Mark Winterson:
you, too, Ruby.
Greg’s voice echoes in my head, saying,You can try again tomorrow.
So I turn off the light in the living room and get ready for bed.
Chapter
25
At first, at least, I’m so glad I came.
At the bar, there’s a funny collection of people from other departments gathered around the tables our group has shoved together. A bunch of the accountants, some people from Sales. Carol from Legal, who led a training the first week I was here.
The mood is light, and the trivia answers are flowing. Shouts and laughter rise up from the table, depending on the questions and how we do, and I cheer along as the beer in my stomach dulls my sharp edges. At first I think:Why didn’t I start coming to these a long time ago?
I’m sitting between Morgan and Greg, conferring about the answer to a question. Across the table, Sarah checks her phone and her brow furrows. She comes around to our side and whispers something in Greg’s ear, and he glances sideways at me.
“Sorry,” he says, getting up. “Hang around. I’ll be back.”
And then they just…leave? They walk through the bar to the front, and unfortunately my seat has an unobstructed view as he opens the door for her and they slip outside.
A melancholy, faraway feeling overtakes me, like I’ll always be on the outside of life looking in. I take a big swig of my drink, and the gnawing festers, becomes inflamed.
I can’t believe I came here because Greg said to, and he just leaves to hang out with his new girlfriend! Like whatever, they’re dating, but it’s the principle of the thing! Bad friend behavior!
It reminds me too much of how he ditched me in high school. The disrespect ofdiscardingme like that! Is he going to do it again?
But I did come to bond with everyone else. I should try to make the most of it.
The minutes tick by. Greg and Sarah are gone for over an hour. Our team keeps lobbing out answers, but I’m quieter, sinking into myself.
The host announces that the next category is “paranormal activity throughout history,” and everyone groans.
“How do they come up with these niche categories?” Morgan gripes.
I have to laugh, because I actually know a lot about this from all my stress reading. After a streak of right answers, Al comes around the table to thump me on the back, and Adam from Accounting gives me a high five. Morgan’s mouth hangs open in disbelief. “So this is your hidden talent!”
Morgan proceeds to crush the celebrity gossip category, and Al reaches over to fist-bump her. Our team wins, and while everyone cheers, I take a photo and send it to Mom.
sampaguita72:
Don’t you have work tomorrow?
My heart sinks at how unimpressed she sounds, but she’s still typing.
sampaguita72:
Aw, Al. I miss him.
Tell him I said hi
I glance over at Al and imagine saying that—
I used to be so good at not crying, but this whole situation is testing my abilities.
Then at the far end of the room, the door opens, and Mark Winterson walks in, looking broody under those prominent brows.
