house is gorgeous", Kay nodded. "I always say it's like visiting the set of a cheesy rom-com."

The older sister rolled her eyes, chuckling. "I actually wanted to invite you guys over for today", she told Seth. "But Kay said it wouldn't be… accessible for you."

Seth gave Kay a side glance, because yes, she hadn’t even told him about that invitation. "Ah", he looked back at Stella, his left shoulder twitching with a shrug. "That tends to be the case a lot."  

Noticing the guilty look on Stella's face, he lent her a smile. "Not your fault. There used to be significantly fewer people in wheelchairs in Victorian times when those houses were built."

"I wonder why that is", Stella mused. "It can't be because people were involved in fewer accidents back then, can it?"

"No", Seth shook his head. "It's because if someone suffered a spinal injury, they usually just died." 

Apparently that wasn't what Stella had expected, because her face fell. Kay softly cleared her throat. "Good thing that medicine has come a long way since then." She gave her boyfriend a loving look. "Now they just need to figure out the healing part."

Stella was quiet, ostentatiously concentrating on pouring herself some more tea. She looked kind of embarrassed and at a loss of what to say, so Kay quickly changed the subject by announcing she felt like ordering something sweet. "Anyone with me?"

They opted for carrot cheesecake, and Stella watched with interest how Kay and Seth shared a piece. Some cream got stuck on the tip of his nose one time when Kay miscalculated the angle of the fork, and they both laughed as she wiped it off with her finger. Seth did that subtle, sexy chin movement of his that said he wanted to kiss her, and she leaned up to quickly plant her lips on his with a grin. 

"So. How did the two of you first meet?" Stella asked, after silently observing them for a while.

Kay couldn't believe she was actually asking that. "Jesus, Stel", she groaned. "Do you ever listen to anything I tell you? I've told you that story at least three times over the last ten years."

Seth laughed at that. "Must be one hell of a story."

"Well, apparently not, if my own sister keeps forgetting it."

Stella held up her hands. "Sorry, but you tend to lose yourself in details when you tell me stuff. So it’s not exactly easy to remember all those stories of yours."

Kay gave her a look. "All those stories, Stella? Really?"

The older sister smirked, then turned to Seth. "I don't think I'll get anything out of her, she's too busy being a pain in my a– Ow!" She winced as a sisterly punch landed on her shoulder. "So would you do me the favor of telling me how you first met my sister?"

He offered a cheeky grin. "I just hope my story matches up with hers."

"It was during College, right?" Stella asked.

Kay, just about to swallow the last piece of carrot cheese cake, held up a finger. "Only I was still in College", she munched. "He's a few years older than me."

"You shush", Stella quipped. "I'm asking Seth now."

The latter laughed, apparently very entertained by the sisterly bickering. "The agency I worked for at the time was doing a charity project where we built houses for disadvantaged families, and I was responsible for the planning on site. As well as coordinating and supervising the volunteers." With a smile, he pointed his chin in the direction of his girlfriend, "One of which was your sister." He and Kay shared an intimate gaze for a second, then he turned back to Stella. "So. It was the very first morning of the project. I got to the building site an hour before the volunteers were supposed to show up, so I was surprised when I wasn't the first one to arrive. It was cold and foggy, and I just saw this figure standing somewhere in the field, cursing loudly." He made a dramatic pause, and Kay buried her face in her hands. "So I went closer, half expecting some homeless person or late party goer who had gotten lost on their way home. But when I stood before them, I realized it was just a girl, stuck in the mud." 

Kay wiped a tear from her eye because she couldn’t stop laughing. At the other side of the table, Stella remarked: "Yep, that sounds like something she would do."

"She couldn’t decide whether she wanted to be annoyed by the mud or make a good impression", Seth continued. "One minute she was introducing herself and reciting half of her résumé, the next she started cursing again, desperately trying to pull her feet out of the mud." He grinned. "It was really cute."

Putting her hand on his arm, Kay shook her head laughing. "I knew he was sort of my boss for the project, and I didn't want him to think I was some spoiled bimbo who had a problem with getting dirty. But my feet were really fucking cold in that mud, so…" She gave him a smitten look. "You were the epitome of graciousness though when you offered me your hand and pulled me out." Inadvertently and unintentionally, she looked at her own hand on his unresponsive forearm, and Seth's eyes followed her gaze.

Stella had a whimsical grin on her face. "Well Seth", she drawled after a pause, dramatically leaning back in her chair. "That's almost exactly how I remember Kay telling it."

The younger sister's jaw fell open. "Oh you sneaky little…", she practically leaped across the table to land another punch on Stella's shoulder. "I fucking should have known!"

Stella held her shoulder, laughing. "I'm sorry, I just couldn't resist. It's just too much fun to get you riled up. Besides", she looked at Seth again. "It was interesting to hear your side. I was never quite sure if Kay made it out to be more romantic than it actually was, but now I might be convinced." She gave her sister a wink. 

"Well it wasn't romantic back then", Kay said, blushing. "Only in hindsight."

"Whatever you need to tell yourself", Stella shrugged. "All I know is, one day you started telling me about that new friend of yours, and you kind of haven't shut up about him ever since."

Blushing even more, Kay shared a loving look with her chuckling boyfriend, then leaned up to give him a quick kiss. "Guilty as charged I guess."

"Yet you guys never dated", Stella remarked thoughtfully. 

Seth nodded, his eyes still affectionately resting on Kay. "Even though we always kind of liked each other, right?"

Kay grinned. "Oh yeah, I mean, what was not to like", she gave him a flirtatious wink. "But I didn't want to like you in that way." 

When he raised a teasing eyebrow, she shrugged. "Not least because we were both in relationships at that point. We started out with that friendly co-worker vibe and then became closer in a purely platonic way… I guess I automatically kept myself on that course, you know?

Seth nodded. "I do. Same."

Meanwhile Stella was resting her chin on her hand, watching the exchange with a content smile. "Well", she sighed. "Better late than never." 

Kay turned to look at her, unable to completely hide her amazement at the remark. Her sister lent her a genuine smile. Kay swallowed, suddenly feeling emotional. Just a few days ago, Stella hadn't been able to say one good thing about this new relationship of hers, her view clouded by ableist prejudice. And now here she was, sitting across from them with a level of approval in her eyes that Kay had never gotten from her with any of her previous boyfriends. It was almost miraculous. Then again, she should have known. This was Seth, after all.

The sisters ordered more drinks – this time with alcohol, because they decided it was after five and therefore officially cocktail time. Seth took only one sip of Kay's martini, otherwise sticking with tea. Stella wanted to know more about his career and what had gotten him into architecture. It was when he mentioned the project he was currently working on that all of a sudden, that particular look of what Seth always called 'disability unease' flashed up on Stella's face again. "So, you, uh", she stuttered. "You still…"

Knowing exactly what she was trying not to say, Seth nodded calmly. "Yes, I still work." He shrugged. "Or, again, to be exact. I got back to it a few months ago."

Stella nodded, looking a little embarrassed. "Oh. That's great." There was still a question mark on her face though, and again, Seth helped her out. "There's excellent voice command and eye gazing software now, even for design work."

"It's really cool", Kay affirmed. "Kind of sci-fi." She loved watching Seth work. She didn't know what exactly it was, but there was something particularly sexy about the systematic and concentrated way in which he navigated the programs.

"You know", Stella remarked teasingly. "You guys should go into business together. Haven't there been some successful architect couples before?"

Kay snorted. "No thanks." 

Her dry tone made Seth laugh. "Should I be hurt?"

"No, I just can't envision being partners in life and in work", Kay smirked. "Imagine going to bed at night and having to bicker about investors and schedules."

"Well", Seth said with mock severity, “I guess that means I'm going to cancel the –”

He abruptly lost his voice mid-sentence when a spasm hit his torso, robbing him of the air to continue. Kay saw him tense up in discomfort, his gaze turning inward while the upper part of his body, as well as his arms were shaking with little vibrations.

From the other side of the table, there was a soft gasp. Stella looked positively worried, and she silently mouthed to Kay: "Is he ok?"

Kay responded with a nod. He wasn't exactly ok, that was putting it too positively. But it also wasn’t anything to worry about. She turned her eyes back to Seth, carefully observing him as the tremble in his muscles continued for another few seconds and then stopped. It took him a moment to regain his breath, his shoulders heaving, and she leaned over. “Want me to get Brian?” she whispered, glancing across the café, where the PCA was sitting at a single table, reading a book. 

Seth shook his head, which was good enough to put Kay at ease. She turned back to her sister, who still looked kind of worried. "My boss's former agency partner is also his ex-wife", Kay took up the topic from before again. "There are all kinds of stories circulating at the office about what a mess that was."

It was obvious that Stella was only listening half-heartedly. Her eyes kept darting towards Seth’s hand – the left one. Lately, it didn't take much for it to turn itself over, which had happened now during the spasm, and it was hanging limply from the armrest. Without interrupting her story, Kay casually repositioned it so his palm was resting on the cushioned surface again. All the while, she still felt her sister's gaze. 

Of course Seth noticed the stare, too. He joined in the conversation again, albeit still a bit short of breath. Having only little air to go with meant he couldn't talk very loudly, which was not ideal in a crowded place filled with background chatter. Twice in a row, Stella couldn't understand what he was saying, and he ended up not making a third attempt. He tried not to show, but Kay could tell he was becoming frustrated with his body. Stella, in turn, seemed embarrassed about embarrassing him. The overall mood seemed all but ruined. But Kay made sure to keep on talking, now coming up with a fitting anecdote from their childhood. "Remember how we always had to yell at Grandma whenever we were in a public place with her? She never understood a word."

Stella laughed inadvertently, nodding. "It was as if she went completely deaf as soon as she was in a space with background noise."

"And you were always so embarrassed by the whole thing", Kay teased. "Because it was that phase where you were being an awkward teenager."

Stella rolled her eyes, and Kay snickered. "You wanted to be left alone ALL the time." She turned to Seth. "Talk to the hand, is what she would say."

He chuckled, and Stella scoffed. "Maybe that was because my little sister wouldn't shut up and kept babbling at me all day and night."

"She still does that", Seth remarked, his voice now fuller again. Kay glanced at him, finding that he was looking at her with silent affection. She knew what his eyes were saying: Thank you.

They stayed at the café for almost another hour. When they were saying their goodbyes, the sisters gave eachother a hug. It was long, and much more loving than the one at Stella's arrival.

She turned to Seth, awkwardly clasping her hands. "This has been so nice. Let's do it again soon." 

He returned the smile, nodding. "Let's."

Kay somehow wished her sister would have had the courage to give him a hug, too, or at least touch his shoulder. But the smile Stella gave him was warm and sincere, which in itself was almost more than Kay had initially dared to hope for. 

When her sister walked away to her car, Kay slung her arms around Seth's neck from behind. "What do you think?", she asked, placing a kiss on his cheek. 

Seth turned his head towards her. "I think", he said, his nose playfully nudging hers, "it's gonna be fine."

~Fin~



If you liked this one: Chapter 1 of the whole story –The One Who Got Away – can be read here.