Barfly Breakfast (2/2)
A Crossing Jordan Fanfiction
Written by Kate "SuperKate" Butler
“Nigel.”
He was halfway down the hall some three months later, humming to himself with a doughnut hanging out of his mouth, when Macy’s voice resonated through the air. At his side, Bug froze too, and sent him a questioning look. “What did you do this time?”
“Nothing!” Nigel swallowed as much doughnut as he could before extracting the rest from his lips, powdered sugar peppering the front of his scrub shirt. “Why is everyone always so quick to accuse me of – ”
“Nigel, would you turn around?” Macy sounded more than a little irked and so Nigel obliged, leaving Bug to smirk next to him. He readied himself with a sharp-tongued attack, one that hopefully Yakura would never hear about, but then his mouth went dry.
His doughnut bounced on the floor at his feet.
“Good. Bug, you too.” Bug was already turning around, of course, by the time Macy said this, and he eyed his co-workers before wrinkling his nose at the doughnut on the floor. “I’ve been asked to introduce our new intake manager to the staff, because God forbid Dr. Yakura do it herself.”
“That is Yakura for you,” Bug shrugged, and Nigel tried to nod. It would have been easier if his brain hadn’t just escaped via his ears and open mouth.
Macy smiled, at least slightly, and then nudged the stranger at his side forward. “Nigel Townsend and Bug Vijay, this is Lily Lebowski. Lily, meet Bug and Nigel.”
“It’s a pleasure,” she smiled, her cheeks plump as she reached forward to catch Bug’s outstretched hand in hers. “Dr. Macy said you’re both very talented at what you do. I look forward to working with you.”
“Likewise.” Bug glanced up at Nigel, who was still standing stark-still, lips opened just the smallest bit. An elbow caught him in the ribs and he suddenly sprung to life, blinking his eyes a few times before he, too, offered his hand. “Excuse him,” Bug snorted. “He’s probably imagining what horrible dress he’ll design for you in his free time.”
Nigel cast him a sharp look and moved to say something, but then Lily’s hand wrapped around his, warm and comforting. Her smile shifted, if only for a moment, and she smirked. “Ever get that problem of yours worked out?” she questioned, and behind her, he could see Macy’s brow furrow.
“Uhm, no, not quite,” he admitted, and released her hand as gingerly as he could. Bug was staring up at him, and Macy too, and he suddenly felt as though he’d been plopped into a fishbowl. “I’ll let you know how it turns out.”
“And I still think you’re onto something,” she replied warmly, “especially now.”
Nigel could swear that she cast a half-second’s glance at Bug, but it could have just been the fluorescents catching in her stormy eyes.
“Well, I guess I should show you to your desk,” Macy said after a moment’s silence, and suddenly the new intake manager was being lead down the hallway again, her long hair trailing behind her.
Nigel watched them leave over his shoulder. “What the Hell was that all about?” Bug questioned, frowning. “What problem?”
Sighing, he tore his eyes from Lily’s back and bent down to pick up his doughnut. “It’s a long story,” he replied, shaking his head. “A very bloody long story.”
