Forbidden Fruit (gxg)

Part 12

For the next couple of weeks, I found myself taking a walk every single day after work in the gym at my apartment complex.

When my mind becomes a mess, I go for a walk. It feels like an escape for me, it has ever since I was young.

Things go wrong, so I put in my Air Pods and go for a walk.

The Air Pods go in, and the rest of the world gets tuned out.

Usually, I'll listen to music, my favorite is hip hop, and sometimes I'll put on a podcast about relationships and sex.

All that matters is that I am in the zone, and I try to not let whatever else that is going on in my life infiltrate my mind.

However, that can prove to be difficult.

Thanksgiving was approaching, and I had off work on that Thursday and Friday. The Wednesday before was a half day in the office, and we were getting a catered lunch.

That Tuesday night I found my feet pounding away on the treadmill after work at the gym.

First of all, fuck Gabby.

For close to 6 months my emotions were played, and I was essentially led on.

Second, fuck Kori.

She starts to let me in, and shows signs of attraction, and then completely shuts me down.

I knew it wasn't just as simple though as "fuck Kori".

I hadn't spoken to her a lot since our conversation. Well, not really conversation, her just telling me how our relationship was inappropriate.

When we would speak, she was purely professional. I tried to see if there were any small inklings of how she had been toward me peeking through at all, but there wasn't. No glances that were a second too long, no small smiles. She wasn't extra cold to me, but she sure as hell wasn't warm either.

She treated me like I was simply anyone else that worked for her.

I hated how much it hurt.

But it fucking hurt.

I would have to get over it. I didn't want to leave my job at Hollis anytime soon, and she was my boss. I had to just get the fuck over it at some point.

Ever since my run in with Denae in the ladies' room, I saw her a few times in the office. She flashed me a smile and a wave, and I swore, once again, her eyes would linger on me.

All I knew was, a small Thanksgiving break was needed.

I was going to be having dinner with my family at my Aunt Karen's house, like I did every year, but it was with extended family as well, so it was easier to avoid my parents as much as I could.

That Wednesday before Thanksgiving, no one was really doing any work.

Even Kori knew it, as she came up to the department and said, "Try to get as much done as you possibly can. Don't worry, I'm not expecting much today."

I watched as she stood by Hassan's desk and addressed us all.

I couldn't help but to look at her pretty green eyes, and still feel...something for her.

Curse her for being so good looking.

After she spoke, her eyes landed me in for a split second, but as soon as they were there and I looked back at her, they were immediately gone.

The catered lunch was going to be served buffet style in the conference room. The conference room was the largest room in the building, and it could hold many people. We were told that we could sit in there and eat if we wanted to as well.