Standing up from her desk. She takes a quick lap in her large office, stretching her legs.
After doing some quick stretches, she let out a sigh of relief. Walking to the bar, she poured herself a glass of bourbon. Staring at her glass, she swished the drink around. The swirling liquid would rise and fall while elegantly making its way around the rim. Staring at the whirlpool, she became lost in thought. Peeking her head in, Samantha walked in unnoticed.
"Ma'am, Kaleb is here to see you," Samantha said while waving her hand, trying to get her boss's attention.
"Sure, send him in. I have some free time available right now anyway," Ms. Yamamoto said while checking her makeup in a nearby mirror.
The doors to her office opened, and a handsome blonde-haired man in a fitted blue pinstripe suit walked in. Walking over to her, she met him halfway.
"Mia, you look as beautiful as always. How do you do it?" Kaled said smoothly,
"That's a secret. If I told you, I would have to kill you." Mia replied as they both chuckled and hugged.
"It's good to see you, Kaleb. What brings you over to my office? You never come here," Mia asked, looking up while hugging him.
"It's sad to say, but I've come to ask for a favor. A big favor, if I'm being honest." Kaleb broke the hug.
"A favor? What can I do for you? I mean, we did work in different companies last time I checked," she said while sitting on a couch, motioning him to sit beside her.
"True enough, but I found out early this morning that the corporation you work for is buying out the one I work for. And we both know that means there's going to be a lot of layoffs. I was wondering if you could pull some strings to secure my job, please. It wouldn't be hard with you in a high position." Kaleb asked while sitting down and staring out the window.
"I would like to help you out. But honestly, I don't know how," Mia said, scratching her head.
"Please, you know that Jen and I are struggling. Plus, we're trying to take a small vacation to the EU in the winter. I need this job so I can stay out of debt. I'll do anything," Kaleb said, looking at the floor with worry and failure.
"Look, no need to get all sad. We're old friends, so I'll gladly help you again." Mia said, smiling while gently placing her hand on his thigh.
Shocked, wearing a slight frown on his face, Kaleb asked, "Uh Mia, what are you doing?"
"I thought you might need a quick pick-me-up, like old times," she said, giving him lustful eyes.
"Mia, please. That was a long time ago. I appreciate everything you did back then. But we said we wouldn't revisit old feelings from that time." Kaleb said softly but sternly.
"So everything that happened over the four months means nothing to you?." She replied, removing her hand and leaning back.
"No, that's not it. I want to be faithful to my wife. I love her greatly," he said, looking deep into her eyes with determination.
Breaking eye contact, she looks out the window. Getting up from the couch, she walked over to the bar, putting distance between them.
"Do you want some water?" She said while grabbing a bottle of water for herself.
"No, I'm fine. Thank you." He replied, turning to lean over the backrest.
"So back then, it was ok to not be faithful because your wife was in a coma?! Oh, I forgot you were being weak." Mia said argumentatively, staying behind the bar.
Staying silent and looking down at the floor, Kaleb traced the outline of the tiles with his eyes.
Still, the silence spoke volumes of how he felt.
"You know, even though it was short and happened six months ago. Every once in a while, an everyday task will remind me of you. And how I still miss you."
"Yes, it was fun. I had a blast. You helped me when I was weak. Your presence worked wonders when I would've been sent into despair. But Mia, we both knew she would wake up at some point. I'm sorry if you thought otherwise. Did you hope she wouldn't wake up?"
"You know, what we had was special. And yes, a little part of me wanted Jen to sleep forever. Is it so bad to ask for the circumstances not to change so I can continue a happy life?"
"I'm sorry you feel this way. But we have to leave it in the past. I'm just here as your friend before all the complicated things happen."
"Yeah, complicated things. Whether you were here as a friend or a past lover, I'm still willing to help you. But this is a one-time thing, and I don't want to hear from you unless I speak to you first," she said, staring daggers at him.
"Really?! Yes, of course. Anything you say! Thank you so much. Truly, this means so much. Really, this means the world to me. What about paying you back?" Kaleb said with the immense weight of anxiety lifting off his chest.
"We'll worry about that later. Please leave right now. I want to be alone."
"Ok, I'll be going," Kaleb said, stopping just before the door.
He knew she was hurting as a friend and wanted to help her. But with a heavy heart, he knew he was the reason she was hurting. So, without further delay, Kaleb left Mia's office.
Sitting on the couch, she stared out the window, watching vehicles fly by. As tears rolled down her face, she quickly wiped them away. She grabbed a small mirror from her bag and placed it on the coffee table. While fixing her makeup, she couldn't help but stare at the sadness and loss in her eyes. Tears began falling again. After a few more tears and fixing her makeup again, she got up to leave her office.
Walking past her assistant, Mia said, "Samantha, I'm leaving the office for lunch. I'll be back around two or so."
"Yes, Ma'am. Enjoy your lunch." Samantha replied.