to avoid her? Was she angry? Was she going to start talking loudly about
why she was there, including details about the night before?
Christina threw her laptop, tablet, and phone into her bag. Everything
else was securely put away. She basically ran out of the office but was sure
to turn off the lights and shut the door behind her. When she got to the
reception area, Taylor was staring off in the direction the offices were. She
stood and walked towards Christina. She wasn’t smiling. She did open her
mouth to say something, but Christina pasted on a smile and brushed past
Taylor like they were meeting somewhere offsite.
“Not here,” she whispered thickly.
Taylor fell into step beside her as they walked through the lobby.
Christina held the door open and when they were outside, she turned,
forcing herself to stay calm. She could do this. God, she was an adult. An
adult who could make adult decision and deal with adult interactions.
“Did you not come to the building today because you didn’t want to see
me?” Taylor challenged, just as Christina thought she would, though not in
a loud tone at all.
“Still not here,” Christina muttered. She took off walking and Taylor
followed. She knew there was a coffee shop a few blocks away. “Can I buy
you a latte?” she asked.
“Only if we can talk there.”
“Alright.”
Once inside the quaint little coffee shop— and it was little, the place
had all of twelve seats around four tables— Christina let Taylor speak her
mind.
They were sitting near a window with a tall shelving unit stacked high
with coffee making supplies, bags of beans, and mugs for sale. It separated
them from the nearest table. The place was packed, and the buzz of
conversation would probably exceed their own.
Christina went for decaf. She hated the taste of the stuff, but she also