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“I need time for that. I’m not strong enough right now. Please tell him I’ll come to him soon. Just not now.”
“Very well. I expect that you’ll honor your commitment to me when you’re ready.”
“I promise.”
Albert pulls up in front of my office building, and I thank him as I step out.
“Goodbye, Miss Stanford.”
“Goodbye, Albert.”
I watch him drive away and walk into the building. Inside my office, there is a flurry of activity. I put my purse in my drawer, and Angie rushes to her desk.
“What’s going on?”
“Robert Scarborough is coming in today.”
“Shit. Anything I should be doing?”
“Other than looking busy when he gets here, no. We’ll discuss why you were out later. Nate texted me.”
“He texted you, but not me?”
“Later. Robert will be here soon,” she says sternly.
I busy myself with the latest manuscript I’ve been proofing. Robert arrives at 10:30 with his new wife, Julie, on his arm. I remember meeting her a little over a week ago. She’s an attractive slim brunette with eyes the color of milk chocolate. She waves to me when they walk by, and I smile. I doubt Jordan has told anyone that we’ve broken up, and I’m not about to reveal it to others.
By noon, the office has once again come alive with boisterous conversation that coincides with the exit of the Scarboroughs. Angie turns to me and gestures to her watch.
“I’m not hungry.”
“Too bad. I am, and we need to talk.”
I reluctantly follow her to the elevator. I’m not in the mood for another lecture. It seems to be the theme lately, Nate, Lexi, Albert. She says nothing to me as the car descends to the bottom floor. She grabs my elbow when we exit and leads me to a gyro cart outside the building.
“How long is this going to take,” I snap.
“Don’t take that tone with me. You’ve been pretty moody lately.”
I decide not to reply since we’re in the middle of a crowd of lunch-goers. I prefer to wait until we are out of other ears. Angie orders a gyro, and the smell is making my stomach rumble, but I prefer not to eat. She leads me to a small table near the side of the building. I begin to protest because the heat is oppressive but shut my mouth when she glowers at me.
“Nate was pretty broken up. He told me you left him.”
“Angie, he wants to be with me. He’s my best friend.”
“So? He loves you.”
“I can’t wrap my head around it. Why couldn’t he have said something two months ago or two years ago? Why now? I’m still reeling from my break up with Jordan, and he has to dump his shit on me now?”
“I’m sorry about everything you’re dealing with, but would you have dated Nate even if he told you before you knew Jordan?”
“Probably not. I don’t think of Nathaniel in those terms. I love him, but like a friend, not a lover.”
“Then you should have told him that.”
“The last thing I needed was to have this situation dropped in my lap. For God’s sake, all the times we saw each other naked. I’m embarrassed to know he thought of me like that.”
“He’s still your best friend. You need to come to some sort of truce, or you’re going to lose him.”
