who got me pregnant!” I yell, falling into a
hysterical crisis.
I immediately regret my words.
He seems resentful. In his eyes I see anger and
… pain.
“I understand,” he says, raising his hands and
backing off angrily.
“What does that mean?”
“Nothing. Forget it. I just passed by to see if
you’re okay, but evidently I shouldn’t have.”
“You do a lot of things you shouldn’t do.” I
judge him to be insensitive through and through.
I’m angry with him and I have no reason to be.
“Can I ask you what it is I’ve done to you, huh?
Why are you so angry with me? Because of the
other night?”
“I’m not mad at you at all!” I yell even louder
with my hands on my hips.
“Come on, Erin, what’s going on? Up until a
few days ago we were friends…”
I burst out laughing. “Friends? You and I are
nothing, Patrick. Ah, no, excuse me. You are my
boss and I’m a worker, and so you worry about my
health.”
“Is that the problem? We’re back to that?”
I don’t answer, not knowing how to. I’m out of
sorts at his presence and the way he confuses my
ideas. His unexpected sweetness mixed together
with his rude manners. His wanting to be next to
me and then hightailing it out of here as soon as he
