Page 19 of Screw Christmas
“Would it make you feel better for me to say that I was wrong?”
I huffed. Too little too late. Typical Aaron.
“Better watch yourself, if you say too much the gossip hounds around here will report back to Annie that you’re trying to sweet talk me back into bed.”
“Annie and I broke up a while back. I spent Christmas alone this year. The kids stayed with their mother in California.”
“That’s unfortunate. You two made such a lovely couple.”
“She’s a decent woman, but there was something missing. I didn’t have with her what I had with you. After a year with her, I knew it wasn’t right and we were kidding ourselves. And it didn’t help that I kept comparing her to you and she just fell short.”
It suddenly clicked with me what he was after. Things went splitsville for him and her, he was rebounding hard and now he was alone and hoping so scoop up what he was thinking someone else now owned. He didn’t want his old toys anymore, but God help anyone who may want to play with them. What did I ever see in him? The thing about Aaron was that he couldn’t be alone—ever. He needed a woman hanging off his arm, worshipping the ground he walked on.
Well, that train had long past left the station for me, and I still felt stupid for staying with him as long as I had. Red flags were waving all over the place and I’d ignored them.
Leaning forward, I clasped my hands in front of me on the table. “So is this the part where you tell me our break-up was a mistake and that perhaps with the new year coming, we can make amends and perhaps start over. Second times the charm? Or is it that you just want to be friends that fuck occasionally? Which one is it?”
“Would that be so terrible? Us trying again, I mean.” His green eyes pierced into mine. “That was over a year ago and I do still care about you—love you—regardless of whether you believe me or not. It’s the truth. And you can’t tell me that you don’t still care.” He motioned with his thumb and index finger keeping them a quarter-inch apart. “Even if it’s just a little bit.”
Oh dear lord, I thought I was going to be sick. Could he have piled the shit any higher?
“Let me ask you something Aaron. Have you ever been the laughingstock of an entire workplace? Have you ever had everyone whisper about you behind your back, knowing something you were too blind to see yourself?”
“I see what you’re getting at, but it wasn’t easy for me either. People talked and gave me a hard time too.”
I jerked back into the chair as if I’d been shot and gave my head a shake. He seriously wasn’t about to play the victim card right now.
“Do you know how many people here called me an asshole, and even the ones that didn’t say it to my face, I know they thought it.”
“If the shoe fits.” I snapped. “If there was talk then you certainly deserved it. That’s what happens when you cheat on someone that everyone knows and works with. Maybe next time don’t get involved with and cheat on a co-worker.”
“Maya, don’t be like that. Everyone makes mistakes.”
“Funnily enough you lived to tell the tale and so have I. And for your information, I’ve upgraded. Maybe one day you’ll find someone good enough to live up to my memory. So, if there’s nothing else, I’ll ask you to carry on, I’ve got a lot of work to do today.” I shifted my attention to my desk pretending to sort through reports that were already done. He hesitated and then slowly pushed himself off my desk and disappeared out of sight.
Once he was gone, I sank back into the chair and released the breath I’d been holding. Why did I have to let him get to me? I knew the games he liked to play; I’d been his partner for a couple of years before we started a relationship. Yet, I still foolishly fell for him somehow. That was history though and I’d like to think that I learned from my mistake.
~*~ TT ~*~
Maya
There was a smile on my face when I opened the door to my apartment. Admittedly, a lot of it had to do with the fact that Dylan was on the other side of the door. I had to keep my feet grounded. We’d been intimate, that was it, we hadn’t even had sex. People had sex every day and it meant nothing. For all I knew he was on the other side of the door regretting the decision, or he was gone altogether. It’s just, the time we’d spent together felt more real and genuine than anything I’d ever experienced before.
The thought that he’d just take off left a lump in my throat. That would be harsh and would hurt me more than I cared to admit.
Turning the knob, I pushed the door open and discovered Dylan sitting on the sofa watching television. Hearing me come in, he looked up from the T.V and grinned at me. “You’re late.”
“I had a few things to clear up at the station before I could come home. Hope you didn’t have anything in mind?” There was a distinctive smell of pasta sauce lingering in the air. Stripping off my jacket, vest, boots, and utility belt, I hung them up and made my way into the kitchen.
“Yeah. I did.” Leaping from the sofa, he sprinted past me and to the stove where there was a large pot on the top. “I made us spaghetti and meatballs.”
The mention of spaghetti brought back memories of when we were kids. He was never much of a cook, but he’d perfected spaghetti and meatballs. The seasoning of his homemade meatballs had become perfection. I wondered if they were as good as they had been all those years ago, or maybe I was just partial to them because I’d been so lovestruck back then?
“When we were kids, you used to ask me to make them. I did the meatballs from scratch, like back in the old days. Had to grab some spices and some groceries from the corner store, we seriously need to get some groceries in here lady. Maybe go grab some things once we eat.”
“Yeah, I know and that sounds like a good idea.” Rolling my eyes, I came to stand next to him and looked into the saucepan, the aroma of garlic and onion drifted to my nostrils making my stomach grumble. “I love anything garlic.”
Grinning, he nudged me aside and opened the oven. Grabbing an oven mitt which was meant to look like Freddy Krueger’s glove he threw it on his hand and grabbed what was inside—a large golden-brown, cheese garlic bread. My stomach grumbled again, clenching as it grumbled.
