“Jean. Are you all right?” he asked
Jean looked up with tears running down her face and said “I’m okay. It was just a misunderstanding.”
Both Larry and I simultaneously said in surprise “A misunderstanding!”
“Yes!” she said firmly. It was clear that she didn’t want it to go any further although she was very upset and shaken.
Larry looked at me with a look of puzzlement. Then he said “Dan, why don’t you drive Jean home in her car. I’ll send someone over to pick you up.”
I nodded. Jean looked at both Larry and me and said “Thank you.”
Jean stood up and began to collect herself and walked out of the room with Betty helping, holding her arm. Jean collected her things from her desk and then we both walked out to her car. I walked her to the passenger door and opened it for her and she looked at me and said thanks as she got in.
Her house was about 10 minutes away and we didn’t talk at all on the way over. She seemed deep in thought and upset. When we got there I parked the car and got out and walked around the car to open her door but by the time I got there she was already out. I walked beside her to her front door. She unlocked it and opened it and then she turned to me and smiled wanly. Then she hugged me tightly and buried her head into my shoulder.
“Thank you so much Dan!” She murmured.
Then she let me go and turned around and walked into her house, softly shutting the door behind her.
I kind of dreaded going into work the next day. I didn’t really want to see Brian and I wasn’t sure how to react to Jean or even Betty or Larry. We started an hour earlier than the office so Brian was going to be the first encounter. He was there when I got there and just ignored me, which was all right with me. He didn’t talk to me at all which as far as I was concerned was an improvement over most days. Everyone else seemed to be normal and maybe even a little solicitous to me.
Brian went out to check the load on his truck and when he left one of the other truck drivers, Mike, looked at me and said “I don’t know what happened between you two yesterday but I know Larry stayed late yesterday and was reaming his ass.” I didn’t say anything but was glad that Larry had done something.
The first trip to the office felt awkward but Betty greeted me warmly and Jean was at her desk and smiled at me as if everything was normal. By noon it seemed that the previous day was forgotten, except by Brian who continued to avoid me. All in all a net plus.
The next day, a Wednesday, I had a run that would take about 4 hours. When I got in my truck I checked my folder for the invoices and packing slips for my deliveries that day. There was an envelope with my name on it. Puzzled, I opened it. It was a note from Jean thanking me again for driving her home the other day and inviting me to dinner the next night. I had never met her husband and son and thought it was nice she was inviting me into her home to meet her family. I wasn’t sure I really wanted to do that but I had a long day to think about it.