Through this, my hope is to gain perspective on what I want, on what I deserve. Once I have that, I won’t accept anything else. At least, that’s what I hope.
“Correct.”
“And that’s it, then?” he says, his tone somber.
“We can be friends.” I clear my throat. “Just friends. No kissing.”
“Ever?” he murmurs.
“I don’t know.”
It’s an honest answer. At the end of this, I may find that Miles is who I want. I may find out that he’s not. It may be nobody at all. What I do know is that if I follow old patterns, I’ll have the same results—a broken heart.
“I understand if that’s not right for you, but it’s what’s good for me. I won’t give you false hope, though. All I’m offering is friendship,” I say, my shoulders squared.
He nods, seeming to take in my words, before he speaks, “Friendship then. I’m putting out my hand.”
A small smile curls my lips at his verbal cue. It makes me think that there is a possibility of an actual friendship with Miles. His use of visually impaired person etiquette is a new development.
I accept Miles’s hand. “No kissing.”
“No kissing,” he repeats with a cheekiness.
“I mean it.”
“We’ll see what happens by next October,” he teases.
I roll my eyes.
“You know I’m a shameless flirt, even with my friends.” He releases my hand. “But you’ve set your boundaries, and I’ll comply. Though I won’t pretend that I’m not on bated breath about what happens at the end of this sabbatical.”
Me too.
With a goodbye to Miles, I head back to my office. The moment I open the door, Garrett’s silky bass drifts from Andrew’s office. Andrew, my boss, is the only one with an actual office. My space is an alcove off the small lobby.
“Are you sure? I wouldn’t want it to be an imposition,” Andrew says, his Midwest twang almost musical.
“It’s not a problem,” Garrett says.
“My daughter will appreciate your guidance. She’s considering being pre-med.”
So sweet, I mouth to myself. Waves of warmth fizz inside me like sparkling wine.Is Garrett agreeing to be a mentor to Andrew’s daughter?
Andrew has met Garrett a few times since he’s been picking me up after work. I’m not surprised by Andrew asking Garrett to mentor his daughter. He’d do anything for his children. As delighted as I am about this, I’m also not surprised by Garrett’s agreement. It’s just who he is. Giving. Self-sacrificing. Thoughtful.
“There you are.” Pretending I wasn’t just eavesdropping, I push into the open office and shoot a sassy look toward where Garrett sits in one of the chairs across from Andrew’s desk.
“If you checked your messages, you’d know I was here.” Garrett’s tut is humor-laced
“Then whatever would you nag me about?” Chin raised, I flash a haughty expression
“I’m sure I could find something.” He rises, amusement radiating from him.
Andrew huffs a laugh. “God, you two sound like me and my husband.”
“If we were married, at least I would have gotten cake, instead of just Garrett’s award-winning personality,” I pretend to pout.
“I messaged my proposal, and you didn’t read it, so you lost out on cake,” he quips.
