When it Happened *(Completed) EDITING

CHAPTER 31

I've been burying myself busy trying to get this cocktail reception on the go. Shit, In all the emails, texts, and calls, I still haven't asked Joe to be my date Thursday. He hasn't mentioned it by me one bit. And he's fully aware; it's coming up. Hmm, that's odd. Nothing gets passed him, and yet he hasn't asked me why I haven't asked him. Anyway, I'll ask him to accompany me when he calls. I know damn well, he won't let me go by myself, knowing Brian will be there.

Wow, right when my nerves were calm and selective. Bamn, complications with Joe being my date. Was he right, when he said, I'm too worried about what people might think? 

"You busy? Brian asks, popping his head in.

"Sure, come in, Brian," I say as I'm looking around my desk. Thank goodness for him these past weeks. He had not tried to make a move nor speak about what happened that night when Joe and I were in a sad place in time. We went out to dinner with co-workers to go over last-minute do and don'ts for Thursday, which I left out when Joe would ask me if Brian was there. I don't want to upset him while he's away. 

I know we have to try and trust each other, but regarding the situation with Crystal, if she's away on that same business trip, she was intimate with Joe. And I, on the other hand, had dinner with a co-worker, which nothing happened.  

I chose not to ask him if she went with him to the business meeting or anything about her. But, The thought of her being there, has just turned my stomach again. It's been this way for almost two weeks that he was away. Will he have told me? This is what has my anxiety level up — the if's, and's and but's.

"I have these reports that Anthony wanted me to give you for the last run," he says as he walks and hands them to me, but his demeanor has changed. He handed them to me with a different expression. I grab them from his hands and smile, cocking my head.

"Is everything alright?" I ask, nodding my head, trying to figure out why the different expressions I'm sensing.

"Yes, why," he asked and gave me a grin back. Why did he grin at me that way? SHIT...

"It seemed you wanted to ask me something besides these reports."

"I thought maybe we could have dinner," He asks. Why did my stomach turn? And Joe's words, on how he knew Brians intentions were not innocent, just come into play. He hasn't given me those impressions though the last time we went out to dinner with co-workers or when we've been working closely on this.

"I have some more work to go thru and last minute arrangements, If you want to wait, we can go," I reply and amaze at how I said yes. But Joe has it all wrong.

***************

An hour passes as we finally get to sit down at a local restaurant down the street. The thought of running into Joe has me nervous though I know he's not here. I feel as I'm hiding something innocent.

"So..." Brian says, playing with his food with the fork glancing my way. Which, by the way, looks more delicious than my Pasta. Waiter take this shit back.

"So?" I reply, trying to come up with something to say. 

"How's it going with Joe? You haven't talked about him. You've been working more than usual."

"I didn't know you were noticing," I chuckle with a slight smile. He seems different to me, or is it that I am the one feeling different.

"I don't know if I should allow myself to speak to you about my relationship with Joe. It's complicated." I admit giving him a sincere smile.

"I kind of figured that...I saw how you were nervous when he stood by you, that night."

Even Brian figured and felt the nervousness that Joe brings out on me. But he doesn't know how it's changed between Joe and I. Oh my god. This is not happening. AWKWARD