Real for Her

Roy's neck prickled as he lifted his head. She stood just inside his doorway, framed by the office light and the glow from the cubical farm. Young. Black. Holding two brown McDonald's bags. Her expression was open, hopeful, completely unguarded.

For a split second, his brain stalled. This was her. The woman from the bus. The one the wish must have latched onto. It had to be.

Five.

Five women in five days.

The thought hit him hard in the chest. Not awe. Not the bragging triumph some men might feel at such a feat. Just a strange, hollow disbelief. This was his life now. A revolving door of strangers who weren't strangers to him. Women who looked at him like he belonged in their lives, like he was home.

He **** himself to breathe.

Whatever else this was, she didn't deserve to be made to feel unwanted. To her, he wasn't a mystery or a problem or a cosmic accident. He was her boyfriend. Acting confused or cold would only hurt her.

So Roy did what he had learned to do. What he had to do.

He smiled.

"Hey," he said, standing partway. "Come in."

Her face lit up instantly, like he'd flipped a switch. She stepped fully into the office, nudging the door shut behind her with her foot.

"I wasn't sure if you'd still be here," she said, lifting the bags slightly. "But I figured I'd take a chance."

"I'm glad you did," Roy said, and meant it in the only way he could. Not for himself. For her.

She crossed the room and set the bags carefully on the corner of his desk. The smell of fries filled the air immediately, salty and warm. Then, without hesitation, she moved around the desk.

Before Roy could fully register what was happening, she slid into his lap, light and easy, like it was the most natural thing in the world. Her arms looped around his shoulders. Her cheek brushed his.

His body went still.

He reminded himself to relax.

She fit there so easily. Like she'd done it a hundred times. Like this was familiar. And, he had to admit, it felt good.

"Guess what," she said, her voice playful, eyes bright.

He managed a small laugh. "I give up. What?"

"I saw you this morning," she said. "On my bus ride. You drove right by."

His heart gave a strange, tight twist. This was so real to her.

"No," he said, leaning into the role, shaking his head. "You're kidding."

She grinned. "Nope. I swear. I was stuck on the bus, hating my life, and then there you were. Made my whole morning better."

"That's a pretty low bar," Roy said lightly.

"Hey, don't ruin it," she teased.

Then she kissed him.

It wasn't deep. It wasn't ****. Just familiar. Comfortable. The kind of kiss that came from routine and affection, not urgency.

Roy kissed her back because that was what he was supposed to do. What he'd learned to do. Her lips were soft and held a fruity flavour.

When she pulled away, she reached past him for the bags.

"Okay, serious business," she said. "I was starving and I figured you probably were too."

She slid off his lap and dragged a chair over to the side of his desk, sitting sideways so she could still face him. She unpacked everything quickly.

Big Mac. Fries. A drink. Then a veggie burger for herself. She pushed his food toward him automatically, like she'd done this exact thing before. Roy stared at the food for half a second longer than necessary.

He knew nothing about her. Not her name. Not her life. Not where she came from. And yet she knew him.

She knew him so well. Right down to the type of burger he liked. Why should he be surprised? Hadn't Tabitha known where he lived? And Claire certainly had his cell number. Whatever power was behind his wish was potent enough to fill in all the gaps.

He picked up the burger and slid it out of it's paper home.

"Long day?" she asked, unwrapping her own sandwich.

"Yeah," Roy said. "One of those days that feels longer than it should be."

She nodded immediately, like she understood. "I get that. Some customers today were just, like, whew. Like they woke up and chose chaos."

He smiled despite himself. "That sounds about right."

She laughed. "You wouldn’t believe some of the things people say. Like I'm a robot behind the counter instead of a person."

Roy felt a knot in her stomach. She was a real person. He had to remember that. Despite what he was going to do, despite what he needed to do to free her from being his girlfriend, she was a real person and needed his respect.

"People forget themselves," he said carefully.

"Yeah," she said, shrugging. "You learn to let it roll off. Mostly."

They ate for a minute. Quiet, easy. She filled the silence with little stories. A customer who tried to return something ridiculous. A coworker who was always late. A manager who took things way too seriously.

She was bright. Observant. Funny in a dry, quick way that surprised him.

And she asked about him. About his day. About a project she referenced in passing, something he realized she shouldn't logically know about. But she did. Just like the others always had.

Another piece of the wish at work.

"So," she said after a few bites, tilting her head. "Are you busy tonight?"

Roy hesitated.

"I don't think so," he said honestly.

Her smile widened. "Good."

Then, a little more carefully, "I didn't want to step on anything. Like... if you had plans with Elaine or something."

There it was. Elaine's name, said casually. Naturally. Like it was normal to share him.

Roy swallowed.

"No plans," he said. "Tonight's open."

Her relief was immediate and unguarded.

"Good," she said again, softer. "I was hoping we could spend some time together."

"I'd like that," Roy said, and again, he meant it the only way he could.

She leaned back in her chair, studying him with an expression that was affectionate and intent all at once.

"Actually," she said, "can you drive me home? I need to change anyway, and then we could go out. Or just, you know, hang out. Whatever."

The way she said it made it clear: she wasn't for convenience. She was asking because that was what boyfriends did.

Roy nodded slowly.

"Yeah," he said. “That sounds good.”

Her smile was radiant.

"Perfect," she said. "I'll grab my stuff."

As she gathered the bags and stood, Roy watched her, the knot tightening quietly in his stomach.

Five women.

Five days.

Five lives intersecting with his in ways he had no control over.

And now this: a young woman who looked at him like he was something solid in a world that clearly wasn't.

Roy leaned back in his chair as she waited for him by the door, and for the first time that day, he didn't feel like the wish was something abstract or distant.

It was standing right in front of him.

Smiling.