“Tell me about it. I live twenty minutes away from here, but during rush hour, it’s over an hour away.”
“I’ve been staying with my friend, and she lives farther away than my old apartment, so it’s been a longer trip for me the past couple of weeks.”
“Staying with a friend? Everything okay?”
“Alicia and I broke up, so I had to move out. I’m staying with Larissa. You met her–”
“At the summer festival,” he said of the company event where they rented a giant field in a park and hired a company to put up games and stuff for the employees and their families. “I remember. But I don’t remember an Alicia.”
“Alicia was my girlfriend.”
“Why did I think Larissa was your girlfriend?”
“I don’t know,” Harlow replied. “I was with Alicia for about two years. Larissa and I are just friends.”
“Oh, okay. Well, sorry it ended.”
“That’s okay. It was amicable. I’m just staying with Larissa until I find a new place, but I should have one soon.”
“Get a place closer because they’re adding a ton of new commercial and residential spaces around here. You know that means even more traffic.”
“Good call,” she replied and stood up. “I should head out. I’m meeting Larissa somewhere. But let me know if you have any questions about the report.”
“I will. Thanks,” he said and walked off.
Harlow gathered her stuff and left the office. Work had been fine, but not as exciting as it had been when she’d first taken the job. Of course, she was in the same position she’d been insince she’d started here, and the company hadn’t experienced much growth since she’d been hired. She wished they spent less money on festivals and instead offered more promotions and opportunities for her to make a little more money, but so far, she’d been stuck where she was and saw no way of that changing anytime soon.
“Am I late?” she asked when she arrived at Larissa’s house. “Sorry.”
“You’re not late. You’re right on time,” Larissa replied.
“Really? I thought you might leave without me because I got stuck in traffic again.”
“The couple we’re talking to tonight actually asked to meet thirty minutes later. One of them got stuck at work, so we’re good. We can go and still beat them there.”
“Okay,” she said. “Um… Do I have time to change?”
“Why? You look great.”
Larissa smiled up at her from the couch as she closed her computer.
“Um… Thanks,” she said. “But I’d like to at least put some jeans on.”
“Sure. Go for it. Oh, I hope you don’t mind: you had laundry, and I didn’t have enough for a full load, so I threw it in with mine. It’s folded, but I left it on your bed for you. I think you have jeans in there.”
“You did my laundry? Thanks. I hate laundry.”
“I know.” Larissa laughed a little. “It’s the least I can do for everything you’re doing for me.”
“You’re literally letting me stay with you right now, and you have before, too.”
“We could sit here and keep thanking each other, or you can change so that we can go.” Larissa laughed a bit again and pushed her glasses up on her nose.
“Oh, my God. Give me those things,” Harlow said and held out her hand as she walked to the couch.
“I’ll tighten them later.”
“You say that all the time. Where’s the tiny screwdriver?”
