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“Yes. Okay. I understand,” she rushed out, leaning over her desk to grab wet wipes. “I’m so sorry. Here. This should help.”
“Thanks.”
“Was there something you were about to say to me?”
“Yeah.”
I’d nearly forgotten.
“Push the one o’clock back fifteen minutes. I have a very important call to make before I head in.”
“Sure. Should I add this call to your calendar? It’s not on the schedule.”
“It doesn’t have to be. Just know it’ll be made during that timeframe.”
“Got it. I’ll keep your availability shut off during that time.”
“Please,” I agreed, wiping the last of the juice from my fingers and handing the wet wipe over.
Because I felt sticky, I’d still visit the bathroom in my office, but for now, the clean-up job I’d managed would do. When I finally walked off, I didn’t make it very far before Christina was on my heels again.
“Just one more thing, Mr. Domino,” she huffed.
“Yes, Christina?” I asked, never breaking my stride.
“Would you like lunch from Bertos?”
“Christin–”
“My treat,” she added.
“No. But if you’d like Bertos for lunch, be my guest. Charge it to the company’s card this once.”
“No. It’s fine. I just… I know you love Bertos and figur—”
“Enjoy the rest of your morning. I’ll see you once meetings have concluded and it’s time for me to head over to the hospital. If you need me, buzz my office. Please… please don’t need me.”
“Yes, sir!” She nodded, watching from afar as I widened the gap between us. “Wait, but what if I actually need you?” she yelled after me.
Deciding against answering the question, I entered my office just as my cell chimed. I nearly tumbled over my desk as my cerebellum completely crashed, throwing off my coordination. The red rose I’d replaced the bouquet of flowers with popped up at the bottom of my screen, throwing me all out of whack and fuzzing my brain. The notification was unexpected, but simultaneously treasured.
I settled in the cushioned seat before unlocking my screen to read the message that had been sent. Nature’s pretty face appeared in the small circle at the top of the message box and right beside the last message she’d sent. My eyes were glued to the five lines, unable to read a single word as I attempted to lower the amount of beats produced by my heart per minute with long, slow breaths.
Milo, your kindness hasn’t gone unnoticed – this year or any before. As always, you’ve made this day a bit more special. Thanks for the flowers and the chocolates. They’re still my favorite.
Nay.
A stroke of pain ran through me, making my entire face twitch. The melancholy message that stared back at me left me stuck, unable to decipher between returning the text or making a call. Nature hadn’t given direct signs of her despair, but I could feel it in each word she sent. Evidence was all throughout the message, making my decision easier after reading it a third time.
“Milo,” she murmured on the other end, answering her phone on the second ring.
I clammed, pausing for a few seconds to savor the moment. Her voice was like the sweetest melody, settling my heart and my head at the same fucking time. Whatever magic she possessed left me feeling pathetic every time we encountered one another. After so long, I should have washed my hands and put her in my rearview but I still wanted her riding passenger seat. I couldn’t see it any other way.
“What’s the matter, Nay?”
The nickname I’d given her rolled off my tongue effortlessly. She’d set so many boundaries when shutting me out that she’d forbid the name slip from my slips, but somehow, it made it into our message thread this morning, giving me the green light to reinstate it in my vocabulary and our rare conversations.
“Nay, huh?”
