Page 2 of Lost Times

It was still weird though, to look down ‘main street’ and be able to see the other end of it. There weren’t many shops, mainly a bar, a grocery store, and a few office buildings.

The biggest of which, I stood outside now.

It’d been a stroke of luck or divine provenance that led me to that newspaper clipping; I’d just been out of college with my shiny new degree and wondering what I’d do next. The bar I’d worked at before was nice, it brought in money and most of the regulars weren’t a problem, but now I could finally pursue what I actually wanted to do with my life.

I still had to start from the bottom of the company and work my way up, but I could do it. I wouldn’t let them down.

“Are you going to stand outside and stare at the building, or come on in?” A deep voice called from behind me, yanking me back to the present with pitiless force and slapping an embarrassed flush over my cheeks.

This wasnotthe first impression I wanted to make on my coworkers.

Fighting down the heat lancing through my cheeks, I turned to face the stranger, already in the middle of an apology. “I’m sorry, I’m new to town and the building really is gorg-.”

Whatever else I was going to say dropped off when I locked eyes on the one who’d spoken. He stood a yard or so away, his arms crossed and face set in a scowl that waspainfullyfamiliar.

I saw it on Jasmine’s face whenever she threw a fit.

Memories of years ago hit me with the force of a brick as I took in him, Ludwig.

The man I thought I’d never see again.

His short dark hair was carefully styled back, not a strand out of place, and he wore a full suit that looked fitted to him. The air around him seemed to spark with irritation, but when I turned, fully facing him, that irritation faltered.

“Wait, I know you-.” He started to say and my stomach dropped into a freefall. I’d wanted to meet him again for years, but not like this!

Looking away before I could embarrass myself by drooling, I cleared my throat and nodded. “Yeah, I remember you too,” I said, my voice strained and awkward. What was I supposed to say to this?

Images of Jasmine flashed behind my eyes and my stomach soured.

I’d tried to find him for months to tell him about her, but now that I wasn’t looking anymore, here he was. Should I even bring it up? He probably wasn’t interested in having a child, especially one that was already as old as Jasmine was.

She wouldn’t understand if he did choose to reject her. She’d be hurt and I’d seen what that hurt could do first hand.

No, he’d stayed in the dark so far and that’s where he’d stay. I would pretend that nothing was amiss and we’d work together like nothing happened.

Nodding, I solidified the decision and offered a hand to him. “But we didn’t actually introduce ourselves last time, so I’m Thalia Thomas, and you are?”

He blinked, seemingly broken from his stupor. Staring down at my hand for a minute, he took it and responded. “Ludwig Evans.”

Evans…

Something about that name picked at the back of my brain, as if Ishouldknow it.

It was only when I glanced past his shoulder to one of the signs for the building that I realized why the name was familiar.

At the entrance to the parking lot was a giant billboard that read, ‘Evans Financial Services.’ Everything spun around me, the world blurring into a blob of sickening colors as the truth hit.

I’d slept with my new boss and he had no idea about Jasmine.

Panic hit with the force of a tidal wave, threatening to rip me apart from the inside out as that fact rebounded around inside my head. I didn’t realize I wasn’t breathing right until my lungs squeezed in protest and Ludwig’s voice cut through the fog.

He’d moved to stand partially in front of me, his scowl now deeper with what might have been worry as he grunted. “Are you alright? You went paper white there.”

Swallowing past the bile trying to climb up my throat, I nodded, only slightly hysterical. “I’m fine, I just realized I slept with my boss, but other than that I’mtotallyfine.”

It slipped before I could stop it and he looked at the billboard too, then back to me. Something lingered behind his eyes, something painful that I didn’t have a name for, then it disappeared in my next blink, replaced by an icy mask.

“It doesn’t matter, it was years ago. I won’t give you any preferential treatment and we’ll act as if it never happened.” He said and again, Jasmine’s face lit the inside of my eyelids.

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