A Business Love

chapter 8

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At 5 p.m. sharp, Deluca was at Jessie's desk. "Ready, Ms. Provolone?"

"Yes, let me just grab my stuff!"

After gathering her things and saying goodbye to her coworkers, she nervously walked by Mariana's office. She had been debating inviting her to come with them for the past two hours, but she hadn't mustered the courage to ask her.

She loved Mariana and considered her a friend although she knew that she was most probably just a colleague in her eyes. She craved to create a friendship outside of the workplace with her, but she didn't know how Mariana felt about it.

"Hey!" she nervously said while looking at Mariana who was also gathering her things to leave.

"Hey, you're leaving!? What a miracle! It's only 5 p.m."

"Yes...I'm actually going to the happy hour with Deluca...You want to come with?" she stressfully asked.

"Nope! Sorry. I don't do happy hours! And I have something planned tonight, anyways," casually answered Mariana while still gathering her things not knowing that Jessie's heart was shattered by her quick refusal.

'Of course, I should have known she'd never want to hang out with a girl like me. She already has her cool and normal friends outside of work.'

"Oh okay...right. No problem!" she answered embarrassed. "I'll see you tomorrow."

The bar was a ten-minute walk from the office, so Jessie and Deluca left their cars in the parking lot and decided to walk together. They talked about everything and anything, until Deluca circled back to the fact that she was recently single.

"I'm really curious to know why a woman like you would be single right now, that's all."

"We had different lifestyles. Let's just say not everyone loves a career-oriented woman."

"Is that why you broke up with him?"

"He broke up with me actually."

"What?!" he replied flabbergasted. "So, you mean to tell me that he broke up with you because you are career-oriented?"

"Mainly, yeah," she said avoiding telling him that she was a nerdy freak and that she wasn't a very fun person to do life with.

"I'm sorry but what type of idiot would break up with a girl like you for something that is actually such a turn on?! It boggles my mind," he said while holding his head between his two hands.

Jessie laughed at his exaggerated indignation. "Does it really? Don't you want a girl you can come home to, who has cooked you a comforting meal and is waiting for you in sexy lingerie? Or would you rather be with a girl who comes home late and probably still opens her laptop to work some more?"

"If the second option is you, then I'll take the second option any day."

"Right..." she said laughing and rolling her eyes.

"What, you don't believe me? I'm serious!"

He was now staring at her vividly, but his stare wasn't intimidating; she could easily sustain it. She knew exactly what he was doing; he was flirting with her.

"Well, five years ago I told my now ex that I was a go-getter really focused on school and my future career, and he said: 'don't worry about it, I love you so much just the way you are'. Well, fast-forward five years later and here we are."

"Not all guys are like him. I'm very career-oriented too. I work late, so I wouldn't mind my girlfriend doing the same," he answered as he looked at her intently again.