She’d had a weird night where she had gone to her old apartment that she used to share with Alicia and slept on the couch Alicia had bought just for that apartment. They hadn’t gone shopping together, but Harlow hadn’t really cared about the furniture, so she had let Alicia pick most of it out. When she’d woken up in the middle of the night to the conversation outside the door, and then the door had opened, she’d known Alicia had someone out there with her. She’d waited for the jealousy to take over, but it hadn’t. It never came. She wasn’t jealous at all that Alicia was already dating again. She couldn’t be. Harlow had been the primary reason they didn’t work out. Her feelings for another woman had always been in the way, and that wasn’t Alicia’s fault. She deserved to be happy.
When Alicia had woken that morning around nine and asked Harlow if she wanted coffee, Harlow had said yes, and they had talked like old friends. They’d joked about some of the fun times they’d had with each other, including a camping trip where Alicia had really struggled because she had to pee outside. It had been the first time in a very long time that they had been able to have a conversation without tension, and they’d gone to lunch together after that.
Harlow had planned on leaving after lunch, but they’d gone for a walk and kept talking. Larissa had come up, but it had mostly just been Alicia telling her how she knew that they weren’t right for one another anymore. Harlow had agreed, and they’d gone back to what was now Alicia’s place. Harlow hadplanned to say goodbye again, but they’d started talking about some of the things Harlow had taken that Alicia had wanted to keep and vice versa, and they’d ended that conversation with Alicia questioning her about a suede jacket that Harlow hadn’t seen in months.
Now, she was back at Larissa’s, turning down dinner with Alicia after having a really nice day with her because she had missed Larissa. It had only been twenty-four hours or so since she’d last seen her, but she’d missed her, and as much as she wished she could be brave and tell Larissa how she felt, she knew she couldn’t. At least, she couldn’t tonight, after the long night and day she’d just had with her ex.
“How was work?” she asked when she walked out into the living room with still-wet hair.
“Fine. I got done early and went to the library.”
“Early? Why?” she asked and sat down next to Larissa on the couch.
“Janine said I could go. We weren’t busy. One customer in about four hours.”
“People just don’t go to bookstores anymore, do they?”
“Some do, but to the bigger ones with cafés and a larger selection. Janine thinks she’s going to be laid off next week.”
“She does? Why?”
Harlow turned to face her.
“The owner has been on a six-month cruise. Before she left, things had been better. It was why she hired a manager in the first place, and when she left, she put Janine in charge of more. Now, she’s coming back, and we go hours without a customer buying anything. So, it’s likely that she’s back for good and will let at least someone go. She has four employees, including me and Janine. Since she’s the only full-time employee, it makes sense that she’d be the first one to go. She gets benefits and is paid more, and if the owner is there, she doesn’t need anyone tomanage what she can do herself. Anyway, it’s just a guess, but we talked about it, and she let me go home early, probably to help save on payroll.”
“Are you going to loseyourjob?” Harlow asked.
“I don’t know. I could. Janine doesn’t think so, though. I’m the only part-time employee that actually likes books, I think.” Larissa joked. “The other two are college students, who care more about their phones than their jobs, according to Janine.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say Janine’s name so much in one conversation.” Harlow chuckled.
“Oh.AmI?” Larissa asked. “Yeah, I guess that would make sense.”
“Why?”
“She asked me out today, wanting to get a drink tonight. I said no, obviously, but that’s probably why I’m saying her name so much.”
Harlow’s heart felt like itphysicallyfell into her stomach. Not like it metaphorically did, but like it was now located at the bottom of her stomach, having fallen like a brick, leaving her with an aching stomachandheart.
“She asked you out?”
“Yes.”
“She’s your boss.”
“Yes, but not really. It’s not some giant corporation. It’s a tiny bookstore. And she’s about my age, I think; probably a couple of years younger. Maybe your age, actually. Anyway, she told me she’s liked me for a while, and since she’s likely losing her job soon anyway, she wanted to take her chance. She was nice about it, not creepy.” Larissa laughed a little.
“And you said no?”
“I told her I have too much going on to date right now, which is true. She was good with that, and it won’t be a big thing,I don’t think.” Larissa closed her laptop and turned to her. “So, how wasyourday?”
“My day?” she asked and ran a hand through her hair. “Um… Fine. No one asked me out.”
“No?”
“No, I was with Alicia.”
“Alicia?”
