I stared at the brown paper bag. “You made me lunch?” I was so touched. Tears pooled, and I blinked rapidly. “Thank you,” I said as I threw myself at him for a bighug.
He chuckled and gave me a squeeze before handing me my keys and purse. “Have a good day today, I’ll be here when you gethome.”
I sniveled my way to my car and composed myself by the time I got to work. My day crept by; I was so excited to get back home and see Griffin. I called Ellion and Chandler on lunch to share the good news withthem.
“Yeah, we knew,” said Chandler over videochat.
They shared a screen, sitting in Ellion’s computerlab.
Ellion leaned closer to the camera. “Actually, don’t tell him I told you, but he doesn’t plan on coming back here at all. We’re going to hire movers. We’re only a few days away from being able to leave ourselves.” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively atme.
“I can’t wait,” I said. Tears pricked the back of my eyes again, and I shook my head to ward themoff.
“Are you okay?” Ellionasked.
“It must be getting close to my time of the month,” I said. “I’ve been super emotionaltoday.”
Chandler laughed. “Maybe we’ll wait a few more days before comingdown.”
I rolled my eyes at his attempt at a joke, and we chatted a little bit more before I had to go back from lunch. The rest of the afternoon crept as slowly as the morninghad.
Finally, it was time to clock out and go home. I hurried out the door, starving, and pulled out my phone to call Griffin. He answered on the firstring.
“Have you already started dinner?” Iasked.
“No,” he replied. “I was going to see if you wanted to goout.”
“That’s exactly why I was calling. I was thinking about picking up these massive salads they make at the corner market. Does that sound good?” I’d developed a craving for the salad sometime in the afternoon. “I’ve been dying forone.”
“Sure,” hesaid.
After he gave me his preferences, I headed for thedeli.
Once home, I unloaded all the food on the kitchen table and found that I’d let my appetite order for me again. Besides the salads, I’d ordered sandwiches, soup bowls, and several different types of pickles. I shrugged at Griffin. “I’m starving again, and you’re a big guy, you gottaeat.”
We manage to polish off all of the food. As I cleared away our mess, I looked around the apartment. “Did you clean inhere?”
Griffin smiled at me. “Just a little.” He took the trash from me and walked toward the front door. “You shouldn’t have to clean after coming home from a long day. You need a cleaninglady.”
I laughed at his statement. “Who can afford a cleaning lady?” Actually, I probably could since Ellie wouldn’t hear of me paying her any rent. I’d barely convinced her to let me pay the electricbill.
“You can now,” hesaid.
Once I finished neatening the kitchen, I walked to the living room to find out what the hell he was talking about. “What do you mean, I cannow?”
“I mean, you’re with me now. I’ve got plenty of money.” He turned back to the TV show he waswatching.
I didn’t know what to say. “Do you think I’ll quit work orsomething?”
“Eventually, yeah,” he said over his shoulder as he concentrated on hisprogram.
“I don’t… I can’t… What the hell?” I took a page out of his book and stomped as hard as I could to my bedroom, slamming the door behind me and lockingit.
I mashed the button on my Bluetooth speakers and turned up the volume on my phone. Show tunes blared out of the speaker, something for me to sing along to in thebath.
Leaving my phone in the bedroom seemed the best bet to keep me from texting him and telling him off. I grabbed a book off of my bedside table and went to let my bath products take meaway.
Once in the bathroom, I locked that door, too, in case he managed to break through the bedroom door. He could sit out there and figure out why I wasmad.
