Song for the chapter: Whatever It Takes ~ Lifehouse
SAGE
You're being irrational.
Men visit their girl's place of work all the time.
You're only visiting because he answered her phone.
She's allowed to have friends. She does have friends. Friends of the opposite gender too.
The only friends she has of the opposite sex are gay.
I pause mid-step into the lobby of the building, to think if that's true. And then my brain starts working again, signaling my feet to continue. Normally, I may feel self aware of my less than casual attire with all the suits and business-dress milling to and fro around me but my focus is on getting to Joanna.
Stepping off the elevator of the floor her firm is on, the young woman sitting behind the desk across from the elevators glances up and does a double take. I should have changed my clothes.
She places the phone in her hand on the receiver and greets me with a cordial smile. "Hi, how may I help you?"
"I'm here to see Joanna Lozano."
"Do you have an appointment with her?" She keeps her smile pleasant and raises her eyebrows expectantly.
"Er...no, should I...am I supposed to make one? She's my girlfriend." I stutter out and start to feel foolish, considering we haven't really put labels on our relationship.
The young woman's smile widens. "Oh, no you don't need one. But I will need you to sign in since you weren't expected." She hands me a pen and I begin to fill out the guest sign-in sheet on a clipboard laying on top of the desk.
"What should I put down for a reason?"
The receptionist giggles. "I'm sure you can think of something, sir. She's just down this way, the corner office at the end." She gestures with her hand.
"Thank you."
She nods, "My pleasure." Turning away she answers the phone that begins to ring.
The walk to her office is longer than I anticipated and several employees stop working to watch me with peaked interest, their heads popping up from their cubicles, reminding me of the old arcade game I used to play as a kid whack-a-mole.
Joanna's name plaque comes into view and her door is open. I pause at the threshold ready to knock but stop seeing she isn't alone. She and Mark are huddled over her computer, talking amongst themselves. He's standing close, hovering over her side as he leans in to point something out.
Cranking my neck to the side to relieve some of the tension that's instantly coiled on my shoulders. I flex my hands noticing the lingering glance he gives her after he mentions something while she focuses on whatever the hell he's found.
A line of deep concentration forms in between her dark eyebrows as she nibbles on the end of a pen and then her eyes drift over to me briefly before they widen in recognition and then scrunch with confusion in a matter of seconds.
"Sage?" She stands, forcing the chummy friend of hers to back up, giving her much needed breathing room.
Forcing my legs to move, I go to her, meeting her half way. She rises on her toes, even in her heels to kiss me.
"What are you doing here? Is everything okay?"
"Didn't know I needed a reason to see you." My stomach turns when she visibly flinches from the harsh tone of my voice. The tense silence stretches and I internally berate myself for creating a canyon of space between us with my irritability.
YOU ARE READING
Imperfect Fit
ChickLitA jilted, curvy accountant joins a gym on a journey of self-love. The last thing she plans for is to fall for her grumpy trainer. ***** Who needs men, anyway? Certainly not Joanna Lozano. The youngest of five and the only girl, she has learned at a...
