Page 95 of Company Ink

I bite my lip, uncertainty and doubt holding me back from spilling out that tiny syllable that would finally merge us together.

"I need time," I breathe. Time to think. Time to prepare. Time to figure out why the hell I feel the need to get closure with Blake.

"Time?" Adrian asks, running a pained hand through his hair. "Do you not believe me?"

"I do," I swallow. "I just need to clear my head. Today has been a bit crazy."

"There's no other reason?" Adrian's vulnerable eyes scan my face.

"No," I lie. "There isn't."

He sucks in a sharp breath. "Then take all the time you need, Cassie. I'll be here."

I nod, my heart clenching with guilt. "Thank you," I say quietly.

Adrian gestures towards the take-out containers. "Are you hungry?"

Not really."I could eat," I smile. "What is it?"

"Cobb's salad," he says, opening the containers. "I figured if I got anything hot, it'd be cold by the time we finished talking."

"Good call."

I take one container and we begin eating, making light conversation under the star infested sky. We don't touch, we don't kiss, we just talk. About life, about travel, about astronomy.

That night I fall asleep thinking about Cassiopeia falling off of her throne into the unforgiving ocean, praying that history doesn't repeat itself.

"They're both staring at you," Kitty whispers, bringing a latte up to her mouth. The muffled luncheon conversation coming from all of our colleagues drowns out her keen, and oh-so-awesome observation. Great, I have befriended Nancy Drew.

"Kitty! If you stare at them while they stare at me, they'll notice that you're staring at them, and then it's going to get weird, so just stop it! Eat your fucking soup."Lord, help me.

Kitty rolls her eyes. "You're bossy."

"And you're being Captain Obvious right now. Just chill, Kitty. Be cool, pretend they're not here."

Kitty had already passed out when I got back from the beach last night, thank God! But this morning consisted of a full one-hour recap of my evening; she even woke me up early to chat. Kitty vouched for Adrian and said she's never seen him with a girlfriend, and that he's telling the truth, not that I didn't believe him. Never being in a committed relationship isn't really a positive quality in a man, so it doesn't make sense that he would lie about it.

"Adrian and Blake, who?" Kitty shrugs, winking at me. "Let's talk about something else then. What activity are you going to do duringfree time? Come to the painting class with me! It's going to be fun!"

"I'm not really artistic," I say, polishing off my BLT. "I think I'm going to join the guided meditation class. I feel like a little Zen would do me some good."

Kitty grimaces. "Meditation? Gosh, that sounds so...quiet."

"Yeah, it does." I nod my head. Peace and quiet are exactly what I need right now. These team building activities are insane; this morning we had to do a scavenger hunt, while they blasted the theme song to Mission Impossible over the outdoor speakers. It was insane.

I grab my sweatshirt off the back of the chair and chug the rest of my water. "Okay, I'm going to get going. I'll see you around 3?"

"Have funrelaxing," Kitty teases. "I'll be in Room D if you find yourself bored to death."

"I'll keep that in mind, Kit," I smile and exit the restaurant.

According to the guidebook, Meditation with Mandy (love me some good alliterations) is in Room B. After changing into a pair of sneakers and tying my hair into a ponytail, I rush back downstairs. I'm late!

I squeeze through the wooden doors of Room B and scan around, looking for a free yoga mat. In the far corner of the room, I notice Blake's thick head of hair. Wow, I did not expect to see him here. I give him a light wave and sit down on the purple mat, taking off my shoes after realizing no one else is wearing any.

"Good afternoon everyone, my name is Mandy, and today, I will be your guide." Her voice is serene and tranquil. "Please sit whichever way is most comfortable."

I cross my legs and straighten out my back. All right, bring on the Zen Mandy.

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