Everything he did was for me. And everything I did was for him.
I broke his heart.
A heart I cherished.
A heart he entrusted me with.
A heart he loved me with.
This was the last place I thought I'd see him.
This was the last way I thought we'd m...
I can't get over the fact that Linny called our night together 'just fucking'.
I arrive early at the office hoping to get a chance to clear my head before Linny gets here.
When he finally breezes into my office he is all business. No indication that we made love like bunnies Friday night. I roll with it hoping to make my move lunchtime.
"A Natalie is here to see you," Linny opens my door and lets Natalie in. Oh shit.
"Darling! I brought you lunch," she says cheerily dressed in a lovely black dress, high heels and her hair styled in a bouncy pony tail. I stand going over to her and taking the lunch bag from her and accepting her kiss on the cheek.
I look at Linny all the while. All I see is... I don't understand... Acceptance?
"I'm heading out for lunch. It was quite lovely meeting you Natalie," he says with a smile.
"You have no shot. None. He's way out of your league," Natalie says as soon Linny closes the door.
"Didn't seem that way when we slept together Friday night. Many times," I mumble opening the bag and taking out the sandwich.
"What! You must tell me more, elaborate," she uses her British accent.
"I don't kiss and tell. But after he said it was just us fucking," I tell her through my bite of the sandwich.
She finally sits, "Oh, you have no chance. I watched him for a few minutes before. He didn't seem as though he thought of your rendezvous. But I must say, he is just so... God, I don't know... He has this light that draws you in and makes you never want to leave. I can see why you're so obsessed with him," Natalie gets this faraway look.
"All that from just a few minutes?" I smile at her when she glares.
"But, I know what you mean. The first time I saw him, my god, I just had to know him. Love at first sight right there. Did you know Linny put me through college?" I don't know why I brought it up. Natalie looks at me like I've grown a second head. I chuckle at her expression though this is no laughing matter.
"We met senior year in high school. Graduation day we came out to his parents. They threw him out. But that light you were talking about, it never once dimmed. He was determined to prove them wrong. I would become somebody. That our love would last forever," I put down the sandwich and look directly at Natalie.
"I had gotten a partial scholarship to state. We found a tiny apartment. We were so happy. Linny worked his ass off. He bartended, waited, he did maid work, everything. He paid my tuition with the money he saved while he was in high school, for books and clothes for me. He paid our rent, bought our groceries. He never approved of me working, all I had to do was come home with good grades and I did. He had this thing about making me lunch and placing notes in my lunch bag. Never failed to make my day. He's my hero," I smile remembering how I would pull out that note and keep it in my pants pocket. One hand would always be in the pocket with that note.
"I finally understand," Natalie murmurs, "I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"Everything. For us stealing that from you. Ripping him away. Breaking your heart," a tear escapes her eye.
"It's not your fault," I hand her a tissue from the box on my desk.
"We've all found our light Halls. All of us. While we took yours. You're the only one going home to an empty house. No one to ask how your day has been. No one to smile at you like you are their world," she blows her nose. A very unladylike sound.
"It's hard sometimes, knowing what I've lost. But here I have a chance to get it back and I'm going to fight tooth and nail for it," I smile at her.
"Well I'm going to help you," Natalie returns my smile.
"How are you gonna do that?" I snort.
"With my charm off course!" I give her a look. What charm?
"I'm going to weasel my way into his life. I'm going to become his best friend. Every corner he turns I'm going to be there singing your praise. And you are going to make me your best woman when the two of you get married," I laugh. She had her signature 'yes I can' look.
"If you pull that off and I get to marry him you will be our children's god mother."
"Remember your words Halls," she smirks.
"Well are you going to leave?"
"Nope. Waiting for my new BFF to come back," she settles back in her chair and pulls out her copy of Nora Roberts' Chasing Fire and begins to read.
I shake my head at her. I finish my lunch and use the bathroom. A light knock and Linny was opening my door slowly and pushing in his head.
"Hey, I'm back," he says quickly.
"Oh Lindon! I was waiting on you. I just love your shirt! You must tell me where you shop and my husband is in need of a hair style as bad-ass as yours," she packs up the book that looks to be well over two hundred pages thick. Linny just stares at her.
"Alright Halls, I'll give Bebe your regards. Oh and you must bring Lindon to our pool party. I'll call you sometime when I have nothing else to do," she sticks her tongue out at me and holds Linny by the arm. Smart girl. Linny was so about to run away.
"Come now Lindon, give me your phone number. We'll chat more about your unique style when you don't have to be assisting his ass," she shoves her thumb in my direction.
I playfully glare at her while Linny smiles shyly. I go back to work. Well the work I'm supposed to be doing-finding a money launderer.
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