There's No Way

Kitten Heels

I walked into work the next morning and once again was greeted by another chai tea latte with coconut milk. I picked it up and looked at the side to see which spelling of his name the barista opted for today.

"Shaun"

I shook my head and chuckled. I hadn't even known that was a popular way of spelling the name until it had appeared on a drink he had gotten me several months ago. Per my normal routine, I slung my jacket over the back of my chair and threw my keys in my desk drawer. I grabbed the drink and walked my way over to his cubicle.

"Two mornings in a row? You really do spoil me." I joked. He spun in his chair until he was facing me and smiled.

"Well, it's the least I could do after you damn near became my therapist last night," he retorted.

"Listen - if spa gift cards and chai tea lattes are the payment method, I would be more than happy to be your therapist." My remark earned a hearty laugh from him which instantly caused the dormant butterflies in my stomach to take flight.

"Seriously, you have no idea how much it helped to talk to you. I really appreciate it." I don't think I've ever heard him say anything with as much sincerity. It genuinely warmed my heart. The more I got to know this gentle giant, the more I knew I wanted to be there for him whenever he needed me. Something told me he would do the same thing for me.

"I'm always here for you. Anytime you want to talk, you know where I sit." I offered him an empathetic smile, and he offered me one in return before I found my way back to my cubicle.

The rest of the week seemed to drag on forever, mainly because I genuinely couldn't wait to see him at our two-person fiesta on Saturday. Spending time with him at work always brightened the monotonous work day, but there was something about seeing him outside of work that felt different. Outside of work he wasn't a coworker, he was just my friend. I appreciated having someone who could so easily be both.

I was greeted by a chai tea latte every single morning that week. I acted just as surprised each morning despite the fact that by Wednesday morning I had come to the conclusion that I was probably going to get one everyday for the rest of the week. I tried to give him some cash to pay him back for the drinks a couple mornings, but each time he refused.

"My treat," he'd insist. I still felt completely confused as to why I deserved this special treatment, but I wasn't about to reject it.

Saturday morning rolled around and I found myself pacing the aisles of the local grocery store, list in hand, picking up all of the items I would need for tonight's menu. My eyes scanned selection of peppers before a familiar voice stole my attention.

"Camila, right?" I did a double take when I saw the tall blonde woman walking towards me. Not a hair was out of place, her was makeup flawlessly applied and her patent leather kitten heels softly clicked against the store's linoleum floor.

"Carly?" I asked with a bit more disgust in my voice than I had intended. I glanced down and noticed the finger where her engagement ring once sat was now empty. She must've noticed my wandering eyes, because it wasn't long before she tucked her hands into her suede jacket.

"I'm guessing he told you?" She shyly asked. I hadn't spent much time with Carly, but from the few moments I did spend with her it was evident that she exudes confidence. This bashful and almost ashamed side of her was one I hadn't seen before.

"Yeah. He told me." I stated bluntly. If it wasn't before, my tone of voice surely made it clear whose side I was on in this situation. She broke eye contact with me and dropped her gaze down to her feet.

"I kind of figured he might..." Her words came out in almost a whisper. She slowly lifted her gaze back up to my expressionless face before awkwardly glancing around the store.

"Well I better get going – it was nice seeing you," she said though the fake smile that she had plastered on her face just seconds prior.

"I wish I could say the same." The words fell out of my mouth and before I even had a moment to process what I had said I was turning on my heel and strutting away from her. I felt silly for getting such an adrenaline rush from such a simple comment, but I was never the confrontational type. I always took the high road; I refused to speak harshly to anyone. But something about seeing her brought back all of the feelings of anger and sadness and heartbreak I had felt for my friend when he told me what she had done.

For a split second I had debated internally whether or not I should turn around and apologize to her, but a buzz from the phone in my pocket quickly brought me out of those thoughts.

Looking forward to our little fiesta tonight! This bottle of tequila is begging to be drank

I chuckled at his excited sentiment and continued through the store to pick out the rest of the ingredients. As I stood at the register waiting for the cashier to finish scanning my items, I shot him a quick text back.

And I'm begging to be drunk! It's gonna be tons of fun – promise!