“Thanks, Bev,” I said with a smile that faded as soon as my boss left my cubicle. She’d been getting on my nerve all day, making the inkling of praise she’d just given for a job well done worth very little in the big scheme of things.
It was already three minutes after five and I had to get to the grocery store. I texted AJ around lunchtime to let him know that, instead of going out, I’d cook for him, seeing as how he had a hankering for a home-cooked meal. I grabbed my purse, keys, and phone before heading toward the elevator. As soon as I rounded the corner, though, Jason stood there waiting for me, wearing an apologetic look on his face that didn’t move me in the least. When I sighed and tried to sidestep him, he blocked the way and held his hands out to halt me.
“Wait, wait, wait…” he said quickly, his expression shifting to panic when he thought I might get away. “I know you don’t want to hear what I have to say, but Sam…baby, we’ve been together too long to just end things like this.”
I took a deep breath and looked around to make sure we were still alone. The last thing I wanted was for my coworkers to be all up in my business.
“No, we’ve been together too long for you to have hidden the fact that you have a son, and that you’re MARRIED, Jason.” I looked back again and tried to calm myself before I started yelling. “We are not doing this here.”
“Okay, let me come by tonight. We can talk about it then?” he begged. “I’ll bring dinner and we can –“
“I didn’t invite you over.”
Jason’s posture deflated a little when I cut him off. “Well, what about Friday? Can I take you somewhere nice? Explain everything to you over drinks maybe?”
I stood there staring at him, feeling torn. His green eyes flickered between having hope that I’d agree and fearing that I’d turn him down again. “Please, baby.”
I folded my arms over my chest and let out a breath. “I’ll let you know,” was all I said in response. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go.”
Jason continued to stand there for a moment, like he wanted to plead his case longer, but the unwavering expression on my face warned him not to even bother. Defeated, he stepped aside and let me pass. I pressed the button for the elevator to come and was glad that he knew to wait for the next. The two of us in an enclosed space like that wouldn’t have been ideal. I glared at him through the sliver of space between the closing doors, still not believing how he played me.
I detoxed my mood while I shopped for the ingredients for dinner, not wanting AJ to know anything was amiss. Thus far, I managed to avoid telling him that Jason and I were on the outs. It seemed messy to share the nitty-gritty details of my relationship with him, which was why I gave such a general response when he inquired about Jason the night before. It seemed like AJ had the same idea, keeping his relationship with Kira out of our conversation aside from when I asked about her for the sake of being polite.
Combing the aisles, thinking about the conversation AJ and I had the night before, I tried to decide what to cook. Whatever I was going to make would have to be quick because I didn’t have much time. He was due at my apartment by 7:30, which only left me two hours to get home, cook, shower again, and straighten up a little. Deciding to make baked chicken, asparagus, and au gratin potatoes, I headed for the register after adding a pack of dinner rolls too.