Page 25 of F Buddy

I’d only just started getting over my ex, a lot of it thanks to Zach. This was going to set me back for a while, and I didn’t need more reasons to be depressed about him leaving.

“You know better than that, Olivia. You said it yourself, remember? I don’t think it would be fair to tie him down when he’s going to be on the other side of the planet. He’s a playboy, and I kinda doubt he’d keep it in his pants when we’re not anything official. That marriage pact was a mistake.”

I frowned as, yet again, marriage eluded me. I should be happy to have dodged a bullet. While the idea was nice, put into practice I knew it wouldn’t exactly have been easy between us if we did end up married. Zach all but told me all he’d want from me was sex and a good time. If he ever grew tired of me…

“Such a fucking stupid idea,” I muttered. “Stupid fucking me!”

Chapter 10

Zach

I was seated in the slowly crowding airport, looking at the people moving around. When I started to feel restless, I got up and paced around.

“Dammit!” Where was she?

I winced as soon as I thought it. She wasn’t exactly obligated to come out and look for me just because I was leaving. Ever since I found out I was leaving, I hadn't found a chance to see her face to face, and if she didn’t make it to the airport in the next thirty minutes, she might be too late. I wanted to see her because I didn’t think saying goodbye on the phone would be enough for me.

Not that I can do anything even if she does get here, I told myself sternly. A hug, maybe, we were friends after all. But I wanted more, and that was the one thing I couldn’t have.

“Would you please sit down?” an exasperated voice told me.

I aimed a frown at my travel companion. Abigail, my colleague, had informed me she’d be going to Tokyo with me just yesterday.

Though we worked on the same floor, I couldn’t exactly say we were close. I knew her, and we sometimes talked when we were on breaks, but that was pretty much it. From what I’d heard about this little program we’d be doing, she and I were going to be working with each other for a while.

A part of me was grateful I didn’t have to go alone.

“Sorry,” I muttered, not sincere at all. She noticed and rolled my eyes.

“We still have time till we have to board,” she reminded me. “You don’t have to stress yourself out so much. It’ll be a long flight.”

“Then I’ll sleep on the plane,” I retorted. “I’m waiting for someone to show up and they’re a little late. Sorry for acting worried.”

She tilted her head a little to the side. “So that’s what your problem is?”

I sighed and sat back down beside her. “How are you so calm about this?” I asked, really bothered by her uncaring attitude.

She shrugged. “It’s for work, Zach, we don’t exactly have a choice, unless we want to quit. We were both picked because we were the best for the job.”

“Maybe… but I wouldn’t have minded passing it on to someone else if it wasn’t a fucking lifetime opportunity.”

It wasn’t like the whole thing was even all that beneficial. I was getting a slight promotion with the move, and a fucking long overdue raise, but I didn’t think it was anywhere near enough compensation for uprooting my life. It was a good opportunity.

“If you’re worried about leaving people behind, it’s not like this is forever. And you can keep in contact fine.”

I grimaced and shot her a look. “That’s not the problem.”

Her eyebrow went up, and she almost looked amused. “Girlfriend, then?”

“Not… exactly.”

I couldn’t say there was a classification for whatever relationship Scarlett and I had. I couldn’t say she was a friend with benefits. I didn’t think of her that way. Yeah, we were friends that occasionally hooked up, even though it hadn't been that long, but applying that term to her just felt kind of… wrong on some level. Scarlett was so much more than that, even if I wasn’t sure how much more.

“If it’s that, then I get it.”

I arched an eyebrow her way. “What, are you going to tell me you’re leaving a boyfriend behind?”

I glanced down at her hands and didn’t see a ring. She smiled at me.