They looked at each other for a moment. Lucy felt a little sad.
“It isn’t that I don’t want your help,” Erica said. “I mean, it’s a really nice suggestion, and I’m glad you made it. It’s just that there’s not really anything much for someone else to do. The whole business is organized so I can run everything on my own. It’s the size it is on purpose, so I don’t need anyone else to help.”
“Yeah,” Lucy said. “I get it. I understand.”
“I’m sorry,” Erica said. “I really am…”
“Nah, its fine. I’m just disappointed.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“It’s a bit weird, too, isn’t it? All of this is a bit weird, really.”
Erica thought. “Sorry, what’s weird?”
“This. Me offering and you saying no.”
“Oh,” Erica said. “Yeah, I suppose it is.”
They were both quiet, thinking. Lucy wanted to say sorry for putting Erica on the spot the way she had. She wanted to say sorry, but she also wanted reassurance, even though being insecure about her work wasn’t really like her.
It wasn’t like her at all, but she’d had a fairly rough few weeks, so her confidence was probably a little bruised.
She decided to ask.
“So you wouldn’t mind working with me?” Lucy said “Or having me work for you? I mean, if it happened that way, like in theory, one day, even if not actually right now?”
“What?” Erica said. “No, of course I wouldn’t mind.”
“So you’d think about it?” Lucy said. “Maybe working with me on something else? A new project, perhaps?”
“Yeah,” Erica said. “Of course. We could do that.”
“We could?”
“Yeah.”
“Like maybe us making something completely new,” Lucy said, becoming excited again. “We could make a whole new thing. I’ll code it for you. And I’ll work for you. I’ll do exactly what you want me to, I promise, and I won’t be difficult or argue.”
Erica seemed surprised. She sat there, looking at Lucy for a moment, and then she started to grin.
“What?” Lucy said.
Erica shook her head.
“No,” Lucy said. “Tell me. Please?”
“I don’t know. Your last company fell apart like, this morning, and you’re already looking for a new partner?”
Lucy shrugged. “I suppose.”
“So you’re feeling better?” Erica said. “I assume?”
“I guess.”
“Really better? Compared to this morning. Because I mean, you must be, to be suddenly be thinking like this again?”
“Oh,” Lucy said. “Yes, I suppose so. I guess it’s like you told me, the sun and beach and everything helps.”
Erica smiled. “Good.”
“So do you want to?” Lucy said, pressing Erica, trying to stick to the point. “Do something new together?”
“We could try it, yeah. One day.”
“One day soon?” Lucy said.
Erica shrugged.
“Because you must have some ideas,” Lucy said. “Some new thing you wanted to try but didn’t have the time for until now…?”
Erica didn’t answer.
“You don’t?” Lucy said, surprised.
“No, I do,” Erica said, uncertainly. “I mean, I have ideas…”
“But?”
“Um,” Erica said, and then stopped.
Lucy looked at Erica, and understood. It was no again, she realized, disappointed. “Oh,” she said, suddenly miserable
YOU ARE READING
Losing Everything
RomanceLucy loses everything that matters to her, her partner and job and business and all her money. She loses everything, and in doing so she reconnects with an old friend, Erica, and begins to fall for her instead. And as she does, she realizes that e...
