“She’ll miss you, too. We all will. Including Brandon.” Elinor almost didn’t say that last part, but she wanted to plant the seed. Just in case.
“He’s a good egg. Just not for me. Maybe for you?”
“No.” Elinor put her hands up. “Never. But not because he’s not attractive.”
“Oh, stop selling him. I know it’s because you only have eyes for… someone else.” Marianne kindly refrained from finishing that thought. They hadn’t talked about the details, but even from an outside perspective, it had to look hopeless.
“I’ll let you get back to packing.” Elinor would have to sprint to work at this point. She gave Marianne a hug before hurrying to her room to grab her things. Then she was out the door to let her sensible shoes on her sensible feet run her off to her sensible life. They didn’t seem quite so stifling today.
***
Mondays were their busiest work days, and for good reason. Mondays were when people decided to do things, like make appointments and buy stocks. But apparently, Mondays were also when diabolical villains got things done too, like threaten innocent people’s reputations and rain down ultimatums. These were Edward’s morose thoughts as he sat staring at his computer on Tuesday morning. Taco Tuesday, when he and Rosa and Elinor usually took a longer lunch break unless there were appointments, and they laughed and ate together. But today he had a lunch date with Lucy. How much should he tell Elinor about last night and what it would mean going forward? Nothing? Everything? How would she not despise him?
His musings were interrupted by Elinor running straight into his office and leaning over his desk. She was out of breath, and her eyes were sparkling like firecrackers against a night sky. Avoiding her was already going to be harder than he’d thought.
“Marianne up and left today.”
“Where? Why?”
“See? A normal person asks questions. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I think.” He bit back the smile that threatened to burst, just from looking at her. “So, what happened?”
“She’s following Will to Colorado because he’s the love of her life. I’m worried about it working out, and I’m also worried about it not working out.”
“Naturally. Will’s not coming back here?”
“I guess not. Do men like it when women do the chasing? Hypothetically speaking.” Elinor sank into the chair across from his desk and pulled out a mini hair brush. It opened up just like a flip phone, with a mirror on one end and bristles on the other end that retracted and expanded as needed. James Bond probably had one just like it.
She tamed her windblown hair while waiting for his answer. Edward wasn’t sure he had an answer that could represent all men.
“If you’re asking if it will scare him away, the answer is, it depends.”
“Well, that’s not very helpful.”
They exchanged grins, and he forced his eyes away from her face, and away from her long straight hair that was looking smooth and silky and begging to be touched now that she’d put away her handy-dandy spy brush gadget.
“It depends on how interested and invested a guy is. In the relationship, I mean.”
“Do you think Will’s… invested?”
Edward’s gut said no, that Will was the type to be flippant about women coming and going in his life, but he and Marianne had been pretty tight. “I don’t know.”
“Did you talk to Lucy?” Elinor asked in a small voice.
It seemed like an abrupt change in subject, until Edward thought about her questions, about women doing the chasing, about investment and interest. Those had been monetary terms tossed around almost daily around here until this particular conversation.
“We talked.” So many things threatened to spill out, but if he told Elinor he only had eyes for her, that she was everything he’d ever wanted if they could just wait for Lucy to throw her evil cape around herself and disappear from their lives, he’d never be able to wait. He’d dash around this desk, pull Elinor to her feet, and kiss her, and eventually they’d end up making out against that wall over there, or maybe that wall by the fake palm. A guy could dream, right?
“I’m sorry, I should get to my desk.” Elinor hopped to her feet and Edward stood, realizing his tiny answer had made things awkward.
“Wait. Elinor, I— I’m going to have to do a better job of faking it starting today. It’s what I promised.”
“Of course.”
“Just remember that when Lucy comes in, okay?”
She nodded like she understood, and then hightailed it out of his office. But how understanding could he ask her to be?
