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Her well-intentioned words only fueled the flames of my frustration. Already berating myself for my lack of judgment, I took her words as an unwelcome echo of self-criticism.
"I understand they're young, Jill," I retorted with an unintended sharpness. "But we can't afford to have people spreading stuff around about us like that. This is a professional environment where our business model is upholding personal image. What would that say about us if we couldn’t even uphold our own here in the workplace?"
Jill attempted to reason with me. "I get your point, but maybe there’s a more constructive approach..."
Losing patience, I interrupted her.
"Jill, please. I don't need a lecture right now. Dealing with this situation is enough to handle for the moment. And please don’t question how I run my company. We’ll talk about it another time."
I could see the pain in her eyes as she nodded softly, her voice subdued and defeated.
"Alright, Jeremy. I'll give you your space for the rest of the day."
As she turned to leave, guilt washed over me.
With the door closing behind her, I took a deep breath and attempted to gather my thoughts. I had mishandled the situation with the designers and needed to rectify it, but first, I had to make amends for the hurt I’d just caused Jill.
Chapter Nineteen
JILL
Inthewakeofa tumultuous day that had tested our nerves, I found myself pleasantly surprised to receive a late afternoon text from Jeremy, extending an invitation for dinner.
The idea of spending quality time together beyond our shared workplace lifted the weight from my heart, prompting an eager acceptance.
We settled on a charming and sophisticated restaurant, and I picked out a fancy dress for the occasion and then pulled my hair into a braided updo.
As usual, I arrived ahead of schedule and was tasked with picking the table. The waitress, recognizing me, took me straight to our usual corner nook.
The warm ambiance offered an ideal backdrop for the much-needed tête-à-tête ahead.
Jeremy arrived only a short time after I did. His eyes were kind and joyful as he took in the sight of me. I stood up to hug him; then he gestured for me to sit back down where we cozied up. I rubbed my foot against his leg as we talked about our evenings.
Once we were settled and the air was cleared, he interrupted the chatter with a heartfelt apology. "Jill, I truly regret how I spoke to you earlier. I allowed my frustration to cause me to snap at you, which was inexcusable."
I welcomed his willingness to acknowledge his missteps. Extending a smile, I responded. "Thank you, Jeremy. We all have moments of weakness, but I have trouble with confrontations like that. Aggressive behavior triggers memories from my past relationship. He could be ruthless when angry, and when someone raised their voice with me, I just folded in on myself."
Jeremy's face softened as he nodded understandingly. "I understand, Jill. I apologize for not being more considerate of your feelings. In trying to protect you, I wound up being the person that hurt you."
“I understand,” I said. “All’s forgiven.”
With that out of the way, a newfound sense of openness came over us. I began to tell stories of my life, particularly about growing up on the farm.
Attentive and engaged, Jeremy listened as I talked about my past. One tale, in particular, really amused him.
"One summer on the farm," I teased with a playful grin, "my cousin Courtney and I were bored, so we decided to steal my dad’s tractor and take it into town to get some food. As I turned the key, the tractor slowly started moving forward. I looked at Courtney to help me, and she laughed and told me she didn’t know how to drive a tractor. Not wanting to look dumb in front of her, I put it into gear and slammed on the gas, crashing us into the nearby stable. Thank goodness none of the horses were hurt, but some of them were spooked and ran away. It took Courtney and me hours to corral them all back. My dad was so mad that I got grounded for months.”
Jeremy joined me in laughter, his eyes crinkling at the corners.
I continued. “I think I have a picture of us fixing the stable.”
I reached for my phone, scrolling through my cloud gallery for the image.
As I swiped through the images on my phone in search of the particular one I wanted to share with Jeremy, a stream of memories, frozen in time, flashed before my eyes. Each swipe invoked a kaleidoscope of emotions in me. I couldn't resist but share a handful of these precious moments with Jeremy as I swiped.
"Ah, here is one from when my cousin visited from Washington!" I exclaimed, presenting him with a photograph showcasing my family at a backyard barbecue. "Notice my dad has a whole hog roasting on the pit! He’s a grill master, or at least he is in his mind. He takes his grilling very seriously."
Jeremy chuckled as he carefully examined the image. "I can see an unwavering concentration etched on his face back there. He’s a master at his craft, for sure. And who is that little cutie tucked away in the corner there?"
