“Cancel it, or move it, I don’t care,” he said curtly. “You go home, and I’ll deal with this. It’s important.”
His secretary nodded and left. Matthew got up and closed the blinds on his office windows to give us some privacy. Then he walked over to the cabinet and said, “Drink? I know I need one.” Then he went ahead and poured us each a glass of something strong.
He motioned for me to sit down on the couch in his office. He handed me one of the glasses and said, “So, what’s up?”
I hadn’t expected him to act like this.
He was being so friendly, so accommodating.
I sat down and gathered my thoughts.
Chapter 8
Matthew
College was the best time of my life.
Without a doubt.
For the first time in my life, I was the same as everyone else. The school I had chosen was upstate, far enough from the city and everyone I knew. It had an excellent business school and an author I admired was a lecturer there. My mother was initially unhappy about my choice, she’d have preferred a better-ranked institution. But it didn’t matter, ultimately. I insisted and she gave in, reminding me that it was only for a few years and that I would have to come back to the city, take my place in my father’s office.
I knew that.
So, I made the most of the little freedom I had. I found an apartment near campus and then advertised for a roommate, not because I needed the money, but so that I would blend in easier. I wanted, for once in my life, to be ordinary. To see what it was like. The guy who took the room was a business major like me, and we became friends. Warren was a farm boy from Pennsylvania and upon graduation, he’d have to go back to his daddy’s fields and a life of getting up before dawn every day to feed the chickens and watch the wheat grow. He was determined to sow his wild oats while he could and I was happy to go along with him, attending every keg party and foreign film festival I could. I’d met a few girls along the way, but I was careful not to get too close with any of them.
Then I met Lauren.
We’d met at a college sports day. I’d gone along with Warren who wanted to watch the football. I was wandering around the fields when I heard Lauren and some team-mates laughing. They had finished their games and even though they’d lost, they seemed to be in high spirits. They looked cute in their tennis whites and the short skirts, but Lauren was the one who caught my eye. There was something about her that set her apart from her mates, the way she laughed and talked to them. She had a wonderful smile. I went up to talk to them about their matches and the girls invited me to a party. I went only to find Lauren and to ask her out. We became a couple soon afterwards. Something clicked between us and after a few weeks, when usually I would have broken off any relationship, I found myself wanting to stay with her a bit longer.
When the holidays came, I told her things were complicated with my family and I’d assume she’d complain about not seeing me for a few weeks. But I was wrong. Lauren accepted that we’d be apart and made plans with friends. I was relieved. It meant I could keep college and my city life separate for a little while longer.
I couldn’t wait to get back to college, though. Those few months with her during my final year were the highlight of my college years. Lauren knew so many people and was always doing something fun. Whether it was camping in the mountains or apple picking when the season came, she was always off to some festival or another. I’d never met anyone so spontaneous or outgoing. The end to our relationship came suddenly and far sooner than I’d wanted it to. I had a plan worked out for how I could somehow maintain contact with her after I left college, but then the whole lake party happened.
When she started working here, I felt my initial attraction to her spark up again. I didn’t like that. After what she’d done to me, I should have been able to cut her out of my life without hesitation. I’d allowed myself to become too emotionally involved with her and that had cost me. I was still angry with her and with myself as well, for the way our relationship had ended. I liked being able to punish her now, even though it was three years later. I guess I knew I wasn’t over her exactly.
But when she came into my office that afternoon, I could see it was too much. I’d gone too far. She wasn’t looking well, wasn’t her usual radiant self. She was wearing jeans and some sweater instead of one of her usual interesting outfits and her hair was hanging down limply. I made us a drink, invited her to sit down, to talk to her. She had come in in quite a huff but as soon as she sat down, it almost evaporated. I had to coax her to talk to me.
“I’ve had enough,” she suddenly said. “I quit.”
“What do you mean?” I said, shocked. I hadn’t expected her to give up so easily.
“Oh, please. As if you don’t know.”
She wouldn’t say any more than that but finished her glass and held it out for a refill.
I had to think of something, I couldn’t let Lauren walk out of the office, and my life, like this.
“I really don’t,” I put on my most sincere voice. “What’s going on?”
She rolled her eyes. “You put the Facebook product pages on hold? We were going live today?”
“Yes? And?”
“I’ve been working myself to death on those pages for the past week! After telling you I didn’t think it was the right move. I put my life on hold, lost my boyfriend and then at three o’clock this afternoon, I hear, oh wait, maybe I’m right?”
She broke up with her boyfriend? I decided not to pick up on that right away.
“What do you mean you worked yourself to death? You have a team right, it’s not just you?” I knew full well that she was working social media by herself.