Imperfectly Right for Me

Eleven: Gary From The Third Floor

Lily

"I'm telling you, Kelly. This crush has gotten out of hand. I'll tell you that much. He's my boss, though." I smile, "A very good-looking b-"

She holds a handout, "Why are you telling me this?"

Well, I guess that's a good question.

I frown, "I don't quite know."

Most of the time I just spoke, even though I knew no one was listening. It was refreshing in a big way. Kind of like free therapy, you know?

I don't talk much when I'm at home, unless I'm alone or Mama's not mad. That didn't happen a lot since Mama's always mad. When she's mad, I have to walk on my tippy toes most of the time to prevent her from waking or Lord only knows what she'll do if I do wake her. 

I shrug, "I guess I just tell all of my friends my business. Would you like me to stop?"

She shakes her head and picks her coffee up. "Nope. I would rather hear about your crazy life than spend the rest of my lunch break talking to my boring husband on the phone. " She rolls her eyes and takes a sip of her coffee. 

"He can't be that boring!" I laugh.

Vivo would just love him!

Vivo wasn't much of the outgoing type like me. That was one of the main reasons we got into arguments. But muffins would always cheer him back up. That's why I wanted Muffin to meet Vivo. But that silly man doesn't like Vivo. Ridiculous!

"When I tell you all that man does is yap, yap, yap, yap." She says, making lips with her hands as if someone is talking. 

I laugh, "That's what my friends say about me!" 

She looks at me with a confused expression, opens her mouth to say something, but closes it and sits back. "What were you saying about this crush again, Lily?"

"Oh yes!" I smile and think of Muffin. He has just entered my mind so suddenly and I don't know how to make him leave. "Muffin is just so nice and k-"

Her mouth goes agape, "Nice?" She shouts.

"Why yes, of course!"

"Are we talking about the same, Mr. Acquire? Theo Acquire? The same cruel asshole that fires someone almost every day? You're kidding!"

I frown, "Muffin is kind in his own way, just as everyone else is, Kelly. For instance, he fixed my car for me." 

I've been happy for two days about that. When I woke up the other day, I tried Betsy as I was able to start her! The gas was full, everything was fixed just like how Diddy did it and my rugs were even clean! I cried in joy and hugged Betsy for about ten minutes. 

She rolls her eyes again, "How romantic."

"And he bought me Chinese food for lunch everyday. We worked at his house." I reply proudly.

"His office was being remodeled for three days, Lily. Where's the Chinese food now?" 

I shake my head and wipe coffee from the side of her lip. "Oh, don't be like that. Besides, you've got to be positive, sugar! Like granny used to always tell me, 'You're either a positive Paris or a negative New York.' 

She frowns, "I don't get it."

"Well, you'd much rather be in Paris than New York, right?" 

She chuckles and takes another sip of coffee. "You make a good point kid."

I check the clock and see we only have ten minutes left until we have to get back to work. "What's your favorite food?" I ask, leaning forward. 

"Garlic bread, why?"