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later we can all go to the moon and hear firsthand what the
aliens have in store for earthlings.”
“ Sure,”
Julie said without looking up.
“ Aha!”
Andy suddenly yelled pointing at Julie who had been snapped back into
reality.
“ What
the hell is wrong with you?” she asked as she looked at him.
“You scared me there for a minute,” she said somewhat
annoyed at Andy’s ‘outburst’.
“ You
are here but you are not really here,” he said as he crossed
his arms over his chest and then put one leg over the other.
She
looked at him and shook her head. “What the hell are you
talking about?”
“ There
is something up with you,” he said pointing at her.
“ Andy
please…this is not the time or the place…” she
started before he put a hand up. “What?” she asked.
“ Well,
it is obvious that something is up and I am not leaving here until I
know what it is,” Andy said.
“ Really?
Why do I feel like sometimes you forget who is the employer and who
is the employee in this arrangement?” she asked.
“ Oh
honey, in the back of my mind I always know you are still the boss
lady but this time round, I am not letting you off the hook that
easily,” he said. Julie took a long deep breath and shut down
her computer before she looked up at Andy. She hated when her
assistant got this way. He was like a dog with a bone, never giving
up. “So, what’s up with you and is there any way we can
drown it in martinis?” he asked.
“ You
are not going to let this go, are you?” she asked.
“ Your
best friend is on some weekend getaway with her new boyfriend and you
need to vent so, no sister,” Andy said as he got up. Julie
watched him as he helped her pack up her desk. “All done, let’s
go,” he said with a smile.
She
shook her head. “Drinking was not really on my day planner
today.”
Andy
laughed.
“ Drinking
is never on anyone’s day planner. That’s what makes it so
much fun,” he said.
Julie
got up and walked towards the door. “Fine, but we are going to
do it on one condition.”
“ What’s
that?” Andy asked. They were now at the door.
“ You
cannot bug me about what is on my mind. It’s deeply personal,”
she said. But immediately she said it and saw the twinkle in his
eyes, she knew that was a bad idea. She looked at him and shrugged.
“I just screwed myself by saying that, didn’t I?”
she asked. There was a big grin on Andy’s face as he nodded.
“ Oh
yeah,” he said before they walked out of her office.
*****
Steven
was a mess when he finally got back home. When he walked into his
house, he took a moment and took everything in. He was still getting
used to having Julie here 24/7. Her décor was impeccable. She
liked the same things he did and as far as decorating was concerned,
they spoke the same language. He even loved her taste in art. It was
almost as good as his, as far as he was concerned. A smile played on
his lips when the thought crossed his mind.
“ It’s
a good thing she can’t read my mind right now,” he
thought as he looked around. He walked to the kitchen and placed his
laptop bag on the counter before he walked to the fridge. “Another
good thing about being married,” he
thought as he pulled out a bowl of leftover tandoori chicken. He then
pulled out a bowl of rice and then took a plate from the dish rack
before he went on to serve the food onto a plate. He stuck the plate
in the microwave and then poured himself a glass of wine before he
leaned over the counter. He caught a glimpse of the clock and sighed.
It was almost nine in the evening and Julie was not home yet. He
pulled his phone out to call Julie but there was an unread message
from his wife.
Hey
sweetie. Having drinks with Andy. Be home late.
He
put his phone on the counter just as the microwave beeped loudly and
then loosened his tie before taking the plate out of the microwave.
“ I
might just as well go to the living room,” he
thought as he walked to the living