Afterlife: Reincarnation

6

May 20

HARRY

The day had been much longer than I had expected, the weather doing very little to lift my already despondent mood. After turning my attention to the manuscript that would start my internship, I was thankful that it was actually well written, and intriguing, and kept my mind occupied well in to the lunch hour. It wasn't until I noticed some of the others in my area getting up and heading out that I realized the time, and the grumbling of my stomach.

Setting the manuscript on my desk, I grabbed my jacket and my umbrella, and made my way towards the elevators. I hadn't made it far, before miss nasal made an appearance, her blonde head popping out of her office.

"Heading out for lunch?" she asked, her smile much too wide.

I nodded, trying to force a pleasant grin.

She stepped out of her office, coming to my side. "Are you sure you don't want me to recommend anywhere?" she asked, her hand finding her slim hip. "There are some rather nice places nearby."

It took everything I had in me not to roll my eyes. "I'm good, thank you," I said, grateful the moment the chime of the elevator sounded. My escape was here. "I'm just going to pop next door to the coffee shop."

Her grin stayed in place despite my rejection, her head tilting flirtatiously. "Well, if you change your mind, you know where I am."

Again, my only response was a nod as I stepped quickly away and into the elevator. She watched me as the doors closed, giving me a wave. The moment I was alone, finally out of her view, I sighed, dropping my head.

Jesus Christ. If I was going to have to deal with her practically humping my leg every time I came in to work, this was going to be a bloody nightmare. Technically she was the assistant of my boss, so I couldn't tell her off. But really, did she have to be so...obvious?

After grabbing a quick bagel and tea at the shop across the street, I sat at a table in the corner, bringing my phone from my pocket.

Immediately, I checked for any messages from Lane. I had no doubt that if I hadn't had the distraction of a decent book, my mind would have been twisting with worry. I frowned when I found no new texts, no emails. It was one in the afternoon here, which meant it was likely around eleven at night there. Hopefully she was safe and sound, and asleep.

She had promised to let me know she arrived, and it annoyed me that I would have to wait who knew how long before hearing from her. Would she contact me, like she said? She had done so in London, and again in Istanbul. She hadn' seemed upset, or angry at my behavior at the airport. I could only pray that she understood why I let her go, and that there was nothing more I would have wanted than to have her stay.

Granted, I wouldn't have had to hope she knew this, if I had just grown a pair and told her. In keeping with my own fucked up pattern, the one I had seemed to adopt since realizing I was head over fucking heels for her, was to hope that with touches, and looks, and comments she would know how I felt and I wouldn't have to put myself out there risking her rejection. I was a fucking wanker, and I knew it.

I hated the thought of her being so far from me. Or some reason, the thought of her being in New York while I was in Seattle wasn't that bad in my mind. It was only a few hours plane ride, and at least in the same damn country. Now, she was a two days trip, and too many time zones away. It was a stupid thing to think, the distance, as if that had any real baring on our relationship. It wasn't the distance that was the problem. It was me, and the fact I couldn't seem to tell her I was fucking crazy about her.

Finishing my bagel, and finding myself increasingly annoyed the longer I stared at my phone, waiting for some message to miraculously pop up on my screen, I headed back to the office. Thankfully, I dodged my new admirer, and made it back to my desk without another flirtatious grin.