“Did you break up again?”
“No,” I say into my desk. “I told him I love him.”
“Aw, friend.That’s beautiful.” She watches me then tilts her head. “So why do you look like your period started right before vacation?”
“I do love him, but I wasn’t ready to say it. It just came out.”
“So it was natural, not forced, not held back. Just real?”
I make eye contact with her. She shrugs.
“Now the promotion? That’s some bullshit, and you should be upset about it. You deserve a raise, not a raise and more work.”
I point at her and nod.
“I’m taking a week off.” I open my laptop to put in my request. It’s a slow week for Lit with Lily. I don’t think for long before I cancel everything scheduled and issue refunds to everyone. A week without responsibilities sounds amazing.
“I like that! Take care of yourself, boo!”
She checks her phone. “Let me get back to my office and do some work.” She winks at me. “But not too much.”
I pack my stuff up and leave, taking the rest of the day off as a sick day.
I notice that it’s reflexive for me to text Javonte about everything. He doesn’t text back. Instead, my phone rings.
“Sorry about the promotion.”
I smile. He doesn’t say what you’re supposed to say to someone who got a promotion. He says what I need to hear.
“Thank you.”
“Do you have the option of turning it down?”
I stare out the window of my office. “I’m not sure. It wouldn’t look good.”
“Nah, it wouldn’t at all. Are you worried about how it looks?”
“I don’t know. I just...I don’t want to think about it. That’s why I took a week off.”
Javonte goes quiet.
“Hello?”
“You said you cancelled Lit with Lily for a week too?”
“Yeah, I just want to relax and not do anything at all.”
“Do you want to go on a trip with me?”
My heart beat picks up. “A trip to where?”
“Mexico, the Bahamas, Puerto Rico? Somewhere not too far but warm and sunny with a beach. You pick.”
We were together for almost a year, and we never sat on a plane together. Granted it was during the season. I’m here for this. It’s just what I need.
“The Bahamas.”
“Give me a few hours. We’re leaving tomorrow.”
