Flirting with the HR Girl

Chapter 39

Jennifer settled down into the applications for the rest of the morning, happy to have her mind off everything that had been bothering her. She was able to find adequate candidates for the openings in the store and would email their applications to the managers that afternoon when she could use the computer. She kept Austin's stack separate and would wait for Cynthia to leave before she called them.

"Hey, girl, wanna go to lunch?" Selena asked standing in the doorway. Jennifer glanced up at Cynthia, who once again waved her off, this time without any words. Selena made a face behind Cynthia's back and Jennifer thought maybe someday she would get the courage to ask Cynthia what had happened between them.

"CPK?" Selena asks as they briskly walked out of the office.

"Definitely," Jennifer answered as they worked their way through the clothing maze to the escalators.

"Is your kitty, okay?" Selena asked as they glided down the escalator. "Cynthia mentioned that you weren't in earlier because he was sick?"

"Yes, I'll explain everything at lunch," Jennifer said looking around the cosmetic department as they reached the bottom floor. The last thing she wanted was for anyone to overhear what she was about to tell Selena. The lying needed to stop and the first person she had to start with was her friend.

"Okay," Selena said giving her a concerned look but walking a little bit faster as they started into the mall.

They were seated at CPK with no problem because it was already midafternoon, well past the lunch hour. Their booth was by a window that showed into the mall where they could watch shoppers rushing by with their new purchases looking excited, or the moms with little kids looking harried but relieved to be out of the house. They both ordered iced teas and already knew what they were having. CPK was their favorite place to go and gossip.

"So, honey, what's going on?" Selena said taking a long sip of her iced tea.

"Zack had an asthma attack last night," Jennifer's said when she meant to start with the date. She suddenly realized that Selena was in fact her best friend. She'd never felt so guilty about telling someone something since she had to tell Ashley that she had copied her paper in tenth-grade English. Her childhood best friend hadn't spoken to her for two whole days. Now she hesitated, wondering what Selena would do when she found out she had lied right to her face. "And it's all because I went on a date with Austin."

"I knew it!" Selena said throwing her hands in the air and laughing.

"What?" Jennifer asked totally confused. Laughter was the last reaction she expected from her friend on the betrayal. Maybe she had been taking life too seriously?

"I knew you weren't going to stop seeing him, silly," Selena added smiling her knowing smile. "He is too cute to turn down."

"But the company policy and then I lied to you." Jennifer didn't know why she felt the need to point out her mistakes. Maybe she wanted someone to be mad at her. Maybe she needed someone to punish her. Maybe then the guilt would finally stop. "I feel terrible that I told you I wasn't going to see him and then I did."

"Oh, honey, all's fair in love and war." Selena reached across the table and took Jennifer's hand before the younger woman could pull it away. "You can't let that stupid corporate policy ruin your life."

"But it's not just the policy," Jennifer said gently disengaging her hand. Her parents had never been very affectionate, and she wasn't used to people touching her. Her friends had joked in high school that the last thing she would want to do with the guy was snuggle. She'd been happy to report that they were wrong when she had met Eric and couldn't get enough, but now she wondered if they had been right. Perhaps she did have too many barriers up. Then she thought of snuggling with Austin. That didn't sound repellent at all. Or their hands simply playing together earlier. She got flushed thinking about it. But that couldn't happen again. She needed to stop. She looked up at her friend and said, "Zack ended up in the hospital last night because I was too busy worrying about what I was going to wear or what we were going to do. I need to focus on my future. And that is why I told Austin I can't see him again."