office promised some form of normality.
And I'd be lying if I wasn't anxious about seeing Elijah. My phone had been oddly silent in the last 24 hours, which was rare. Not a day went by that we didn't make some effort to converse, even if it was electronically. But I tried not to worry, and I was determined to start this week on the right foot. I skipped a little coming in the door.
Marion, Alex, and Tim looked at me, and Alex had an eyebrow raised.
"I love Mondays," I said, breezing past them.
"Well, at least someone does," Marion murmured.
Just as I was finishing hanging up my coat and scarf beside my office door, Elijah walked in.
"Hey," I said to him, thinking his hangover had got the best of him.
He didn't even look up, and settled in to his desk.
This awkward shit wasn't going to fly with me. I had spent all day yesterday in bed, wallowing in my own self-pity. Today was going to be different, and he wasn't going to ruin it. He was my best friend, and I wasn't going to lose him. I certainly wasn't going to let Friday night come between us.
I crossed the small office floor to his desk, and hoisted myself onto it. "Good morning, sunshine," I said, kicking him in the shin playfully.
"Good morning," he said solemnly, looking at his screen.
"Missed you for coffee," I began.
"Alicia made me some – we're saving for the wedding, and mochas really add up." His eyes were fixated on the blue keyboard in front of him.
God, he knew how to knock a girl off her pedestal. "Oh," was all I could say.
"I have a lot to do," he said.
It stung a little to be put off. "Oh. Well, I'll be in my office if you need anything."
"Yeah, I know."
The day went downhill so fast I wondered what jerk had brought the luge to the party. The office was so hushed by 10am. No laughing over the water cooler, nor any dirty jokes around the quickly emptied and then refilled coffee pot. The team went on with their work, with a sense of uneasy stillness. The place emptied for lunch with no arguments over sandwiches or gyros. Elijah jetted at 5pm on the dot, without a word. By 5:30, I was left to my own devices, the clock in the main room ticking loudly.
I packed up and got home by 6, and spend a few hours trying to occupy my mind. My hand flew to my phone ever few minutes. I itched to send him a text message. I finally decided that whatever was going on, if he wasn't talked to me, I wasn't talking to him. Two could play at that game.
Tuesday dawned dark and dismal, with rain in the forecast to ice over the light dusting of snow we had just before the weekend. Heavy gray clouds hung in the sky as I pulled up to the office. I was a little restless that morning, and had arrived a few hours before my team would.
Elijah's red Subaru was parked by the door.
Why was he here so early? I wondered. He rarely came in on time, and was so punctual about not reporting promptly, I was a little alarmed to see his car there.
The sky rumbled, and sprinkles dotted my windshield, as I rushed into the office to avoid getting soaked.
I found him at his desk, leaning into his screen. His glasses were on the desk next to him. His head rested on one hand, and he lazily typed on the keyboard with the other.
"You're here early," I said quietly, hanging up my coat. I flipped on a few more lights and went to the start the coffee maker. Out of the corner of my eye, he rubbed his eyes, and slipped his glasses back on.
Leaning back in his chair and stretching, he said, "Yeah, finishing stuff up. Hoping I can leave early today."
My back was still to him. I was terrified to turn around... I hadn't heard his voice so flat, so emotionless, since the day of the funeral. "Yeah," I said, for a response was needed, but not required. I longed to discuss movies, books, articles, games, anything. Anything would have been better than this horrible silence between us. I slowly started the coffee, hoping he would say something else to end it.
But he didn't, and I went into the office,
And I'd be lying if I wasn't anxious about seeing Elijah. My phone had been oddly silent in the last 24 hours, which was rare. Not a day went by that we didn't make some effort to converse, even if it was electronically. But I tried not to worry, and I was determined to start this week on the right foot. I skipped a little coming in the door.
Marion, Alex, and Tim looked at me, and Alex had an eyebrow raised.
"I love Mondays," I said, breezing past them.
"Well, at least someone does," Marion murmured.
Just as I was finishing hanging up my coat and scarf beside my office door, Elijah walked in.
"Hey," I said to him, thinking his hangover had got the best of him.
He didn't even look up, and settled in to his desk.
This awkward shit wasn't going to fly with me. I had spent all day yesterday in bed, wallowing in my own self-pity. Today was going to be different, and he wasn't going to ruin it. He was my best friend, and I wasn't going to lose him. I certainly wasn't going to let Friday night come between us.
I crossed the small office floor to his desk, and hoisted myself onto it. "Good morning, sunshine," I said, kicking him in the shin playfully.
"Good morning," he said solemnly, looking at his screen.
"Missed you for coffee," I began.
"Alicia made me some – we're saving for the wedding, and mochas really add up." His eyes were fixated on the blue keyboard in front of him.
God, he knew how to knock a girl off her pedestal. "Oh," was all I could say.
"I have a lot to do," he said.
It stung a little to be put off. "Oh. Well, I'll be in my office if you need anything."
"Yeah, I know."
The day went downhill so fast I wondered what jerk had brought the luge to the party. The office was so hushed by 10am. No laughing over the water cooler, nor any dirty jokes around the quickly emptied and then refilled coffee pot. The team went on with their work, with a sense of uneasy stillness. The place emptied for lunch with no arguments over sandwiches or gyros. Elijah jetted at 5pm on the dot, without a word. By 5:30, I was left to my own devices, the clock in the main room ticking loudly.
I packed up and got home by 6, and spend a few hours trying to occupy my mind. My hand flew to my phone ever few minutes. I itched to send him a text message. I finally decided that whatever was going on, if he wasn't talked to me, I wasn't talking to him. Two could play at that game.
Tuesday dawned dark and dismal, with rain in the forecast to ice over the light dusting of snow we had just before the weekend. Heavy gray clouds hung in the sky as I pulled up to the office. I was a little restless that morning, and had arrived a few hours before my team would.
Elijah's red Subaru was parked by the door.
Why was he here so early? I wondered. He rarely came in on time, and was so punctual about not reporting promptly, I was a little alarmed to see his car there.
The sky rumbled, and sprinkles dotted my windshield, as I rushed into the office to avoid getting soaked.
I found him at his desk, leaning into his screen. His glasses were on the desk next to him. His head rested on one hand, and he lazily typed on the keyboard with the other.
"You're here early," I said quietly, hanging up my coat. I flipped on a few more lights and went to the start the coffee maker. Out of the corner of my eye, he rubbed his eyes, and slipped his glasses back on.
Leaning back in his chair and stretching, he said, "Yeah, finishing stuff up. Hoping I can leave early today."
My back was still to him. I was terrified to turn around... I hadn't heard his voice so flat, so emotionless, since the day of the funeral. "Yeah," I said, for a response was needed, but not required. I longed to discuss movies, books, articles, games, anything. Anything would have been better than this horrible silence between us. I slowly started the coffee, hoping he would say something else to end it.
But he didn't, and I went into the office,
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