Circumstantial

Chapter 5

Sarah walks back to the kitchen, ignoring my question. I growl in frustration and follow behind her. I wasn't going to play her stupid games any longer. I pick up my toolbox and turn to leave.

"Wait," she calls behind me. "Let's discuss this."

I halt, but don't bother turning around. "There's nothing to discuss. Good luck fooling your family," I mutter, continuing down the hallway.

"I can't fool them if you're not there!" She yells as I reach her apartment door.

Without hesitation, I reach for the doorknob, ready to escape her madness. I hear her footsteps as she runs from the kitchen and steps in front of me with a hand pressed against the door.

"Look, you can tell them that I cheated and you dumped me. You can even say that I had a tragic accident and died. Just count me out of your shit," I state clearly, staring into her brown eyes. She suddenly has that same emotionless expression she always has everytime I see her.

"Just hear me out-" she tries to change my mind. It isn't working.

"Goodbye Sarah," I say, pulling open the door easily, even though she's using most of her bodyweight to keep the it shut. I shove pass her, and without giving her a second glance, I walk out, ignoring her calls as the elevator doors close.

It's only after I'm seated in my car, and pulling away from the curb, do I breathe easy. My heart rate finally slows down as if I'd just had a close call with the Grim Reaper.

There is something seriously wrong with that girl, and I pray to God I never see her again.

So maybe I'm not as good of a man as I thought I was, because God didn't answer my prayer. It's lunch time and I'm waiting for my chow mein to be delivered when in walks Sarah. She's back to her intimidating self, with her hair in a high bun, her signature, unreadable expression, and her stiletto's clicking on the floor as if announcing Cruella's arrival.

"Michael," she says in a low voice, walking towards me.

"What do you want?" I ask, running a hand over my face in frustration.

I glance once more at the recon financial statement spread out in front of me before closing the file. The business is now making a loss, the bank account is running dry and I didn't know what to do.

Kate had told me that this would eventually happen, but I hadn't listened. I believed that I could keep things going and that sales would eventually get better. I was wrong. I had even tried expanding on the store's products, hoping to attract new customers, but that turned out to be in vain.

"Do you drink? I brought you something," she says, placing a stainless steel flask on the counter.

I want to tell her to leave but I'm upset enough already and a drink sounds tempting. I get up to fetch two glasses.

"Don't pour me any," she states sternly.

I glance up at her and see that she's staring at me with her arms crossed. The liquid is mostly clear, but has a slight yellowish-green tinge to it. A few spearmint leaves float to the surface and suddenly, my throat feels as dry as the desert.

"What's in it?" I ask skeptically. She could be trying to poison me for all I know.

"I'm not sure. Some guy at a bar mixed it for me," she replies, checking her watch.