Twinkle Fiddles

Chapter Twelve

Julie,

That was perhaps the worst goodbye ever. I am so sorry. This is very difficult for me, obviously. I find myself wanting to spend more and more time with you. Something just wasn't right today, I don't know. I want to give this the time we need away from the office without Walter calling me, or a vendor calling you. That's why I suggested a walk, or we talk later, so we can give it the time it deserves. The time we deserve. I don't know if this is a five-minute conversation, or five hours. We're usually good at it, but today I don't even know what that was. We'll figure this one out too, together. I hope you'll respond, and we can find a time soon that works for both of us. No matter what I'll always be here for you. You're a very special person in my life.

-Dylan

Once the email was sent, a sense of relief filled his spirit. He still had no hunger for lunch, but he ordered his favorite, the M&M milkshake. He returned to the hard, red, bench booth to relax. This was no longer going to be his secret. The time had come to finally share his feelings, especially after the way he left. They could talk away from the office, sit on a bench, or take that walk. Although he was unsure on Julie's desire to start a relationship, he knew it was for the best to tell her how he felt. He packed his laptop, took the remainder of his milkshake with him, and awaited Julie's response.

Julie tried to take her mind off Dylan's strange departure. She attempted to stay busy, but found herself watching the escalator from her cubicle, wondering if he might return. "Do I light up your life?" she repeated to her inner self. She couldn't leave those embarrassing words.

She began to replay how they met. The first time she learned Dylan grew up in Canada when they were carrying the pizzas from her Jeep. The look on his face when he realized they both drove Wranglers. Their trip to Charleston. The sailboat named Mystic.

She checked her email, nothing. She started to text him but didn't know what to say. He had started the conversation and knowing him, he would contact her when he was ready. It was obvious the struggle he felt while attempting to tell her something. She felt he wanted a relationship, as she did too. For her it was a continued tug with emotions she'd never experienced, unsure what they meant, other than knowing Dylan was a special person in her life.

Julie knew it was a long way to Beaufort. The afternoon dragged despite the office sugar high from Dylan's cookies and Ruth's distribution of candy heart boxes. Julie was a mess. She needed to go home, and clock watching never helped anyone pass the last hour. If he would only send something to her, anything.

If the afternoon was long, the evening was a duration. She couldn't eat a bite, didn't even bother to make a salad, or have a protein bar. Her phone was emptier than her stomach; not a word from Dylan. She hadn't had an appetite since he had left. The raw cookie dough was all she had eaten in hours. It wasn't sitting well. She logged into both her emails, company and personal. There was nothing. It was going to be a long night.

Dylan had both his personal and company email on his smart-phone. As he drove the interstates home, he had been checking every ten minutes since he had left the Charlotte area. Although never questioning whether he should have sent Julie that email message, as the time passed, he wondered why she hadn't at least said, "thanks," or "I'll write more tonight," or even the dreaded, "I need space." Anything would be better than waiting for her to respond. His raw cookie dough lunch and few sips of a milkshake weren't sitting well.

Dylan pulled into the rear garden parking of his parent's bed and breakfast. He had eaten some of the candy from his milkshake, but the now warm liquid filled the disposable Styrofoam cup. He had no appetite for supper.