Father's Song

11 • F I V E - O ' C L O C K • 11

Katelin Jones
10/7/23 (Saturday)

"Hey there."

I don't realize someone is behind me at my desk until the fourth "hello" is said.

I shake my head, realizing my eyes were closed. "Sorry."

"You doin' alright?" Prince asks.

"I... I'm fine," I say. "Just didn't sleep much. That's all."

He sits on the edge of my desk. "Why's that?"

I must've given him a really weird look, because he stands right back up. "I don't know. Just insomnia for no reason."

"Well, you don't just have trouble sleeping for no reason." He says, checking out whatever's on my computer screen. "Wow. This... who wrote this?"

I "X" out of the tab quickly. "Um... some girl from today. She sent it in for feedback."

"It's brilliant." He nods. "Tell her I think she needs to, I think change the third line to have five syllables instead of seven. Then I think it's perfect."

I check to see what he means. "That's... pretty smart actually. Where did you come from?"

He starts making his way out of my office. "You know. Around."

I'm so confused but I don't ask what that's supposed to mean.

When I think he's finally gone to let me do my work that I was obviously doing before he came in, he sticks his head back in. "Let's go to that Mexican place after work. You get off at five as well, right? It's walking distance from here."

"How do you know I even like Mexican food?" I say it a little more rudely than I intended.

A small smile is twitching on his lips. "You told me when you were drunk that if you could have one kind of food for the rest of your life, it would be Mexican. I think you really like fajitas?"

I'm about to protest but he's spot on. This is why I don't drink often. "I'm not sure I have time. My kid-"

"We don't have to be too long. I'd like to get to know my colleagues better, anyway."

"Do you do this with everyone here?" Again, why am I so mean?

He ignores the question. "You love Mexican food, right?"

"Of course I do."

"So could you go for some tonight?"

"I could go for some any night."

"So. Five o'clock."

"Yeah. Obviously-"

He's already out the door when I realize what I just agreed to.

Does he think this is a date?

Is it?

What just happened?!

I dial Lucy's phone on my office phone. "Lucy, I don't know what just happened." I say when she answers. "I need you to get in here."

She wheels into my office as she always does and shuts the door. "What, are you having computer problems again? Did you delete your files and you can't find the trash can?"

"What? No!" My pulse is rapid. Why am I feeling like this?! "Prince just... I think he just asked me out."

Her eyes widen. "Seriously?"