Until Tomorrow
laundry
It started with the obnoxiously bright orange washing basket. That was the cause of all of Kelly’s problems – at least, her current ones. It was her Dad’s fault for breaking the washing machine, which he couldn’t afford to get repaired. Kelly’s mother was too busy with her job and so Kelly had been left to walk the three blocks to the Laundromat to do the family’s washing every Friday morning.
She carried the heavy basket the entire three blocks, covered in sweat by the time she arrived at the Laundromat. When she pushed through the door, the air conditioning hit her right in the face and she sighed, before going to the very back of the Laundromat to get to work away from everybody else.
Just as she’d finished shoving everything she could fit into the one washer, she heard a voice behind her.
“You know you have to separate the whites and colours, right?” Kelly, surprised it was a male voice, swung around to face him, hands on her hips.
“What difference does it make?” she snapped, her hair tangled and her face red. She let her eyes wander over the guy standing in front of her, who was tall, brunette, muscular and altogether attractive. He also wasn’t wearing any shoes. She raised an eyebrow at him before looking him directly in the eyes.
“I don’t think I should be taking advice from a guy who’s not even wearing shoes,” she said with a smirk, dropping her hands from her hips. He smiled at her slightly, shaking his head.
“Have it your way,” he said. “What’re you doing here anyway?”
“Laundry, just like everybody else.”
“This is your first time,” he said. “I can tell. And that basket? Not yours.”
“How…”
“I’m observant and you’re interesting.”
“Right…”
“I’m Jake.”
“Kelly,” she said, hesitantly shaking his hand. It was the first time since the last time that she hadn’t given someone a fake name. They got to talking and exchanged phone numbers, before Jake’s machine finished and he unloaded his washing and left.
Kelly didn’t take Jake’s advice when it came to separating the colours from the whites. The family’s technicolour clothing spoke for itself. Maybe it was time for Kelly to start having a little bit of faith in people, starting with Jake and the ten digits written on the back of her hand.
She carried the heavy basket the entire three blocks, covered in sweat by the time she arrived at the Laundromat. When she pushed through the door, the air conditioning hit her right in the face and she sighed, before going to the very back of the Laundromat to get to work away from everybody else.
Just as she’d finished shoving everything she could fit into the one washer, she heard a voice behind her.
“You know you have to separate the whites and colours, right?” Kelly, surprised it was a male voice, swung around to face him, hands on her hips.
“What difference does it make?” she snapped, her hair tangled and her face red. She let her eyes wander over the guy standing in front of her, who was tall, brunette, muscular and altogether attractive. He also wasn’t wearing any shoes. She raised an eyebrow at him before looking him directly in the eyes.
“I don’t think I should be taking advice from a guy who’s not even wearing shoes,” she said with a smirk, dropping her hands from her hips. He smiled at her slightly, shaking his head.
“Have it your way,” he said. “What’re you doing here anyway?”
“Laundry, just like everybody else.”
“This is your first time,” he said. “I can tell. And that basket? Not yours.”
“How…”
“I’m observant and you’re interesting.”
“Right…”
“I’m Jake.”
“Kelly,” she said, hesitantly shaking his hand. It was the first time since the last time that she hadn’t given someone a fake name. They got to talking and exchanged phone numbers, before Jake’s machine finished and he unloaded his washing and left.
Kelly didn’t take Jake’s advice when it came to separating the colours from the whites. The family’s technicolour clothing spoke for itself. Maybe it was time for Kelly to start having a little bit of faith in people, starting with Jake and the ten digits written on the back of her hand.
♠ ♠ ♠
I bought a bright orange washing basket 2 days ago - and so this chapter was born.I know it's short, but I really like this one.