“Let go of me!” I ordered, pulling to get away. “That’s not true, and you know it!”
Her nails dug in more. “Yes, it is!”
“Monica, I’ve tried to be your friend over the years. You weren’t having it. I learned to work with you, regardless.”
“Take your friendship and shove it up your ass.”
“Thanks,” I muttered, finally freeing my wrist, red welts standing where her nails were.
“This isn’t the end of this!” she threatened. “You really think I’ll let you get away with this?”
“Whatever, Monica. You need help.”
I hurried out of the bathroom, knowing I should report her, especially with the fresh marks on my wrist, but not wanting more drama. Now that she was off the team, I didn’t have to deal with her anymore. Letting the feud fizzle was the best move in the long run. No matter what tricks Monica pulled, I was done playing her games.
Jason
Nothing put a smile on my face like seeing a $1.8 million deposit pending in my bank account. Okay, maybe a phenomenal blowjob would, but it still felt damn good and softened the blow of selling my dream home.
The house went for more than I expected, and since I paid it off, the extra money would go straight towards my new place. I toured a few more homes while in Chicago during the first half of the week, but nothing caught my eye. Checking out houses alone didn’t feel right, and I would bring Elena along the next time. Ultimately, I skipped the apartment route in favor of buying a house, a home Elena would be a part of. I wanted her to be comfortable there, too; therefore, she was an essential decision-maker.
I’d have to float in a hotel for a few weeks, but it would be nothing new after Ithaca. It didn’t feel much different from an apartment, aside from people wandering around with luggage and a continental breakfast spread each morning.
I interviewed a few more assistants while I was in town, too, but still came up empty-handed. It wasn’t that they weren’t qualified, as many of them were overly so, but each cover letter lacked spunk. I didn’t feel passion bouncing from the page. Obviously, no one’s life ambition was to be an assistant, but it didn’t hurt to at least pretend to be semi-interested.
Once I hit Florida, the last chapter of my journey there began, memories stirring up at every turn. It was strange to go along for the final walk-through with the buyers, especially when we lingered in the rear living room. The wife spun around, her arms outstretched in glee, planning an elaborate Christmas party in the room. Little did she know that a few years earlier, I was laying there in a pool of blood, a 9mm at my side.
I found it morbidly amusing, an inside joke I couldn’t stop smiling at, finding humor in my darkest hour. There I was ready to end it all and almost had, only to stand in the same room years later. It was a shame I didn’t realize all I had and would have in the future. I had plenty to be thankful for now, from a strengthened bond with my brothers to a brilliant woman by my side, a beautiful soul who I missed like crazy.
I wished I could have flown her to Florida for the weekend, but I didn’t ask, knowing she needed time with Hank. Since NorCon, she barely spent any time with him, and I knew it wasn’t fair to keep the two apart.
I had a few last-minute errands to squeeze in anyway, like a trip to the bank after selling an artifact from my former life. It was a beauty of a car but was rife with bad memories, the spot I first discovered the world as I knew it was a lie. Now I was free, the sale flooding my account with filthy money.
I stood in line behind an elderly couple, Each supporting the other as they stood, their bodies worn from time yet their commitment as strong as ever. It was the sort of sight that gave me hope. True love was there for the taking. All I had to do was embrace it, and I was ready to.
Since our talk in Boston, I knew I loved Elena. I fought it for so long, but once I let go of the fear, it was clear as day. My resistance wasn’t because of what I heard her and Lee say all those months ago, poking at my manhood. It wasn’t because of Croft. Perhaps I knew from that first meeting I would love her, my subconscious recognizing it before I did.
I couldn’t wait to tell the woman I loved how I felt about her. I couldn’t do it over the phone, so I’d have to wait until Monday, preferably over a home-cooked meal with a bottle of the best red money could buy. I was still debating if I’d follow it up with an offer to move to Chicago with me, to start our journey together as one.
My position paid more than enough to keep us afloat, though I knew she was far too independent to settle for that, longing for a career of her own. I would exhaust every contact I had to find her a role if she let me. I loved her, and I’d do anything to make her happy.
The glass menagerie of a bank did little to stifle the hot Florida sun, practically magnifying the rays as they bounced around the room. Sweat pricked my lip as I waited, my button-down far too warm for the south despite the season.
“Next,” a teller called, the couple ahead of me shuffling forwards. The husband leading the wife as they walked, her fragile arm looped in his as he inched along with a walker.
Someday that would be Elena and me. Hopefully, I’d still have my hair, not that it’d matter to Elena. If I had any hair loss, it’d be
