Re: Live and Breathe: Derek and Marta
There was something nervous making itself well-known in Marta's belly, and she pressed trembling hands palm-flat against her stomach. Luckily, they weren't damp enough to mar or wrinkle the front of her dress as she pressed harder, feeling the in and out as she took another breath - deep - like she'd been taught. She took that moment to ground herself where she was, mindful of the situation, relying on each of her senses so that she wouldn't spin out of control and get lost.
It wasn't a perfect solution, and she was still feeling a little skittery as she stepped forward to push through the door, the almost non-scent of the place reaching out to meet her. It was another scent to ground her, familiar and right, and she took another deep breath to let it wash over her. In that moment, she was surprised at being aware of how much she'd missed the place, months spent away. And surprised too, even after those few discussions on the forum, how much she'd apparently missed Derek - hit with it as the door closed softly behind her and she saw her boss seated at the front desk.
Her feet stopped only a few steps inside, currently clad in her cheap slide-on tennis shoes, her heels tucked into the bag she carried so that she wouldn't hobble herself by wearing them for her commute. Blisters weren't something she'd wanted to add to the stress of being in the 'real world' again and her first day back at work. It wasn't her feet that were the focus of the moment, though, but the woman behind the desk, and Marta stared at her a little too before she found an uncertain smile and managed just enough voice for a greeting:
"Hi..." Catching sight of the single customer, she frowned with a flicker of worry. "I'm late?"