Her blood chilled, and she registered the exact moment it happened. The precise moment he remembered who Jonathan was. To her. He stopped and turned to her, eyes meeting, holding.
“Please tell me that’s not the Jonathan you used to…”
Brenda bit her lip, mute.
At least Jonathan was long gone. Still, she fought the impulse to look over her shoulder, to confirm.
Larry sighed. “That’s why you applied for this job.”
He kept walking before she could respond.
“Larry,” she whispered, trying to keep up with his long strides. “It’s not like that.”
A colleague spotted her and waved. She waved back, trying to appear cool, calm and collected. It wouldn’t do to look frazzled at her workplace. Certainly not in front of her students as she walked by the quad. University students were a pain.
They’d been so close. So damn close to making it out without incident. Larry had asked to see her office. He’d been so excited, so happy for her, she couldn’t have said no. Like a total dwanzi, she’d placed all her eggs in the hope basket and now the basket lay in tatters. Wishing and hoping had not kept their paths from crossing.
Larry had the car running before she was even in it. As soon as she had her seat belt secure, he drove out. One minute, if they’d just left a minute earlier, they’d have missed Jonathan. They’d still be riding the high of being together after two full weeks apart.
They drove in silence to her rental apartment while she shored up her defences and prepared a response to all his potential questions.
*********************************
Of course, her buff ex was working with her. The man looked good in pictures, and in real life, though even Larry had to admit his beauty was arresting. Of course, he worked here. Of course, Brenda had said nothing in their daily hour-plus phone calls for months. She’d said nothing for more than eight months.
He parked the car and forced himself to calm down when all he wanted was to stomp about. He followed her into the house.
Brenda turned to him. “Can we talk about it now? Please.”
Larry turned to her. “Okay, let’s hear it.”
“He’s not why I applied for this job.”
“Really?” He scoffed. “I want to believe you, babe. I don’t. Not once in the four years we’ve been together have you expressed an interest in working out of town. All of a sudden, you do, and the ex of your dreams is working at the same place, and that’s a coincidence?”
‘It is a coincidence. I swear.”
Larry nodded, humouring her. “Okay. So, when did you find out he works here, and why did you hide it?”
Brenda sank onto the couch, sitting on the edge, fidgeting with her fingers. “I found out during the final interview.”
So about nine months ago. He sat on the only other couch, facing her. He spread his hands in question. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
She shook her head at a loss. “I don’t know… I…”
“You know.” Larry sighed. “You guys hooking up yet?”
Brenda’s head swung in his direction. “Are you serious right now?”
“Yeah.”
She was the one who’d brought up the open relationship this time. Usually, he was the one who did, making it clear he was open to trying whenever she was. This time, she was the one who brought it up. He should have known something was up right then.
“No, I’m not sleeping with him.” Brenda hurled at him, angry, hurt.
“Yet.” He added, his heart sinking. This was the one ex she couldn’t get over, by her own admission. If Jonathan were here, and Larry was 1000 kilometres away, guess who was winning the girl? Not him.
“I should have told you about him, I’m sorry.” Her voice was low, conciliatory. “Larry, I’m sorry.”
He met her gaze. Either she was really sorry, or he was a sucker for her soft brown eyes.
“He’s why you wanted to talk about being open.”
“You wanted it first.”
“Brenda, come on…”
She came to sit next to him. “Okay, yes. But only because I was afraid I wouldn’t…”
He snorted, meeting her eyes. “Are you seriously telling me you can’t resist this man? Wow.”
Her expression fell as she looked down at her hands. “He was my first… everything, and for a long time it was just me and him off and on, and I was afraid I’d fall into that pattern again. But I didn’t. It’s been 8 months, and I feel nothing for him.”
She took a deep breath. “I think I was just lonely and in a bad place, stuck in that cycle with him… and I’m not anymore. Not even a little bit.”
Brenda reached for his hand, sandwiching it in hers, willing him to believe her. “I mean it. I feel nothing for him.”
He finally looked up, drawn in by the soft brown. “So, you no longer feel like taking a running jump at him when you see him? Because I may have caught whatever it is you had.”
She threw back her head laughing. “No, you can’t take a running jump at him either. None of us is allowed to bang him.”
He leaned close to her. “Promise?” His breath mingled with hers.
“Promise.” She whispered, leaning in to join their lips.
-The End-
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