The Soulmate System

13. "Soulmate" Comes with Several Meanings, Some of Which Do And/Or Do Not Apply

"Would you like to come out with me to the seaside this weekend?" asked Dylan out of the blue one Tuesday morning, almost a week after he stayed the night at Bryce's flat.

Bryce blinked, the copier flashing as it spat more paper. "Wait, what?"

Dylan scratched his neck quickly and sighed. "Would you like to come to the seaside with me this weekend?" he asked again.

"No, I heard that," Bryce noted, turning away and oblivious to the queue forming behind him. "What I want to know is why are you inviting me?"

Dylan glanced quickly behind Bryce, watching as the queue grew longer. He pulled up Bryce's photocopies and gestured for him to walk back to his desk for the next person to use the copier. "It isn't a 'I had a friend but they cancelled' or 'I won a contest' sort of scenario, either, if you're going to ask."

Bryce took the copies from him. "So...what's the scenario?"

Dylan looked to him and replied, straight faced, "I want to see what it's like to spend time with you, outside of work, and away from the City."

Euphoria blooming in his chest, Bryce swallowed his spittle audibly and asked, "Isn't that the same as you spending the night at my flat?"

Dylan shook his head. "No. I want a day away from anyone we may mutually know." Now having arrived at Bryce's desk, Dylan leaned over the side of the cubicle wall, recreating how Bryce hangs on his cubicle walls. "You were the one who suggested that 'Soulmate' doesn't have to be romantic." He straightened up and continued, "Besides, I need to get out of the City. I feel...stifled or something."

Bryce leaned forward and asked quietly, "Is...is this a d – " He suddenly found Dylan's hand over his mouth, its owner looking quite unamused.

"No, this isn't that," he responded forcefully, dropping his hand moments later. "This is...two friends hanging out. Completely harmless, right?" Bryce nodded, and Dylan began backing away slowly. "Okay. I'll give you the details on Friday, yeah?" Bryce nodded again, and Dylan returned to his cubicle.

A giddy smile threatened to spread across Bryce's lips as he fumbled with his photocopies. Pressing his forehead against the still-warm stack of papers, he inhaled slowly and reveled in the sense of euphoria and longing being satisfied within his chest. He also thanks his Glow-Inhibitor shirt that no one could see it.

Dylan strolled away, hands rolled into fists and slowly tightening. That hadn't been as nerve-wracking for him as he had anticipated, but now his own resentment towards his Soulmate was flooding back to him. Dylan unintentionally began replaying the events from a week before in his head, the memories filtered through the man's anger and turning Bryce into a cocky, cheeky playboy with confidence through the roof. But Dylan was momentarily reminded of something Bryce had said the first night he stayed over: ''You know, Soulmate could mean anything. It's just...universally...accepted that it's a romantic thing. What if...we become super best friends?''

Bryce had been trying so desperately hard to make amends with Dylan from that night. But each attempt fell flat in Dylan's eyes, but he nevertheless found Bryce's perseverance admirable, but Dylan wasn't ready to forgive, even if he wanted to. Drawing in air through his nose, he mused, 'Forget what happened; it's just Bryce. Try to enjoy yourself this weekend, all right?'

Stevenson approached him suddenly, breaking his train of thought. "Matthews," he began, his tone low and stern, "how's your work?" He wanted something tangible to show that Dylan had actually been working. At a natural pause in the conversation, the supervisor glanced down at his phone and asked casually, "How're things with Bryce?"