I look down on his plate to see a bagel piled high with lox and two big scoops of caviar. It looks pretty gross, but I get what he’s saying.
Natalie responds with a reluctant tone, “I see your point, but that shit’s gross. I’d rather just eat what I like and enjoy my breakfast.”
“Ugh, whatever. You agree with me, right Ellie?” He looks up expectantly as I nibble on a piece of bacon.
I chuckle, knowing that there is no right answer to this. I’ve seen them bicker a few times, and it's common knowledge that anyone who gets involved loses.
“There is no way in hell that I’m getting in the middle of you two.” I take a big bite of pineapple, hoping that they won’t ask me any more questions as they keep going back and forth.
Strong hands rest on my shoulders, and when I look up, I see Patrick. His green eyes are the brightest I’ve ever seen. He leans down and plants a tiny kiss on my forehead, causing butterflies to fill my stomach as I smile up at him.
My attention gets torn from Patrick by an obnoxious laugh. When I look over, I see Rebecca two tables over, laughing and whispering with another lady from their office. Patrick follows my gaze, and there is an immediate shift. He squeezes my shoulders, and he’s already walking away, saying that he needs to go take care of something.
Before I can move to stop him, he’s already pulling a chair out and sitting across from Rebecca. I don’t hear what he says to the coworker, but she makes herself scarce with no questions asked.
Patrick is keeping his voice low. I’m assuming he doesn’t want to air this out in front of everyone, but as they continue talking, Rebecca's face drops. She tries to interrupt him, but he doesn’t let that happen. Her expressions are telling as she gets more and more offended, and everyone who is close can hear what is being said.
“Patrick, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She reaches across the table and tries to put a hand on his, but he is not having it.
He pulls himself back and sharpens his tone. “Do you really think I am going to believe you over mygirlfriend? Why would she lie to me about this?”
“I don’t know. Maybe she’s jealous? I mean just look at her. No offense, Patrick, but she’s pathetic.” The tears start to build, but I refuse to let them fall.
There’s a similar anger in his voice to when I was telling him the story last night. “I don’t know what thefuckthat is supposed to mean, but I just want you to know that I’m filing a complaint with HR tomorrow when we’re back in the office. This is over. Don’t talk to her again.”
“What? That’s absolutely ridiculous. Your stupid girlfriend doesn’t even work with us, why are you blowing this out of proportion? Why are you involving work?” Her voice is loud and shrill which makes me think of the woman from the bathroom.
Looking around, I see every single person in the restaurant staring at them.
“This is a long time coming, Rebecca. Hopefully, it will teach you to stay out of other people’s business.” He gets up from her table and doesn’t give her a chance to respond.
Patrick walks back over to our table, plants a kiss on the top of my head for everyone to see, and goes to get some food from the buffet without a single word.
Wes tries to hide his puzzled look, but fails miserably. “Uhhhh, not that it’s any ofmybusiness, but what was that?”
“Oh, um, last night when I went over to the bar, Rebecca confronted me, basically insinuating that Patrick was sleeping with someone else in the office. I guess she thought that I would just believe her and break up with Patrick.” I shrug my shoulders, trying to pretend like it’s not crazy.
“What the actual fuck?” Wes starts to get up, but Natalie grabs his arm and pulls him back down.
“Down, boy. Patrick already handled it. No reason to go start another mess.” She pats his back to calm him down, and then focuses her attention on me. “I’m sorry that happened, Ellie. Rebecca has always had a bit of a mean streak, but this is the first time that I’ve seen Patrick stand up to her. You’re definitely worth fighting for.”
Wes butts in. “Yeah, I’m shocked that Patrick said something. He normally avoids confrontation like the plague.”
Those same butterflies from earlier build, but they quickly dissipate when my brain remembers the reality of the situation.
While I am grateful that Patrick stood up to Rebecca, he definitely didn’t need to do it for me. We wouldn’t even be in this position if it weren't for me starting this whole thing, so even though he says this is not my fault, it undoubtedly is. I start to feel queasy as my thoughts spiral down a black hole of negativity, and they don’t stop, even when I feel Patrick’s hand on my back and his lips on my temple.
Brushing the hair from my face, he whispers, “What are you thinking about, El? Talk to me.”
There’s a gnawing guilt that eats at me for causing even more issues for him at work. I push the fruit around on my plate, trying to find the right words. With Wes and Natalie at the table, I keep my voice low. “I just feel bad that all this happened because of me. This wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t lie to Greg in the first place, and now you are going to have to go to HR. It’s a big thing now, and it’s my fault. I’m sorry.”
“This is in no way your fault. I need you to stop blaming yourself and take a deep breath, okay?" He grabs my hand out of my lap and holds it to his chest. "I am more than happy to stand up for you, and, honestly, it helps me stand up for myself. Rebecca has been getting away with this type of shit for a long time, and no one ever holds her accountable. This is a good thing.”
A soft kiss is placed on my knuckles as he turns to his food.
I don’t understand how Patrick is able to calm me down so well. He knows exactly what I need to hear, and he doesn’t make me feel bad for feeling my own emotions. I know I'm getting attached to him, and I need to remember that is not why I am here. That is not what our agreement is.
Although, now that my celibacy streak has been broken, I don’t want to go back to that life. I forgot how much I enjoy sex when I don’t feel like I’m being judged. I think about putting myself out there, but there’s a sinking feeling in my chest that feels like it won’t be the same with just anyone else.
