Miss Denmark

Elliott

Wednesday morning I received an email from A. E. Greene.

Dear Christina

Please accept my apology for interrupting your work. Can you please come by my office once you're off? I would like to exchange a few words with you.

A. E. Greene

That man should learn how to write an email without they seemed so cold and formal.

Dear Alexander

I will. Around five.

Christina

It was still short and eloquent. Getting to the point in no time, easy to read. But the word 'exchange' was in it. Couldn't he write talk? How old was he?

I went to google and googled Alexander Greene.

Wikipedia had a little knowledge.

I clicked on the link and waited a moment before the page as ready. Full name Alexander Elias Greene. I knew that. Born. Age. Twenty-nine.

That was actually pretty close to what I'd guessed. I exited the browser. When I went to see him later I could google him. Otherwise it just felt weird to know everything about him if he didn't know I'd read it.

I finished the graphics before taking the elevator to the reception. I waved at the doorman and went into the late summer.

Elliott was waiting nervously at the corner in a suit. It was black with a navy shirt. No suit.

"Hey," I said.

He scanned my outfit before meeting my gaze.

I wore tight jeans, ballerinas, a shirt and that was pretty much it. My hair was in a messy bun because I was tired of having it in my face all the time.

"Hi," he said. "You said you had a place in mind?"

"Yup, this way," I said and walked around him. I led him down the sidewalk and stepped into a little sandwich bar a block from the office. "This is the first place I go when I haven't brought my own food."

"You bring your own food?" he asked, a tad surprised.

I nodded and look at him. "Is this fine?"

"Yeah," he said.

We went into the little airconditioned bar.

I knew what to get, so I ordered first. Including water in my order.

Elliott sat down next to me.

"Rough day?" I asked and unwrapped my sandwich.

"Yeah," he said and unscrewed the lid.

"Why?" I asked.

"I started working Monday," he said, his head a little to the side.

I smiled. "How does your boss take it you've got long hair? Yeah, I'm sorry if it's rude," I said.

Elliott smiled a crooked smile. "He wants it up when I'm working. But I've always got it up anyways, so it's not a problem. Nothing rude about asking."

Phew.

"Are you living on Manhattan?" I asked Elliott.

He nodded. "At the very northern part of Manhattan, but I wanted to get away from living home."

I smiled. "Isn't that everybody's good reason to move to New York?"

"Probably," he said. "Why are you living here?"

"I've always wanted to live on Manhattan," I said. "And then I finished and thought why not?"

Elliott nodded.

He was handsome, it wasn't that, but I wasn't attracted to him. That was a fact.

"I was thinking," he said, looking at me. "Is it possible that we can meet up at some point? Just as friends?"

"It probably is," I said and bit into my sandwich.

He pulled a piece of lettuce out of his sandwich and ate it. "Most of my friends live a while from Manhattan so I don't see them as often and I sort of need a social life."

"I was first step on the way?" I guessed.

He nodded.

"Okay," I said.

"Great," he said and looked at his food. "I've got a girlfriend," he said and meeting my eyes.

"So?" I asked.

"Just, you know, so there won't be any misunderstandings."

I smiled. "Friends."

"Are you living with her?"

"Yeah," he said and smiled at the sandwich as if it was actually her.

"What is she doing?"

"Up-and-coming designer," he said. "It's cool, you know, I'm working enough for us to be able to live where we live. But in the long run it can be a bit cramped."

"I know the feeling," I said.

"Do you have a boyfriend?" he asked.

I shook my head no. "I guess I enjoy the single life."

He laughed. "You sound like you're giving up."

"Yeah," I said. "I need a group of friends before I won't comment on it anymore."

Elliott glanced at his watch.

"Under what brand is your girlfriend designing?"