marketing companies as possible to build a reputation and establish a good clientele. I didn’t count on you specifically, but I’m glad it was you.
Azure --I’m glad it was you too.
Ross -we should go to bed.
He’d hit send before he realized it. He rapidly typed an explanation, an apology. But she responded before he could send it.
Azure -really?
He hadn’t meant it that way, but now that it was out there. The word floated in the air from his screen, and he could almost hear her voice as she said it. Really? She would be smiling at him and he imagined her at her house in Denver, sitting in front of her computer, or in bed with her flannel pj’s with her laptop writing the words across cyberspace. Really? He wanted to be there at that moment, next to her, smelling her clean floral shampoo and watching her non-painted nails as they typed. His fingers hesitated over the keyboard.
Ross -no, I mean, I should go to bed. I’ve got a racquetball court res in 6 hours.
Azure --with Jack?
It was gone, the fleeting question of being more than colleagues, more than friends, had vanished with the mention of Jack. He was almost a common denominator in their friendship. Ross frowned, but he didn’t know how to get back to where they were, the conversation having gotten away from him.
Ross- yes, with Jack.
Azure- -do me a favor, kick his butt, okay? He gave me such a hard time about you last month. It was embarrassing.
Ross- last month?
Ross had set up this racquetball date two days before and Jack hadn’t mentioned being at an event with Az.
He hadn’t seen Jack in awhile, not since the fairly disastrous dinner they’d had at the apartment just after Memphis.
They had finally settled on a date for Jack and Sienna to come over for dinner, to see the new place. Dani was uncommonly nervous and Sienna, normally a friendly girl had made some innocuous comment about how expensive places were, even tiny ones and that was all it took to change Dani’s mood from hesitantly welcoming to barely civil.
Jack had given Ross a look over their heads, and for the rest of the evening he and Jack had carried the conversation. Dani served the Italian pastries immediately after their dinner plates were cleared and the couple had left soon after that. Ross and Dani were knee deep into a full blown fight before Jack’s Volvo could pull out of the underground lot.
Azure --He was at the job fair in Indianapolis. We had drinks, he fairly quizzed me about you.
Ross -really? I haven’t seen Jack in a while.
Azure --since your dinner?
Ross -he told you about that?
Azure --Jack tends to talk a bit when he drinks. He was a little shocked I think at what happened, though he didn’t go into details. I take it your ladies do not get along.
Ross- no, they do, well, they actually don’t see each other much. But that night was just not a good night I guess. So what did he ask about me?
Azure --like how many conf have I booked you for, and how often do we talk and don’t I think you’re just a great guy, etc, etc. He really thinks highly of you.
Damn Jack and his perceptions. It was Ross’s fault really, if only he could have kept his curiosity about Azure in check, Jack wouldn’t have leaped to his fairly accurate conclusions. Now, Jack was getting to Az and asking her about him. This could lead to all kinds of questions he wasn’t willing to answer.
Ross- So, what did you tell him? about me?
Azure --you need to get some sleep. We can talk about it later.
Ross -Sure, now you want me to sign off. You’re a tease, Azure Worth.
A little smiley face emoticon came across his screen. She signed off with her typical, Aworth. He was almost glad to have something to talk to Jack about besides the dinner with their spouses.
----------
Jack won the first game, but Ross came back in the second to beat him 15-11. He couldn’t let Jack get used to winning. Normally, if they split, they’d
Azure --I’m glad it was you too.
Ross -we should go to bed.
He’d hit send before he realized it. He rapidly typed an explanation, an apology. But she responded before he could send it.
Azure -really?
He hadn’t meant it that way, but now that it was out there. The word floated in the air from his screen, and he could almost hear her voice as she said it. Really? She would be smiling at him and he imagined her at her house in Denver, sitting in front of her computer, or in bed with her flannel pj’s with her laptop writing the words across cyberspace. Really? He wanted to be there at that moment, next to her, smelling her clean floral shampoo and watching her non-painted nails as they typed. His fingers hesitated over the keyboard.
Ross -no, I mean, I should go to bed. I’ve got a racquetball court res in 6 hours.
Azure --with Jack?
It was gone, the fleeting question of being more than colleagues, more than friends, had vanished with the mention of Jack. He was almost a common denominator in their friendship. Ross frowned, but he didn’t know how to get back to where they were, the conversation having gotten away from him.
Ross- yes, with Jack.
Azure- -do me a favor, kick his butt, okay? He gave me such a hard time about you last month. It was embarrassing.
Ross- last month?
Ross had set up this racquetball date two days before and Jack hadn’t mentioned being at an event with Az.
He hadn’t seen Jack in awhile, not since the fairly disastrous dinner they’d had at the apartment just after Memphis.
They had finally settled on a date for Jack and Sienna to come over for dinner, to see the new place. Dani was uncommonly nervous and Sienna, normally a friendly girl had made some innocuous comment about how expensive places were, even tiny ones and that was all it took to change Dani’s mood from hesitantly welcoming to barely civil.
Jack had given Ross a look over their heads, and for the rest of the evening he and Jack had carried the conversation. Dani served the Italian pastries immediately after their dinner plates were cleared and the couple had left soon after that. Ross and Dani were knee deep into a full blown fight before Jack’s Volvo could pull out of the underground lot.
Azure --He was at the job fair in Indianapolis. We had drinks, he fairly quizzed me about you.
Ross -really? I haven’t seen Jack in a while.
Azure --since your dinner?
Ross -he told you about that?
Azure --Jack tends to talk a bit when he drinks. He was a little shocked I think at what happened, though he didn’t go into details. I take it your ladies do not get along.
Ross- no, they do, well, they actually don’t see each other much. But that night was just not a good night I guess. So what did he ask about me?
Azure --like how many conf have I booked you for, and how often do we talk and don’t I think you’re just a great guy, etc, etc. He really thinks highly of you.
Damn Jack and his perceptions. It was Ross’s fault really, if only he could have kept his curiosity about Azure in check, Jack wouldn’t have leaped to his fairly accurate conclusions. Now, Jack was getting to Az and asking her about him. This could lead to all kinds of questions he wasn’t willing to answer.
Ross- So, what did you tell him? about me?
Azure --you need to get some sleep. We can talk about it later.
Ross -Sure, now you want me to sign off. You’re a tease, Azure Worth.
A little smiley face emoticon came across his screen. She signed off with her typical, Aworth. He was almost glad to have something to talk to Jack about besides the dinner with their spouses.
----------
Jack won the first game, but Ross came back in the second to beat him 15-11. He couldn’t let Jack get used to winning. Normally, if they split, they’d
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