When the movie was over, she had to wake him this time. “Mikey, bedtime. Come on, let’s go.” He walked to his bedroom and watched her walk into hers.
“Damn. Life is so good and so complicated at the same time” he thought. He knew things were evolving, but he couldn’t yet see the end. He drifted off to sleep, his last thoughts of her.
Mike woke up to breakfast again. “You’re spoiling me” he said as he walked to the kitchen. She was cooking some bacon, and he slid his arms around her and kissed her neck.
She said, “You have to let me go unless you like your bacon black!” He let go and sat down, watching as she cooked. She finished, turned around and blushed. “Hey now, I’m just a fry cook. You have better things to stare at”.
He looked at her and said “Nope.” They laughed, ate their breakfast, then he went to work. She sat at the table, wondering what she was going to do. She finally decided that it would work itself out, and she got to work on the house. She was deep cleaning every room, and she was almost done.
Mike went to work feeling like a lovesick schoolboy. He didn’t even realize he was at work until he had parked. He walked in and went to his office, trying to focus on work. He didn’t notice that Irene came in until she began talking. “Mike, what’s up? You aren’t paying attention to anything today. Where’s your head at? Is something wrong? You’ve got me worried.”
Mike looked up at what had been his dream girl, and now she was just a girl to him. “Irene, I’ve got a problem you can’t help me with. I would love to explain it to you, but I think it would cause us problems. I can’t lose you from here, I don’t know…” Mike trailed off, unable to speak.
Irene immediately came around the desk and pulled his chair out, pulling him to his feet. She looked him in the eyes and said “It’s Jill, isn’t it.” She saw the truth and the fear pass through his eyes before he looked away. She pulled him close and gave him a hug. “Mike, she’s into you as well. I know, she won’t admit it. There is a lot she isn’t saying, but I am sure of one thing. You guys make a great couple, and you both want it.”
Mike’s eyes went wide, then he asked, “Did she say something to you about it?”
“No, she didn’t have to. It’s obvious” Irene said.
Mike put his head in his hands. “This can’t happen. It can’t.”
Irene, confused, looked at him. “Why?” she asked. “If you’re both happy, what is the issue?”
“I can’t tell you. Just believe me, it can’t happen” he moaned into his hands. He picked his head up, looked at Irene and said “Why couldn’t have been you? I would’ve fired you, then married you.”
Irene, blushing, said “I hoped you would for a few years. I know it won’t happen now, but I hoped.”
Mike looked at her, calming down “You need to go get ready for your girl’s night. I’ll be ok. Go, have fun.”
Mike dug into work for the rest of the day, trying to forget his problems. He wanted to finish some things, so he was working when his phone rang. “Jill” was the tag on his phone. Taking a deep breath, he answered “Hello?”