Page 67 of My Boss

“Because you told me to.”

“You could have taken a day off.”

“As you yourself were cute to notice, I no longer have days off I could use.”

“You could have taken an unpaid one.”

“Which you would have denied.”

“Right. You could have taken sick leave.”

“So you could unleash the Social Insurance Office on me? No, thank you.”

Jan shakes his head.

“No one from the Social Insurance Office would audit you because of one day and come to you on Christmas Eve, and you know it well. That’s why I’ll ask for the third time: why are you working when all the other people are getting ready for Christmas and spending this time with their loved ones, Maria? Why aren’t you preparing Christmas Eve supper with your mother, why aren’t you decorating the Christmas tree with your father?”

I clench my teeth. I’m mad at him for asking about that specifically. I have it coming. I started it myself. I know I don’t have to answer, to spill my guts and open up before him. Still, the words flow out of my mouth on their own, as if I need to finally spit out what hurts me so much. To cleanse myself.

“Because I don’t like spending time with my family. Because they consider me a total failure. Because they would rather have another son instead of me, who would be an exact replica ofmy brother, making a ton of money from selling cars at a car dealership.”

Jan looks at me for a long time.

“No wonder you don’t like them. They don’t know your worth,” he says quite seriously. I did not expect such a nice answer from him.

“Thanks, Jan,” I say with a slight smile and am already rushing to ask him my own question, since we have strayed a bit from the topic. “Now you tell me, when must the report I’ve been sitting on for a week be turned in?”

“Soon.”

Smartypants.

“Right. By what day?”

He moves his hand to the nape of his neck, but does not take his eyes off me. I see confusion in his gaze.

Shit, is it me, or is he floundering? Jan’s floundering is something to behold.

“Jan, answer me, please.”

He inhales and exhales hard.

“By the tenth of January.”

“By when?!”

I’m about to hit him.

“By the tenth of January.”

“I don’t believe it. Are you serious? Why then did you make me stay today to finish it?” I have to ask directly.

He no longer flinches. He sits confidently, looks me straight in the eyes and answers in a firm voice, “Because I wanted to spend the evening with you.”

Holy shit. Holy shit!

Well, I am stunned. My heart is beating so hard and fast that I can feel it all over my body. Jan, you idiot! Couldn’t you have said it right away? And I dumped on him so mercilessly. Whata bitch I am, to say the least! The crushing weight of remorse is heavy on my chest.

Jan does not take his eyes off me, as if he’s waiting for me to say something. And I can’t get a single word out. My heart is hammering so hard that my veins are about to explode. I take a few quiet breaths. I can’t believe it. Or maybe this is all just another fucked-up dream?

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