“I planned on it,” Brett says. “Just email me the name. I’ll call them to let them know and give Darlene access to their file. I’m assuming their notes are up to date?”
“They are,” I say. “I’ll send it over once I get back to my room.”
“I really appreciate this, Jordan. It’s stuff like this that’ll earn you a management position one day.” He winks.
“Oh, wow. Thanks, Brett.”
He and Darlene take off toward his office. I head into the break room, where I fill a large paper cup with coffee. I add a splash of cream before putting the top on. Being a manager here wasn’t something I’d considered before because I like what I do. I like working with patients directly, but if I can move up the ladder, I should.
Once I’m back in my room, I email the information to Brett from my iPad, to which he responds a few moments later, letting me know he got the info and will schedule the new patient to be here on Wednesday for intake.
Before I know it, I’m leaving to meet Maggie. The fact that I’m not upset about this tells me all I need to know. It’s not that I don’t care about her, I just know what I deserve in life and she isn’t it.
She’s sitting at a booth in the back when I get to the restaurant, and she smiles when she sees me.
“I ordered you a burger,” she tells me as I drop into the seat across from her. “And coffee.”
I smirk. “Thanks.”
If I don’t keep up the caffeine intake, I swear I’ll drop. Though, one day, maybe the caffeine will be the cause of that.
I hold her gaze as she watches me carefully. I can’t tell what she’s thinking or what she’s about to say. I should be able to do that at this point in our relationship, shouldn’t I? After being together for a year, I should know her better. Yet I’d feel the same if I were sitting across from a stranger.
“How’s work?” she asks.
Shrugging, I say, “It’s work. You?”
“It’s work.”
The waiter comes over with our food, putting a plate in front of Maggie and then me.
“How can I get the coffee for you, sir? She wasn’t sure, so we wanted to wait.”
“Sometimes you get hazelnut,” Maggie adds, reaching for the salt.
“Hazelnut is fine. Cream and sugar on the side.”
“I’ll be right back with that,” the waiter says before leaving.
Maggie grabs the ketchup and pours it all over her fries before grabbing one to eat. I take the ketchup and put it on the side of my plate to dip.
“I’m not breaking up with you, you know,” she says suddenly. I pause, slowly looking up at her. “You’re acting like that’s what’s happening, but it’s not.”
“Oh… okay.”
“I know you think I should because you think you don’t deserve me or something equally as ridiculous, but that isn’t true, Jordan. I’m nothing special, and even if I was, you’d deserve me then too.”
I shake my head, leaning back. The waiter drops off my coffee. I empty in three packets of sugar and three creamers.
“I don’t treat you good enough, Maggie.”
“You treat me as well as you know how.”
“Which isn’t good enough.”
Her eyes narrow and she blows out a sharp breath. “If you want to end things, Jordan, just tell me.”
“That’s not what I”m saying.”
