Nothing happened. I hate to break it to you in such a cold and unfeeling manner, but that is where I am mentally right now. Mr. Payne has done this to me. He's turned me from a fun-loving free spirit to a heartless asshat who just accidentally bumped into someone on the street and didn't say "excuse me" after. I know, terrible, right!?
Back at Henrik's office Friday evening after he pulled me off the couch to help him with the mess he created there was that moment where I saw in his eyes his lust for me. I also felt it digging into my stomach. We both gazed longingly at each other and if it had been a movie the romantic music would have started to play. But he pulled away and went about cleaning up like his dick wasn't hard for me.
So utterly frustrating! Then to top it off as we were leaving he found the crumpled up pink post it note about his dry cleaning and handed it back to me. Not a word about it. Not a "I hate to have to ask you to help me outside of work, but ..." or "Morgana, it would help me so much if you could ..." just nothing.
So here I am trudging through the bitter cold trying not to slip on the pockets of ice and snow on the sidewalks of downtown Chicago with an extremely large bag of men's suits in dry-cleaning bags. The bright side of all this is perhaps I get to see his place and possibly Henrik today. You know, I hate myself, don't you? He's like an obnoxious drug. One I want to punch and then make out with. I don't even make any sense anymore.
I stop in front of the address on the note. The building is one of those tall skyscrapers where only rich people live. As I approach a decked out doorman tips his hat to me and opens the door. All I can think is he must be cold. I hope this place pays him a decent salary for freezing his balls off.
There is a sweet looking old man standing behind the desk with the lobby attendant sign on it. His wrinkled face gives me a warm smile.
"Yes, how may I help you, miss?"
"I have to drop this off at Mr. Henrik Payne's apartment."
I flop the dry-cleaning on his desk and push some of the suits out of the way in order to see his face. He holds up a finger and picks up his phone. After a few moments he's talking to someone on the other end.
"There is dry-cleaning down here to be picked up."
After he hangs up he gazes up at me and smiles once again.
"I'll make sure it's safe. Someone is on their way down right now to pick it up. Have a wonderful day."
Nodding I walk toward the entrance and get my cell phone out of my purse. I know this is terrible but I hope it's Henrik who comes down, so I call my friends and wait in the lobby hoping to catch a glimpse. Pretending to fiddle with my phone I hear the elevator open and turn to see an older man with silver hair in a nice suit get out and make his way over to the lobby attendants desk. He grabs the dry cleaning and heads back to the elevators.
I guess it is too much to ask to see Henrik. Even if I got a chance what would I say? Would he even acknowledge me? Probably not. Sighing I dial Aria's number. After a ring she picks up.
"Hey where are you? Evaleen is already here. We ordered cheese sticks without you."
There was an office happy hour two weeks ago and toward the end only Evaleen, Rick (one of the sales guys) and I were left. Aria called me and I invited her out to the bar. We all hit it off. Rick ended up flirting with Aria which for his part was a big mistake. Oh, she went home with him, but she doesn't do more than one night stands. He has been bugging me ever since about her phone number.
"I'm almost there, had to drop off something. I'll be there in five minutes."
"Okay but hurry. The cheese sticks have arrived and Evaleen has already inhaled one. What? Don't hit me. It's true Evaleen." I can hear a muffled voice in the background.
"I'll see you shortly."
I hang up and briskly walk ten blocks to the diner called The Joint. Entering I am assaulted with the smell of grease and stifling heat, and everything is covered in dark wood paneling. I'm almost confident this place hasn't been updated in forty years. Looking around I notice Aria's hand waving in the air to capture my attention. Nodding I head over to her but she doesn't stop waving until I am standing at the table.
Taking off my winter gear I shove in beside Evaleen who is sucking on her chocolate shake.
"I ordered for you, Morgana. Your usual."
"Thanks, Aria, I'm starving." I grab the lone cheese stick on the plate in the middle of the table and bite into the cold appetizer.
"Did you go stalking him, Morgana?" Aria's neatly plucked eyebrow raises as she sucks ice from her water glass into her mouth, chomping on it like candy.
"Stalk whom?" Evaleen lifts her head from the straw glancing back and forth between us.
"Aria is referring to Mr. Payne. And no I wasn't stalking him, just dropping off his dry cleaning."