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“So, what’s it like working at Adore? How long have you been there?”
“Close to six months now. It’s a great place to work and Lauren and I have been friends forever. It can be really tough dealing with some of the clients. I mean, I’m not a miracle worker. But I do try my best. You really feel the desperation sometimes. Some people will do anything to find their person. They want love so badly.”
“How about you? Have you found your person?” I ask and immediately feel stupid for asking such a personal question. I chalk it up to the second bourbon.
“Well, I thought I had but he had other ideas…” Sasha says, glancing down.
Looking at her intently, I wait for her to say more. I’m not pushing it though. I already feel like I overstepped by asking the question.
She continues, “My ex, Travis, and I had been dating for a couple of years when I found out he was cheating on me. I had no clue and felt like a complete idiot.”
“Damn, I’m so sorry. What a dumbass.”
“Thanks. I agree,” she laughs uncomfortably.
“So, in your line of work it shouldn’t be too hard to find another partner. Do you ever run across clients you’re interested in?”
“Mmm. Occasionally. I’m not sure I’m in the headspace to give a relationship a chance right now,” she responds. “And then, of course, there’s the whole problem of company policy. Lauren doesn’t exactly encourage her employees to date the clients. It’s a bit problematic.”
I glance away, searching for a less awkward topic of conversation.
Just then, we arrive at Sasha’s brownstone. “This is me,” she says, pointing at the well-maintained building with pots of yellow flowers on the steps. “You want to sit down for a few minutes before you take off?”
It’s an unseasonably warm night out for early Spring and the thought of continuing our conversation makes me happy. We plop down on the steps and talk about upcoming travel. Apparently, Sasha is a big travel nut and has lofty goals about all the places she intends to visit one day.
“So, New Zealand, huh? When are you going?” I ask.
“I haven’t bought my ticket but the plan is late fall, maybe end of October or early November. Have you been before?”
“No, but it’s on my list. It’s so far away, you know – if you go you need to stay for a while to make it worth it. It’s hard for me to find that much time away from work.”
“Work is super important to you, huh?”
“Yeah. It’s taken me a long time to build this company up so I can’t really take my eye off the ball.”
She glances up at the enormous full moon. “It’s important to have clear priorities. Keeps us moving forward.”
I glance down at my watch and am surprised to see it's almost midnight.
“Well, I should get going,” I say reluctantly. “I’ve got a session with my trainer at 8.”
We both stand up and look at each other awkwardly. I go in for a hug as she moves toward me. At the last minute, my wires get crossed and I feel like she’s coming in for a kiss instead so I change my trajectory. I end up giving her a kiss in no man's land between her mouth and her cheek. Her skin is so soft and she smells like a delicious combination of vanilla and some kind of flower–rose maybe? Being that close stirs something inside of me. I come to my senses and quickly take a step back, worried that I’ve misread the situation.
Her reaction is hard to read and I quickly say goodbye and start walking down the road. I pick up an Uber on the next corner since Peter is done driving for the night.
On the drive home, I can’t stop thinking about Sasha. I can’t help but wonder if she’s also thinking about me…
Laney and I are trying desperately to keep our most recent deal alive. I finally break at noon to grab some lunch. I probablyshould have ordered takeout but I really want to get out of the office to clear my head and get some fresh air.
I head down the street to grab some tacos from my favorite Mexican restaurant. It’s a total hole in the wall but they make the best carnitas tacos in the city. And the guacamole is insanely good.
I grab a spot in the line, which is trailing out the front door. A couple of seconds later I hear a woman behind me say my name. I turn around and Josh’s wife Maddie is standing there and gives me a little wave.
“Hi Spencer. How’s it going?” she asks.
“Doing well. Just came down to grab a few tacos.” I glance over at the woman beside Maddie, an attractive brunette in a black business suit.
“This is my friend, Ashley. She recently joined the firm,” Maddie says.
