Page 134 of Debugging Love

Chance

I stay up most of the night and get up early on Wednesday determined to undo what I’ve done. I can’t remember exactly what I said at the dinner table, but I know it included the word “love.” When I said it, her entire body went stiff and she clutched the table, barely breathing. Bad timing. Really bad timing. I’m a romance newb, but I’ve seen enough movies. You don’t throw that word around after a few weeks. Unless you’re Tivri and Erish. For them it was game-on the moment their eyes met. Why can’t my love life be that simple? Strike that. Why can’t mydatinglife be simple?

Arranged marriages are easier and they last a lifetime. That’s what Dadi says. Maybe she’s right.

I acted like an even bigger idiot when I changed the subject, anything to make her stop looking at me like I was a fuzzy lizard with silver horns. I showed her my code. Smart. Smooth move. I guess it worked. I distracted her all right.

But now I’m awake at six thirty in my workout gear, peering through my mini blinds, waiting for Danni to go on her morning run. This can’t wait. I have to fix it.

Her front door slams. Seconds later, she appears wearing a tank top and exercise shorts. I don’t let my eyes linger on her tan legs. I need to follow her before I chicken out.

When she hits the bottom step, I dart out of the door and jog after her. She takes her usual route along the edge of the property. It’s already warm out, the air so heavy with humidity it’s hanging on the marsh like fog.

Now or never. I pick up my pace, close the gap between us, and start running beside her. Our feet fall into rhythm. She scowls at me.

“Hey,” I say. She quickens her pace. I don’t let it deter me. “I’m sorry.” Best to get straight to it.

She scowls at me again and then takes off in a full sprint. I’m not a runner but I manage to keep up. About the time my lungs feel like lava and my legs threaten to fling themselves off my body, she slows to a stop. We both gasp at the moisture-laden air, sweat dripping down our faces.

“Can…we…talk?” It takes two pants just to get it out.

“There’s nothing to talk about.” She continues at a brisk walk.

“I’m an idiot.”

She huffs out a maniacal laugh. We pass a gazebo on the left, the marsh stretching to the horizon on our right.

“Will you talk to me?”

She whips around. “Why bother? You know everything about everything. Just have a conversation in your head and then re-architect it to make yourself look like a hero.”

The word hits me. That’s what I was trying to be, her hero. Swooping in with my fancy code so she’d think I was her knight in shining armor or something.

Okay, it wasn’t just that. I had to improve her design. I couldn’t help it. It’s like this itch I have to scratch. But the thought of Danni swooning over my code was definitely a motivator. A dumb one, especially after the R&D app debacle. I’m a complete and total idiot. I tell Danni as much.

“You mansplain Chai coding. You mansplain paint colors. You mansplain how to clear off abookshelf, for the love of marsupials.”

I snicker and she glowers at me.

“That was funny,” I say in my defense.

“What next? Are you going to mansplain running to me? How about walking?”

She does a silly walk, knees half bent, her arms swaying like a gorilla’s.

I laugh again.

“You think this is funny?” she hollers back, deadly serious. “Cause it’s not. My promotion is riding on this app. I’m supposed to be in charge and you’re making me look like a horrible leader.”

Hadn’t thought of it like that. I increase my pace to catch up to her.

“I’m sorry. I get enthusiastic about things, and I don’t know when to stop. I stayed up late last night re-coding everything to follow your architecture. I think I can get it done in a few days because I already know the business rules and I can reuse some of my objects.” I step closer and outstretch my arms.

She looks at me like I’m a day-old gas station hotdog. “We are not hugging this out.”

“Danni.”

“That won’t work.” Her voice is shrill. She waves me off and starts walking back to her apartment.

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