LOVE BETWEEN FIRE AND ICE

08 | The start of a friendship?

"Get ready, we're going to supervise a restaurant branch not too far from here, you don't have practical experience, you need to see how it's done before we get to NC. We leave in 30 minutes". 

"Okay ma'am" he says and leaves my office. There's something about how he calls me ma'am, he says it in a soft and coy tone, it almost sounds seductive and he knows it, or am I hearing it wrong? 

In 20 minutes, I'm done with signing some documents and everything I have to do for the day. I touch up my makeup, reapplying a bit of concealer, eyeliner and baby pink lipstick. I'm wearing a light pink top and black palazzo pants. I look at myself with satisfaction, I'm ready.

I pick my bag and walk to his office to tell him it's time to go but I hear him talking to someone on the phone just as I'm about to open the door. Out of curiosity, I decide to wait and listen.

"Lisa we can't continue like this. I want this to work out but I don't know, it isn't going anywhere. I loved you so much, I think I still do but I don't think there's anything we can do......... No, no, off course there's no one, I'm just not feeling this anymore". I hear him say.

That must be his girlfriend. For some reason, I feel disappointed and stupid. Wait, what was I thinking?, Was I hoping that we'd date? No way!, I don't do that stuff anymore. I think to myself and finally open the door after hearing enough.

"We will talk about this later Lisa, I have work to do. Yeah, bye" he says and ends the call upon seeing me.

"How long have you been there?" he asks me.

"Not long. It's time to go" I tell him and walk out as he follows me from behind.

"Get in, I'll drive" I tell him as we reach the parking lot.

"Nice car" he says as he enters, looking at the car with admiration. We're driving my luxury 2020 Lexus ES 350, I've always loved sport looking sedans, the big ones aren't really my type but I had one, just for keeps.

"Thanks" I tell him as I start the car and start driving.

Facing me with a confused and surprised look, "Thanks? So you know how to say it" he says and breaks into a smile.

"I don't, it just slipped out" I say trying to hide the grin on my face.

"You don't seem that bad Laurel, at least not as bad as people say and not as bad as I thought".

"I am bad and you should believe what they say, they've been here longer than you and if everyone is saying the same thing, then there must be some truth in it, don't you agree?" I tell him, not making any effort to defend myself.

"Not in all cases, a lot of people can be wrong too. My gut tells me that they're wrong and that it's a misunderstanding, I think I may have misunderstood you too" he replies.

"Then you don't know me well" I tell him, making the mistake of looking at him as I say it, I see his eyes and my heart starts racing again. I quickly look away and focus on the road.

"What did you mean when you said you may have misunderstood me?, do you mean the issue at the board meeting?" I say, my voice a bit shaky as I try to make conversation so I don't feel so uneasy around him.

"Yes, it was wrong for me to question you like that without privately asking you about it first but that's not what I mean. The cafeteria isn't the first place I've seen you, I actually saw you in a restaurant before then, I was sitting behind you so you could not have seen me.

You were with a nice looking guy, I assumed he was your boyfriend until you walked out on him after saying some weird stuff".

"What?! You were there?"

"Yeah. I could not see your face though, your back was turned on me so I could only see your shiny red hair and pink gown but even that looked lovely" he says in a low tone and I almost turn to look at him but stopped myself.

"Anyways I was intrigued but imagine how more intrigued I was when you said you liked visiting the cemetery and that you did meth and marijuana, I was shocked and I misunderstood you especially after you walked out on him without letting him finish, I thought you were rude and I genuinely pitied the guy.
But seeing you now, you don't look like someone that does drugs, you probably had your reasons for doing what you did and I shouldn't have jumped into conclusions".

"What makes you think I don't do drugs?, It's not like you can see on my face if I do drugs or not" I say to him.

"Trust me, I'd know if you do drugs. I'm sorry I misunderstood you". he says.

"It's okay I guess, people have the right to think whatever they want to, I don't mind them". I reply. "But why are you apologizing so much?, are you usually this peaceful? I ask genuinely curious. 

"I guess I am... Nonetheless we'll be working together a lot so it's better to not have any misunderstandings".

"You're right" I say nodding my head.  

"But one thing still baffles me, why did you say those things? He seemed like a genuine nice guy"

"Cause he wanted something more and I don't want that, just the thought of being in a relationship is sickening, he'd have to kill me first". I say to him in a serious tone, my eyes looking straight at the road. Was that too much?

From the corner of my eye, I can see him looking at me, surprised and intrigued as to why I said such a thing. "Woah... sickening?, why do you think that?" he asks.

"Because it's true, relationships are a waste of time and frankly speaking, you don't need someone to feel complete or feel some stupid hormones whatsoever. I don't believe in being dependent or putting your life on pause for someone just to have them eventually change into something else or to see them leave in the end..... A waste of time like I said". 

"Well you're wrong. Watching movies and listening to music are also a waste of time but we do it anyways because we feel good when we watch those movies and listen to music and sometimes, we even draw lessons from them... so it's not all that bad. For something, you felt good and got experience, realized something you like and don't like..., doesn't sound like waste of time to me". 

"Oh wow, you're a motivational speaker and relationship coach now" I say to him almost bursting in laughs.

He smiles and damn he has the sexiest smile with a beautiful dimple that made him a lot more alluring. "Well I can be many things" he answers with a smirk on his face. "Why do you think that way though, any experience that made you change your mind?" he asks with a genuine look of curiosity on his face.

I hesitate for a while "No... It's just what I think". There is no need tell him more about me especially when I did not know anything about him. 

"What about you?, any love interest?" I find myself blurting out the question.

He hesitates for a while as if thinking of what to say, "Uhm... no, no one for now" he replies with a chuckle. 

No one? But I just heard him talking to someone that is obviously his girlfriend, why did he lie?, why are men just so predictable and dishonest? I thought to myself. 

I reply with a shrug "If you say so",  sounding a bit upset because he lied. Two minutes later, we arrive at our destination, thank God! I could not bear being in the same car with him after what he said. 

"We're here".