Page 92 of The Thorne at My Side
“Nah man, that’s just common slang. Keep up.”
“I don’t think you’ve got that exactly right, but I’ll go with it for your sake.” I tell him as we walk through the stadium concourse to the parking lot.
“What are you doing tonight?” He asks as we reach the cars.
“Probably just heading home and preparing for the earnings call in a few days.”
“I liked you better when you didn’t care about work so much,” he jokes. It hits harder than he intends though. I used to enjoy my work. I loved developing the AIM product and getting it off the ground.
“I did too.”
In the last few weeks, since the board meeting especially, I have dreaded even opening my work email. Elle has complained about my mood but when I remind her she’s living with me for free she shuts up.
Not that I’ve seen her much though. If I’m not at work I’ve been working out. Or walking. I’ve dragged my feet around the city to the places I saw Maggie. It’s sad, I realize, but I’m hoping I can catch a glimpse of her sunshine hair andthat it will cheer me up.
“So, you wanna grab dinner before you go back to being sad?”
“Yeah, sure.” We get into his car and twenty minutes later he pulls up outside of Lapis.
“You know, I still haven’t eaten here,” he says like it just dawned on him.
“Funny, no, I’m not going in there.”
“Ah HA! I knew it. This Eeyore act is because of that girl. The blonde I saw at the game and then waiting for you here on your SMS Connect date.”
“Maggie.” I say quietly as I look at the table where she sat that night.
“So she has a name.” Felix says quietly. “Well, I’m fucking starving so let’s eat and if you want to tell me all about it I’ll listen. But you’re buying.”
I laugh, “deal.”
???
FELIX: Good luck at the meeting today buddy.
AUSTIN: Thanks man.
When we went to dinner last week I couldn’t get myself to tell him about Maggie. It hurt too much. Instead I explained everything going on at work.
How I expected Dad to start transitioning the company to me.
How well AI Media is doing.
How much I hated the fact he filed a lawsuit against people who took action on bad information.
How going into the office every day is physically andemotionally exhausting.
And in the days leading up to this meeting it hasn’t gotten any better.
Elizabeth walks in with the ginger ale I asked her for because my stomach is sour.
“Thanks, Elizabeth.”
“Of course. Mr. Thorne, are you taking the call here or are you joining the senior team in your father’s office upstairs?”
If the last meeting had gone the way I’d expected it to, I’d already be up in the room. But, there is a significant chance I get burned again during this meeting. I don’t think my poker face is good enough to pull off that bluff.
“I’ll be taking it from here.” There, decision made.
