Page 30 of From That Moment
And why did I want to know? Why did I want to ask?
“You know, I should get back to work. It’s been a slow day for me, and I could use the focus. Thank you for the burrito bowl. I’ll get yours next time.”
He handed over my lunch, studying my face. I did my best to blank any emotions other than peace. As I said, he didn’t need to know anything was wrong with me.
Even though that was far from the case.
I went back to work, having devoured my burrito bowl quickly, annoyed, and a little surprised that Prior had figured out exactly what I liked.
The fact that I could likely tell him what he wanted on his burrito told me we probably had been working together for too long, even over the relatively short time period he’d been in my department.
By the end of the workday, my shoulders hurt, my lower back ached, and I knew I was going to have a stress headache later. I had gotten tons of work done, but between Benji’s attitude and my nightmare, I’d felt like I was on the verge of throwing up or screaming for most of the day.
I packed up my things and headed out towards the elevator to go home.
Prior was already there, waiting for the lift. He smiled. “Look at us, on the same schedule again.”
“Apparently.”
“You don’t need to sound so excited about that.”
“Sorry, it’s been a long day.”
“Seems like. I got here a little bit before you because I had a couple of things to finish up, but we’re still the last people here.”
I looked around, my eyes wide. “I didn’t even notice that. What is wrong with me?” I could have slapped myself for that thought because first, I did not want to think about what was wrong with me, and second, I didn’t want him to question it.
“Probably because we’re both in the middle of a tough project. I get it, sometimes things just flow, and you forget about everything else. Which kind of sucks because I’m already late to meet Allison.”
“Late again?” I asked, wondering why I felt a little clutch in my belly at the mention of her name. What was wrong with me? I was a horrible person. Completely horrible.
“We have to talk,” he said, an emotion in his voice that I couldn’t quite name.
“Likethetalk? Or a talk?” I asked as we got into the elevator. There was an awkward silence then, even more awkward than a typical elevator ride, and I winced. “Never mind. You don’t have to tell me anything.”
“No. I’m just figuring out exactly what the talk is going to be. I don’t think it’s going to work out between Allison and me, and I hate that. Because I feel like I failed.”
Emotions swamped me, and I couldn’t quite figure out what they were. Sadness? Pity? Jealousy? No, it couldn’t be the latter. I didn’t even know him and Allison and their relationship enough to feel too sad or jealous about it. I was probably mixing up everything going on within me and couldn’t focus on what he was saying.
“I’m sorry.”
“Me, too. You know I’m good at a lot of things. But, apparently, relationships are not one of them.”
“You’re talking to the woman who has had six horrible bad blind dates after years of trying to do it on my own. At least you had a decent run of it.”
Prior winced. “I’m glad our scorecards look the way they do. I think Cross and Hazel are the only two that succeeded at any of this.”
“Probably. We’re not going to tell the two of them that because they’re already going to have big heads as it is.”
“Preach.” He smiled, shook his head, and headed towards his car. “I’ll see you on Monday?”
“Sounds like a plan. Have fun with the boys this weekend.” I paused. “And I’m sorry about Allison.”
He gave me a look, his eyes sad. “Me, too. Be safe.”
Then he turned the corner, headed to where his car was parked, and I made my way to mine.
I let out a breath, wondering what I was going to do this weekend. Organize my spice rack? Maybe go shoe shopping. Or perhaps start that new thirty-day yoga plan that I had been putting off for about eighty-seven days.