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My phone chimes with a response. A pig. Are we good to go?
It’s a go.
I sit and watch my contact hack into the computer. He is bringing up codes and all I see are random words and numbers. I sit back and look around the office. Everything is so face value with these people. Degrees, golfing, shaking of hands, meaningless awards. I’d bet hard money that most of these awards are just made up just to give recognition to their friends.
Done. My phone displays the text.
I quickly pull out the external USB drive and leave his office. Surveying the chaos in front of me, I carefully make my way back to the elevators. The way these people have tunnel vision when completing a task makes me invisible. Sneaking through the cubicles, you could compare this to a minefield. Watch your step, or you will step on an explosive.
Reese is waiting by the elevator, looking around. When she finally catches sight of me, the smile that lights up her face brings so much warmth to my soul. I did that, made someone genuinely happy.
“Where were you?” she asks.
“Bathroom.” I point behind me to the bathroom sign.
“Come on.” She grabs my hand and pulls me to the elevators.
She presses the button to go up. Reese rolls on her heels and I can sense her nerves. When the doors open, I follow her out and I can see that she used some of my advice on doubling up on beams, and they eliminated a few additional pillars. The fall of DuPont’s empire will be glorious.
We step through some of the debris and stand by the windows where we stood once before. She hands me a small box.
“What is this?” I look at the box in her hands.
“Um… I had done some research and found this.” She places the box in my hands.
I open the box and find a black stainless steel pendant with roman numerals engraved. It sits on a black stainless steel chain. I stare at it for a minute before she continues to explain.
“The Roman numerals are the street address of the coffee shop where we met… it was one of the best days. The pendant should help with anxiety and the bottom twists off so you can put one of those fancy diffusers inside. Sometimes the smells can help calm people down.”
She stands cautiously and I can sense her eyes searching my face for something… anything.
“You did this for me?” I hold up the necklace to the light of the window.
“You tap your thigh when you are anxious. I can tell that your heart is beating faster.” She takes a deep breath, cautious about continuing to talk. “I just want to make sure you are okay, that’s all.”
I put the necklace over my head and let it fall on my chest. The blissful ignorance of this woman pulls at my heartstrings. Does she not know? The only calming scent is her. She is all I need. Reese is all I want. I frame her face with my hands and passionately caress her lips with mine. I want to convey the truth of my desires, but the practicality of our circumstances will only tear her reality to pieces.
“This is the most thoughtful thing anyone has ever given me,” I say between breaths.
My mind is now at war.
Her phone rings with text after text and it’s apparent that Jack is in the building.
“I have to go,” she says with such disappointment.
“I will call you tonight.” I kiss her again. My mind drowns in the thought of tasting her endlessly.
She nods and escorts me out of the building. At a loss for words the entire time. I’m once again thankful she doesn’t force any speaking between us. I grip my new necklace between my fingers and let my flesh feel the engraving. The significance of this gift has rendered me disoriented. A moment of selflessness brings so many mixed emotions.
I walk back to my car and I drive back to the cabin in complete silence. The pain is settling in my bones and I can’t continue this charade any longer.
She is falling for John… not me. She wants more with John… Not me! I’m too far in… I let myself fall.
Kevin is sitting on the couch but jumps up when I slam through the door.
“What’s wrong?” he immediately asks.
I can’t help myself. I can’t talk about feelings, so I throw a punch at Kevin’s face, surprising him, and he falls back on the couch. He becomes pissed, and comes at me, tackling me against the door. My back hits the door, his fists flying at my face and abdomen. I don’t even defend myself. I’m miserable and need the release of physical pain to deal with the emotional pain knowing what I will have to do eventually.
