Page 47 of Remembering You
“You mean Jim’s office?” Sheila said. “He just told me you’re working in his office this week.”
My cheeks flushed with heat. “Yeah,” I said. “Sorry.”
Sheila shrugged. “It’s okay. Come on. I’ll give you a ride.”
I glanced back at the diner, biting my lip, hesitantly.
“He’s meeting a client for breakfast and then going over to the new development by the lake. He won’t be in the office until later… if at all.”
“Oh,” I said, glancing at the ground. I hated that she knew that and I didn’t. I hated that even with their terrible break up and her betrayal of cheating on him in a closet with her superior, he still talked to her more than he talked to me. How was it that my age difference was worse for him than that?
I shivered and pulled my coat tighter around my body. “Come on, Marty. It’s cold out here and even with that boot, you shouldn’t be walking five blocks to his office.”
With a sigh, I nodded and she gestured to a car parked in the lot next to us. I slid in the passenger seat as she got in the driver’s side and started the car, turning the heat on full blast.
“Hey,” Sheila said, turning to face me and tapping the back of her knuckle to my arm. “I’m not mad at you. I have no right to be mad at you, okay? So… relax.”
I blinked, surprised and glanced up at her. “You’re not?”
“No. Jim and I… we were going to break up soon even if I hadn’t cheated on him. Which I feel terrible about. We only met up this morning so that I could give him back his house keys now that I got the last of my stuff packed up.”
“Oh.” I released a breath and felt the tension melt from my shoulders. It shouldn’t have mattered, but it did. To me, it did. I know I needed to get over Jim if we weren’t going to be together, but frankly I didn’t want to have to get over him while watching him date someone else.
“For the record, I think you two could be really cute together.”
I gaped at Sheila. What… what was happening? “You’re my boss. Or… you’re going to be. I don’t think any of this situation is appropriate. I shouldn’t have dated your ex. We shouldn’t be talking about this—”
“I’m not going to be your boss,” she interrupted. “I’m moving to Boston with Dr. Lowenstein.” She smiled and tucked her hair behind her ear. “David.”
“Are you two together?”
She nodded. “Yeah. And we’re really happy. Happier than I’ve ever felt in my life. I’m not proud of how we began, but it really was for the best.”
My brows lifted and I felt a moment of confidence knowing that she was no longer my boss. “I doubt Jim sees it that way.”
Sheila winced. “Yeah. I have to live with that. But he agrees that we weren’t in love. At least, we haven’t been for some time.”
It was almost exactly what Jim had said to me the other night on our date. “Thank you for giving me the head’s up about you leaving for Boston. But I’m not sure how any of this matters.”
“I just… I don’t want you to give up on Jim. At least, not because for all of a week, I was maybe going to be your boss. That’s not enough of a reason to walk away.”
I blew out a breath and took a sip of my coffee. “Our work connection is only a small component of why Jim and I…” Well, we didn’t break up. You can’t break up if you’ve never officially been together. What should I call it? “Why we decided not to continue dating. Besides, I’m not the one who decided to walk away.”
Sheila nodded and rolled her eyes. “I heard. Jim is so old-fashioned sometimes.” She paused, then added. “He didn’t tell you about his mother, did he?” I shook my head as Sheila pressed her lips together. “Ask him about it,” Sheila said, pulling the car into Jim’s office parking lot.
How in the hell was I supposed to bring up that topic? “Oh, sure,” I rolled my eyes. “Hey Jim… we’re not dating and barely talking, but why don’t you tell me about this significant, and if I had to guess, painful story of your mother.”
Sheila chuckled. “Okay, maybe be a little more coy about it. But seriously… if you can get him talking, it will be… enlightening.”
I unbuckled my seatbelt and climbed out of her car. “Thanks for the ride, Sheila. I’m… I’m sorry we won’t really get to know each other better.”
She smiled and nodded. “Me, too. But hey, if you ever decide you want to work at Boston General, look me up.”
I laughed. “That’s not very likely, but thank you.”
“You take care of yourself. Good luck with your arts and therapy program. It sounds fascinating.”
I smiled and just before I closed the door, she added, “And Marty? Seriously, go easy—.”
I rolled my eyes. “On the ankle. I know.”
Her grin widened. “I was going to say ‘on Jim.’” She winked and with a wave, Sheila was gone from my life.
