Might as well remind Don not to insult the hand they wanted to help feed them.
“Good point. I mean it, Arik. I need you. It’s hard for me to admit it, but I am.”
He was positive it had more to do with Don being the guy to turn it around. If Don could get this under his belt, he’d be looking at another promotion if not taking over completely.
“As I said, give me a few days. I’ll reach back on Monday.”
Natalie would be here soon, then tomorrow she was taking the day off and they were going to Boston for the weekend. Getting off the island and having some fun.
Nothing outrageous, but he wanted to take in a baseball game, check out Quincy Market, do a little shopping and have some touristy fun.
She knew by now he wasn’t out to impress, but he needed the break and so did she.
She confessed that her boss had told her to take some time before the busy season hit, which was the end of this month. Didn’t have to tell him twice.
“Have a good weekend,” Don said.
He hung up, pushed back in his chair and ran his hands over his face.
He had a few more things to get done on his app before he was ready to let it be tested. That wasn’t happening this weekend because he made a promise to himself that when it was time to step back, he would.
He wasn’t bound to a desk and he’d make damn sure it never happened again.
The empty energy drinks and candy wrappers were mounting. Good thing Natalie never came up here, but he’d take care of them just in case.
With the trash pail in his hand, he swiped it across the desk until everything tumbled in, noticing the smears of food and sticky drops of liquid left behind. Ugh!
He missed having a housekeeper.
There were cleaning products in the bathroom up here, so he grabbed them, covered the desk in spray, used a towel to wipe it up and carried it down with his trash.
The minute his feet hit the landing, he saw the rest of the place wasn’t looking much better.
Shit.
How had he not realized it before?
Because Natalie hadn’t been here since Saturday. Five days ago.
She’d spent the night on Friday, stayed all day and left around eight that night. Two nights in a row would have been asking too much. Prior to his moving here, he’d only stayed at her apartment on the weekends.
She’d had things to do on Sunday with her mother, then was busy and worked late a few nights this week. He took advantage of it and put more time in on his app.
They’d had dinner one night out and that was it.
There was no panic in the distance between them. Just the quiet reassurance that they were finding a rhythm that fit.
If he told himself that enough, he’d start to believe it.
Not that she’d opened up and regretted it.
That she was scared he was going to hurt her.
Or even that she was getting cold feet and not coming around.
Patience. That was what he needed bucket loads of.
He emptied his garbage into the trash can in the kitchen, stuffing it down and then changing the bag. Something else he hadn’t done in a while and was lucky he hadn’t spilled anything on the floor.
