The Thirst

CHAPTER 2: A taste for life

"We are meant to taste life ... and drink it through a straw in a cup with lots of ice, especially on a hot day." — Unknown

I sat down at my desk, turned on my computer and anxiously waited for the new someone to enter my life.

"Hello," someone said to me.

I stood up in my cubicle. There was a man sitting at the previously empty desk. I could swear he wasn't there when I walked in. He had pale skin and long black hair that was slicked back. He was wearing a black shirt, black jeans and sunglasses.

"Hello," he said again.

I was speechless. I felt drawn in by his presence. Finally, I mustered a soft "hello."

"My name is Drax," he said.

"I'm Sydnie, nice to meet you."

His pale skin seemed to glow under the fluorescent office lights. He extended his hand and I shook it. It was cold to the touch. I almost pulled away, but I felt his force pull me in. He was drinking a bright red drink from a Wendy's cup and seemed to savor every sip.

I didn't get much done, not that I ever get that much done. Drax and I didn't speak the rest of the day, he was in and out of new employee meetings, but I couldn't stop thinking about him. His pasty white skin and those sunglasses. I thought about his eyes. He probably has beautiful eyes.

As I was packing up to leave for the day, Drax stood up from his cubicle with his bright red drink in the Wendy's cup.

"Will I see you tomorrow?" he asked.

"Yes," I said.

"Then tomorrow we will talk more."

I walked out of our area, feeling his eyes on me.

That night I dreamed of Drax, or at least I think I did. He stood at the foot of my bed, drinking the same drink from the Wendy's cup. His skin was glowing. He told me he had lived for hundreds of years but he had never met someone as interesting as me. He put his drink down and reached up to take off his sunglasses ... and then I woke up.

I was at work early the next morning, and there was Drax with his Wendy's drink.

"Hello," he said without looking over at me.

It was like he sensed me.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked.

I smiled and didn't say anything.

"Tell me about yourself," he asked.

I told him I had worked at DT Corporate for a few years and that I had recently broken up with someone. He told me that he loved to travel and had been doing it forever. Our conversation was going great — until he abruptly decided he need to leave.

"I have to go," he said, and then he left.

About 30 minutes later he came back with a full Wendy's drink.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"Did I say something wrong?" I asked.

"No, not at all," he said. "I just really like this drink."

He stared longingly at the Wendy's cup. I went back towork, and we didn't speak for the rest of the day. There was clearly a barrierbetween us — the Wendy's drink.