harsh, but I don't care. “Just organizing and rearranging my schedule so I don't have to work late so much. Everything has been much too cluttered to be sustainable, so I’m getting it all together.”
“Oh, yeah I should do the same thing,” Chris says. I turn my back to him and put my focus on my computer. “Umm, so anyway, I was wondering if you were going to go to the meeting this afternoon. I don't remember if I saw you in there last time.”
I roll my eyes. “I was there.”
“Oh. Huh. I don't remember sitting next to you,” Chris goes on. I can see where this is going. “So, maybe we can sit together this time, and maybe get a cup of coffee afterwards. I have a couple of home visits this afternoon, and was wondering if maybe you'd want to tag team them with me.”
I let my brain process everything Chris just said while I finish filling in the form on my screen. While I type, Chris grows impatient.
“Demi, did you hear me?” he asks.
I spin around. “I heard you, Chris, and the answer is no … to everything.” Chris looks ready to speak again, so I cut him off. “No, Chris. I don't care how funny you think I am, or how much you want to get coffee with me. I was at the last meeting but chose not to sit next to you, okay. If you were my husband, I would've sat next to you, but since you're not, you won't find me going out of my way to sit next to you. Ever. I like you, and we can be friends, but if you don't stop trying to flirt with me, we won't even be friends. Don't disrespect me like that.”
“How am I disrespecting you?” Chris chimes in as if he really doesn't know.
“By disregarding my marriage and my husband, Chris. That should be obvious. Please don't make me have to tell you again. I’ll see you around. Goodbye.”
I spin back around in my chair and go right back to typing. After a few seconds, I hear the sound of Chris’s feet shuffling out of my cubicle.
I wasn't trying to be mean to the guy, but when people hit on you knowing full well you're married, it’s completely disrespectful. I wasn't there for Eli’s situation with Amber, but I’ll be damned if I make the same mistake he made. My marriage is my number one focus for the first time in a while, and I won't let it come in second place to anything else ever again.
Once Chris is gone and I put in another hour of admin work, my phone chimes with a message from Eli. As I read it, I smile.
Eli: Heading into a meeting with DelDOT. Just wanted to say I love you.
What is it about the simple things that make us the happiest? I know Eli is still trying to make up for what he did, and we won't go back to normal for a long time. In fact, normal feels like it’s going to be something completely different than what we had before. But our love is still real. Eli is still the man I fell in love with, and I’m still proud to shoot other guys down for him.
Me: Have a good meeting … I love you, too.
26
~ Demi ~
“Wow, that hit the spot.”
“Yeah, it did!” I chirp as Eli and I rub our stomachs like two pregnant women sitting on the couch together. “You can never go wrong with ordering Chinese food.”
“Got that right.”
“I think my new favorite meal is Chinese food and red wine.”
“Ooh, I second that. It’s a lethal combination,” Eli says behind a soft chuckle.
Both of us have had a few glasses of wine tonight, so our inhibitions are lowered and we’re feeling pretty good.
Tonight was another successful night in the Lane house. Just as I was hoping, I managed to get off of work on time today, and Eli was here waiting for me when I arrived. He’d thought about cooking dinner, but decided to wait for me to get home before making a decision on whether to order out or cook. He had a plan the whole time, because if I would've chosen to cook, he wanted us to be able to cook together as a couple. I just so happened to choose Chinese food instead, so we ordered out and continued binging our new show on Netflix with the crazy people getting