“Why are you being mean to me?” she whined.
“I’m not, but I don’t know what you want me to say.”
“Tell me how you feel!” It wasn’t hard to do.
Ephrem shook his head. “For what? You’re going to be mad at him this week. In love next week. Hating him the week after that. I’m over it.”
Nina was offended and the look on her face showed it, but Ephrem’s patience was thin today, so he didn’t care. “You see what I’m saying? I promise… you don’t want to know how I feel.”
“I wouldn’t be asking if that was the case.”
E rolled his eyes. “Do what’s best for you, Nina.”
“Do you think I’m settling?”
He hated it when she did that. Nina was soooo good at self-projecting and self-sabotage. She’d mastered the art of talking down on herself. No one did it better.
“Do YOU think you’re settling?” He asked the real question that needed an answer.
“Relationships aren’t perfect, E.”
“Nina. The check. PLEASE!” He didn’t have it in him to do this with her today. He was tired. His head hurt and he had better things to do with his time.
“No, I’m not giving it to you until you talk to me.”
She was being a brat but he was used to it. Ephrem had experienced every side and version of Nina Marcelle.
“Cool. I’ll see you around.”
He wasn’t about to beg for a donation that she’d already committed to giving.
“Ephrem, what has gotten into you?” she asked in disbelief.
He told himself not to react. He was going to be the bigger person and just leave her office without a word until she had the nerve to say. “You were the main one telling me that I needed to start dating.”
“I never said date my best friend,” he spat.
She quickly saw the hurt in his eyes before he turned his face. He stood up and placed the tea on the coffee table. “I gotta go.”
Nina didn’t want him to leave. “I’m sorry… I never considered how all of this is making you feel. You’re caught in the middle and all I talk about is Jio…”
She felt horrible.
“Yep.” He was short with his response.
“I’m sure he’s burning your ears up about me and that’s not fair.”
Ephrem didn’t correct her. He barely saw Jio these days but it is what it is. Life was going in different directions for all parties involved.
“I apologize,” she stated sincerely.
“All good. Can I get the money though?” He was being dismissive when she wanted to get to the root of any issues that they may have. She could also tell that he was uninterested in doing that, so she would have to try again later.
“Yes, of course.”
Nina walked to her desk and opened her checkbook. Without a second thought, she wrote him a check for seventy-five thousand dollars. “Let me know if you need more.” She would take all the tax write-offs she could get.
“Thank you. I appreciate it.”
