Twinkle Fiddles

Chapter Thirteen

Julie was a wreck. She didn't fall asleep until almost four a.m. She had tossed and turned, reading her phone in hopes for any message from Dylan. The morning alarm seemed to come moments after she had finally collapsed into her pillow in pure exhaustion.

Mid-week has never been considered casual Friday, but Julie was in no condition to dress for work. She did her eyes, but little other makeup. An ash gray Hogwarts's University t-shirt and pair of dark blue jeans was the best she could muster on this cold 15th of February.

As she pulled into the parking lot, she saw Dylan's Jeep. He was leaned over into the passenger side door. Her empty stomach dropped. Her breathing increased, and for a moment she felt as if she would be sick. She never considered he would be there. When he left yesterday, he was going back to South Carolina. She swallowed hard, followed by several coughs and a series of severe and rapid dry heaves. She opened her Jeep door in case she was throwing up, although she knew her stomach was empty. The cold air constricted her breathing more. She was in physical pain.

Julie closed her door as she fumbled through her purse for some quick emergency beauty products. Her face was too tired for him to see. She yawned as she applied some blush to her temples and cheeks. "Now I look like a clown!" She was exasperated as she stared into the rear-view mirror.

She wiped her face clean with a wrinkled fast food napkin she found on the passenger seat. It was better to go honest than try and cover her pain. Somewhere inside she wanted Dylan to see what he had done to her. It was her co-workers she wanted to improve her appearance for, not him.

After waiting a few more minutes, she thought the day couldn't get any worse. She saw Dylan's back silhouette enter the main floor glass doors. She coughed again to clear her cotton-mouthed, dry throat, before taking the slow, long walk, from the parking lot.

Julie exited the escalator on the third floor, noticing Walter's office lights were dark. He was usually there when she arrived. The office was unusually quiet as she removed her heavy black jacket, hanging it on the corner of her cubicle space.

A beep on her phone revealed a work email arriving. There was to be a mandatory staff meeting at 9:30 a.m. in the conference room. It had been sent by Elizabeth from human resources. Julie figured it was the reason Dylan was present. He was not the person she wanted to see, not after what he put her through yesterday into last night. His crazy Valentine's Day exit had repeatedly played in her mind. She looked and felt terrible. She didn't need a staff meeting with co-workers, but maybe he would notice her appearance and demeanor before they did.

"Hey, girl." She recognized his voice. She didn't look up as he walked by her cubicle. He wasn't going to stroll through as if yesterday never happened.

She kicked her cloggy shoes beneath her cubicle desk. They kept falling off her bare feet anyway. Despite the chill, in her sleepless stupor, she hadn't worn socks. She stretched her slender toes, on her long, narrow feet, in a futile attempt to wake up. "This isn't happening," she said softly, alone to herself.

She saw Dylan walk into Walter's office, cutting on his lights, then sitting behind his desk. "Why didn't he just," again she was talking to herself, questioning his actions.

Her hand was shaking, and not from the cold air. She couldn't look at him any longer. It wasn't right what he had done to her. He never reached out to her like he said he would, never called, or emailed. And now, "Hey, girl," like nothing had ever happened. She didn't want to ignore him, but it came easily to her on no sleep.

Dylan knew something was wrong with Julie. He wanted to approach her but knew this wasn't the time. Perhaps he could give her a hug after the meeting when Walter's death was announced. He was puzzled why she never answered his email from Valentine's Day. It wasn't like her to ignore him. He was exhausted.