Chocolate milkshake

A child's innocence and soap

I hated mondays.

I mean, who doesn't? 

Surely, you had to be a crazy person to enjoy waking up early, with the hauntingly awful dread of a whole week ahead. 

I had already spilt chocolate milkshake over myself this morning, and yet despite changing my shirt, I had a paranoid thought that someone would be able to smell the beverage that had drenched my chest earlier today, and realise that a fully grown woman still drank a drink aimed at young children, in the morning.

My day at work went as expected, just like every Monday. 

I was a vet, and had been for a few years. It was a rather fun job I must admit, of course not including dog vomit and that time Mrs Crowleys parrot got loose in reception, but apart from that I enjoyed the animals I worked with, I connected more with them than people, strange I know but that's how it's always been.

After sending a tortoise home with antibiotics, I believed I was done for today.

"Miss.Neil?" The receptionist called through, becky. A lovely girl, yet horrifically simple minded, her blond hair always hung around her face with such innocent ease and I very much envied the fact that she perhaps doesn't lay awake at night thinking about deep stuff, like the meaning of life, or whether or not she'll die alone with her cat slowly eating her rotting body.

"Yes Rebecca?" I called through, washing my hands with a soap that seemed far too bubbly to actually work. 

With no reply I soon grew confused "Yes. Rebecca?" 

Still no reply.

"Rebecca, you called?" 

While reaching for the door from my office, I fell upon the bubbles I had made while angrily washing my hands. I then grabbed my face, with my still bubbly hands and foolishly got the soap in my right eye. 

Then the door opened, and I peered up to see a large figure standing in front of me. 

"Oh my god, are you okay?" 

He asked, voice holding a deep innocence, much like a concerned child. He helped me up and I couldn't help but giggle.

"Yeah, fine. I'm just a bit of a mess"

He sat me down on my chair slowly, and quickly grabbed a towel to dry my hands.

"So, what happened here?" He chuckled. 

Now, I was able to see the man clearer, he had dark hair with few streaks of silver, and a soft beard coated the bottom half of his face. His two chocolate pools gazed innocently upon mine, and very much reminded me of my glass of milkshake I had spilt this morning. 

"Hello?" He asked again, waving his large hands in front of my face.

"Oh yes, I was washing, and soap fell on the floor and-" 

I was cut off. 

"Wait..If soap falls on the floor, does it make the soap dirty or-"

"The floor clean?" 

we both chuckled, and Brian will tell you today that, that was the moment he knew I was gonna be the one who sticks.

"Emily Neil" 

I stuck my hand out. 

"Brian Quinn" 

"And may I ask, why are you here?" 

He stood up, and headed towards the doorway, retrieving a small cage I had not noticed. 

"This is my cat!" He excitedly smiled, "Benjamin" 

"Oh, hey benji" I cooed to the kitty.

"What seems to be the problem?" 

Brian explained how Benjamin hadn't been eating well, and I quickly prescribed something for the kitty. 

"Thank you, I realise I hadn't had a appointment"

"Oh gosh, it's no problem, happens all the time" 

He picked up his pet, and headed toward the door. 

"So this is it" he nervously laughed. 

"Yup. It." 

"So you should probably have my number? You know if benji needs anything?" 

"Oh yes of course and if you wanted to meet up, for some drinks, to discuss Benjamin" I smiled

"Yeah of course" 

"So" 

"So.." 

There we were, 5pm on a Monday, standing, waiting for something to happen but we were both not sure what. He quickly scribbled down something and handed it delicately to me.

"Here's my number" 

He handed me a small slip of paper, and I held it tightly in my hands. 

"I'll see you around I guess!" He smiled, turned a crashed straight into my office door.

"Door there" I laughed, while he composed himself, he was embarrassed but I wasn't sure why.

"Bye Brian, be safe!" 

I shut my door to his waving figure, as he entered the reception. I sat down at my seat and continued paperwork- I knew I should have already done. 

Very quickly my food was opened again, and his head popped round, once again like an innocent child, yet this time with more similarity than before.

"Stay away from that soap, ya hear?" And he was soon gone.  His words hung with me in a comedic manner, and still today I recall the tone he said Them in.

Through my empty soft chuckles I peered down to my hand, the paper payed crumpled in my fingers. 

It had his number, as promised, and a tiny drawing of a cat. I will tell you now I still have that paper somewhere, perhaps in a journal or box, but still with me. I could never get rid of it, even on that day, I had a strange feeling that the man with the chocolate milkshake eyes was going to be the one.