INSIDE THEIR MINDS

Revisiting Beginning

PHIL

"A friend, why?" She answers.

Do I ask about him? Is she dating him? Is it even my business to know?

"Oh, it's good that you have people to lean on." I say with a half forced smile as I hand back her phone.

Why was I feeling this way? I'm not with Kate, why does it matter to me who she is "friends" with?

"Look, I do want to talk more with you, but I have extended my lunch break by an extra 30 minutes, any longer of a break and my boss will be upset. Is there any way we could pick this up some other time?" She asks eyeing her phone.

"Of course." I say, trying to sound happy. "How about you text me in the next few days and let me know when you are free, okay?"

"Sounds good." She says as she stands from the table.

She didn't say another word. She left the table and I couldn't help but follow her with my eyes as she walked to the front of the restaurant and then out through the doors, she didn't turn back once.

She left me there alone at the table, her plate still half full of food. Then I noticed my scarf draped over her chair. She left it behind, she left me behind, was that where I belonged?

KATE

My boss wasn't one to care how long of a lunch break I take, but I knew if I didn't get out of there when I did then I knew I would have broken down in tears.

If I could, I would take the rest of the day off, but knowing I will be taking at least three months off in the near future I knew I couldn't ask for time off unless it was a real emergency.

When I did finally arrive back at the office building I couldn't help myself but to take "our" elevator up.

This is where it had all started. What had went on in this tiny confined space had completely changed my entire life. It was in this space that I had felt worry, passion and regret all in the same five hour period. It felt right to me to finally come back to this space, to again feel its cold walls and its metal handles.

As my phone again alerted me of a message then I was reminded of the text I was sent earlier.

"Everything ok?" Alex had sent.

"Where are you? The second message said.

I replied, "Almost back up."

The elevator finally delivered me to my floor it wasn't until after I hesitated that I walked through its metal doors.

Many of the cubicles were empty and when I looked to the conference room I had remembered why. It was Wednesday and I was missing our weekly conference.

I walked through the doors of the room and all eyes turned to me. I quickly made a gesture as if I was getting sick and it reassured some and grossed out others. Sometimes being pregnant came with its own excuses.

I didn't end up leaving the office until close to 8 but being that I had taken quite a long lunch It hadn't surprised me.

"Meet me at my place in 20?" I text Alex as I sit at my desk.

"Sounds good."