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The curiosity of the matter gets to me and I get up from my desk, heading into David’s office. I need to lay this out once and for all. Lily doesn’t come in for another hour and time is of the essence.
“Good morning,” I say as I walk in his office, taking a seat in front of his desk. David is clearing some files out of his briefcase and setting them on his desk when he looks up at me.
“Hey, good morning to you as well,” he replies.
“How’s Lily? Have you talked to her since the other day?” I ask, knowing we gave her the day off after the ordeal with Jeff kidnapping her.
“You know, I haven’t,” he shrugs his shoulders and takes a seat behind his desk. “I figure that she needed some alone time to rest up.”
“Good call,” I say to him, still wondering if I should even bring the subject up. “I actually came in here to discuss Lily at length.”
“Yeah, what about her?” he asks me. “I suppose that you haven’t spoken to her either? Poor thing. I still can’t believe Jeff would do something of that nature.”
“Me neither,” I say, shaking my head. “How well of a job do you think Lily is doing keeping up with tasks when she isn’t being spied on or kidnapped?” I chuckle as I say it knowing full well that those circumstances were outside of her will.
David thinks about it for a moment. “I think she’s doing a hell of a job, in spite of what’s happened to her here at work. She’s got the files organized and the office is running smoothly. Not to mention she is a looker!” He wiggles his eyebrows up and down, smiling as he does.
“I agree,” I say, “On both counts, her work and her looks.” Sighing I decide to get it over with. I just need to know what his intentions are regarding Lily. “Over the past few weeks I know I’ve done some dumb shit, but all that aside, I’ve fallen in love with her.”
A look of astonishment crosses his face, but nothing can hide his anger. “I don’t know how this will play out, but I’m in love with her as well.”
And there it is.
We both love the same woman.
I sit up in the seat and lean closer to his desk, watching him and his movements. He seems at ease, with the exception of anger.
“James, you know I’ve been afraid to allow myself to open up ever since Carolyn and my shit-bag brother took off,” he looks at me in earnest, confiding in me his reasons for loving Lily. “She has shown me that I can trust other people and that I can find love. I did, with her.”
“And you know as well, David,” I stop and peer into his eyes. “That I’ve never known love. Ever. At every turn this one feeling has escaped me my entire life, until now. And I have Lily to thank for it.”
“I do understand and I hope you can see my side of it as well,” he says as he tosses his hands in the air, leaning himself back into his seat. “So, what do we do about it?”
“I’m going to ask her to marry me,” I say, looking at my fingers and then back to him, “And I suppose this is a tough ask. Will you step down so that I can do that? I love you like a brother man, always have, but I can’t love you in the sexy ways that have happened of late.”
“And you think that she’ll agree to marry you after all of your investigations and accusations?” He stands from his chair, pointing a finger at me. Shaking his head he says, “There’s no way man. Just no way.”
“You can’t make the decisions for her, no more than I can,” I say with some frustration in my voice. “But she can make the decision herself.”
“So you want me to beg off and leave her alone for your sake? And for this love you’ve found, which happens to be a love that I’ve also come to grips with,” David exclaims huffily.
“It would be nice if we could be men about this and not delve down to a shootout in the streets like some old western,” I implore him. “C’mon, man! Can’t we do this without a fight?”
“I could beg the same of you,” he says haughtily as if he’s the one better suited for Lily. Can you step aside and allow me to ask her to marry me?
I shake my head, anger getting the best of me. “I want to be with her, David and I’m not going to stop pursuing her. I love her.”
“Just as you say that you can’t back down, neither can I, James,” he shouts as I leave his office in anger. “I won’t walk away from her!”
Now, this complicates everything.
Forty-Four
David
Sitting behind my desk fuming, I can’t wait for the day to come to a close. I plan on going to Lily’s after I’m finished here. I can’t believe how bold James is in asking me to step away from a relationship with her.
I find the energy and the focus to at least get me through to four thirty. I pack up my briefcase and close it, heading out the door. Even though I’m still angry at James, I stop by his office and say, “I’m out, have a good night.”
