By EgmontGrigor2020
The weekend after McKenna Buchanan arrived in the city, he boarded a bus five miles away from the city centre to begin his new job at the City Council.
A female was the only new person to board the bus at the next stop.
As she drew near, McKenna clearly said good morning clearly and she sat immediately in front of him without even nodding.
Later, when the bus stopped just short of the main entrance to the imposing City Council building, the woman also left the bus. She turned left and walked away while McKenna turned right. After 20 paces, he entered the City Council's HQ thinking that that woman needed learn better manners and speak when spoken to politely.
At the reception, he identified himself and the senior receptionist escorted him to the waiting area in the office suite of the Town Clerk and said the Town Clerk should arrive within the next fifteen minutes or so.
"Is you first name McKenna or is your surname McKenna-Buchanan?"
"My first name is unusual, Mrs Armstrong," he said eyeing her name tag. "My parents are responsible for that, as my mother was a Buchanan. Over the years I got used to the teasing and confusion and decided to stick to my given name."
"You are a brave man, Mr Buchanan. Would you like a cup of coffee?"
"Yes please, provided it's not too much trouble. Please call me McKenna."
Next morning, the council's new senior internal auditor caught the bus. McKenna's larder and refrigerator were now fully stocked and he'd had bacon and eggs for his first meal in his comfortably fully furnished apartment.
The woman from the previous day boarded the bus at the next stop and before seating in the empty double seat in front of McKenna, she turned and nodded at him.
She didn't smile, but at least she acknowledged him as a fellow traveller, and that satisfied McKenna. He almost knew someone who wasn't the apartment letting agent or someone working for the council. That was progress.
The following morning, he smiled as the woman walked closer toward him and she nodded as she turned into the seat in front of him AND she smiled.
Fucking wow, he thought. That was progress, err just.
Next morning, she entered the bus, smiled and asked was the seat beside him taken.
"I was saving it for you."
Her right eye brown rose at little as if she didn't believe that statement.
She sat and he said, "I'm new to the city and have taken the position as senior internal auditor at the city council."
"That's interesting."
They then travelled in silence and at their stop she smiled lightly. He nodded and she left almost hurriedly while he following behind to alight.
McKenna eyed her dress length as the woman boarded next morning. She sat beside him nodding and whispered, "Is there something wrong with my legs?"
"They looked rather stunning, considering," he said, avoiding sounding flirtatious.
She looked at him as if she didn't understand what he was on about and he said, "Considering your age."
"Oh."
"Well you are over thirty."
"I'm thirty-nine."
"In that case, allow me to say they are in top shape from a woman past her twenties."
"Oh."
He though, don't push it. That was sufficient for the moment.
"My name is Cherie Thomas."
He couldn't stop himself.
"Aw, cute name."
"Are you flirting?"
He said confusingly that he didn't know. All he really knew was that he liked her sitting beside him as she was the only person that he knew in the entire city apart from his apartment letting agent and people at the City Council he'd met more than once."
"Oh. you poor thing."
"Thing?" he said lightly.