UCS- Ch.4

CH.4

The day flew by as she sorted through the data Mal had given her. Around 4:45 she closed up her work and made for the elevator. She was nearing the last partition when she heard her name. She froze and listened.
"I just can't understand why she won't go out with me!" (It was Blake) "Every other girl in this damn building finds any excuse to appear in front of me, but THIS chick, the only one I actually WANT to see, blows me off and avoids me!"
"Well B-man, I know that she is dating a very successful, older man, and you know how those kinda women are!" (She couldn't see who Blake was speaking to)
"I guess that could be the issue..." Blake said slowly, "But it still dosn't make me want her any less. Hey Man! Its "that time" you wanna catch a beer?"
"yeah! I need to go back to my desk and get my coat. Damn! you'd never know we were in Florida by the weather, at least this week..."
As they spoke their voices grew fainter, and She made a break for the elevator.

She shivered in the wind as she walked the short distance to her house. Her eavesdropping had cost her valuable dressing time! She flew around the house, and when He pulled up outside, she was sitting on her front steps, dressed and pressed, smoking a cigarette. She stubbed the butt out in the little ashtray on the steps and got into the car.
"Hello, Love! You look wonderful!" He said with a smile.
"Thank you darlin', so do you!" She smiled back.
His smile was the one thing that always drove away the darkest thoughts from her mind. If only he did it more often! The short ride was done, and they stepped out at a trendy little downtown bar. The people milling around looked like they were bored, yet they wanted to be there, to be seen and see. They definately saw them! The mouths of the women hidden (barely) behind hands, because as much as it drove Her nuts, her Boyfriend was an important guy about town, and so naturally, she was subject to lots of speculation. Who she was, what she did, and most importantly, Why she was at his side. She knew, especially at his office, the latter being the most disgussed. Most of the women in his office were her age
and when they found out that their boss was dating a woman their age, the tounges flamed as well as the jelousy. They walked in, hands clasped tightly together, and bellied up to the bar.
"I'll have a Manhattan, and She.."
"A Patron, chilled, pineapple shot on the side."
The bartender set the drinks down just as "The Big Guy" a.k.a the birthday boy sees Him.
"Glad you made it!" he boomed at them, Shaking His hand vigerously. He looked as if he had been celibrating for a while, at this point.
"It is lovely to see you again!" he smiled at Her, "Have yall been here very long?"
"Not at all!" He smiled back, "You know I love to be late! Its the new early!"
Big Guy guffaws loudly at this and raises his glass at them, steps back, turns and strides away. His voice, thick with celebration, booming in front of him.
They passed the time, for they really didn't mingle much, exchanging quips about the other attendee's and in general enjoying eachothers company. He had left her to find the restroom and she stood, smoking in a corner. A tap on her shoulder startled Her.
"Whassup?"
She turned to see the last thing she needed to see, Blake.
"What are you doing here?" came out of both of their mouths simultainiously.
"You first!" She said.
" I was invited by the Big Guy, I did some time with him in his last company, and sence He and I are both new-ish here, he extended an invitiation my way! Do you know his lordship?"
"Not really, he is my Boyfriend's Boss, and I have been introduced a few times, but no history."
"Ah, The Boyfriend is here!" Blake smiled a wolves smile, "I would love an introduction!"
She turned, from watching for her Man, to look at Blake with steely eyes, and in a stern voice said,
" No, you won't be introduced, because you are not my immediate colleuge, nor my friend. I really wish you would bother someone else Blake! Quite honestly, I don't know what your up to, but you should save those charms for someone they will work on!" She then crossed the room to another set of chairs, with a veiw of the restrooms. There she waited for he man to emerge.
He did, and she made no mention of Blakes commentary, it would have only served to ruin the evening. The night burned down as a candle would, and the couple called it quits long before the other "party people". They went to His house. They unwound and snuggled up, and naturally the conversation flowed.

" I am beginning to wonder if I haven't lost my mind..." He began, (and then this diatribe followed, much to her heartstruck dismay.) "You and I on paper make absolutely no sence! You are "poor" by most standards,  and I cannot help you, as I feel a man should! I have my own responsibilities; My children in Boston, my Career, My lifestyle. I can't afford to take you on! And then there is the fact that I am trying to "fix" a company with a way of thinking that is paralizing their buisness. The totalitarian attitude of the Big Guy, the disrespect he has for my credentials, the disrespect he shows everyone is poison to his buisness, and he won't listen! I moved here thinking I would be launching a company forwards, but I have to fix so many things before I can launch it anywhere! If this dosn't shape up, I'm done. And I don't mean done with this job, I mean done period. I have been in this stressful clusterfuck of a career for to long to be dicked around anymore, my body cannot take it! I have had so many stress related health problems in my life, that I think it might suit me just as well to die. And where does that leave you? You want to build a life, and you should! But my building days are over. If I had any balls at all, I would leave you. But I love you, and that makes me a pussy. I am never getting married again, I want no more children. I am a middle aged teenager, and I want to stay this way. It is unfair to you, and selfish of me to keep you, just because I love you."
Her head was spinning, her heart wrent into peices. He talked like this alot, and she still didn't know what exactly it meant. Did he want her to leave him? Was he working himself up to it himself? And if he really did love her, why was he so stoic
in his life, and refuseing to make room for her? She was silent and listened, because she honestly didn't know what to say! And to say the wrong thing...would unleash a torrential outpour of attacks upon their fragile feeling love. She felt downtrodden and as if she had failed. Although, she did not let this reflect in her face. She looked attentive and passive, as she wanted to, but on the inside, she was throwing things against the walls. She did not have the passive-agressive talents that he did. It was 2 am and she felt her eyelids as heavily as her heart.

"Lets go to bed." He suggested, and they got up, and walked into his bedroom. As she undressed, she took a hard look at herself. What was it? Why did he say these things to her? She knew that her situation indeed made her less desirable, but not to cads like Blake! But Blake didn't want to love her...he wanted only one thing. Was that what THIS relationship was!?
Her heart and mind reeling, she fell into bed. Her head tucked under his chin, arms around eachother, sleep mericfully claimed her.
Good sleep, how merciful you are indeed!