Setting the folder down in front of me, I flip through page after page and all I see is red. Red lines stripe the paper like cuts. Every single one stings. My eyes start to fill with water as I read her comments.
‘This is awful, what are we six? Change it to something more modern, and not like it came out of Sesame Street.’
‘Dumb.’
‘Stupid.’
‘Just no.’
The last one isn’t just a cut, it’s a damn gouge. Scribble after scribble of ink marks every inch of the picture.
She hasn’t changed at all.
Is she doing this because she knows Lyle and I got in a fight?
It makes sense. Sandy knows about the argument, and now she’s pissed. Hanging my head, I can’t stop myself from breaking down. The tears come, falling one after the other onto the design. My design.
“Dalia, what’s wrong? Are you all right?”
Lifting my head, Lyle is standing in the doorway, concern flooding his expression. He starts to move into my office, and all I want to do is run away.
Can this day get any worse?
Jumping up from my seat, I quickly stuff all the papers back into the folder, and close it. I’m not looking at him as I sniffle, wiping my nose with a tissue I tugged out of the box on my desk.
“I’m fine,” I say firmly, keeping my voice strong.
“You’re definitely not fine. What’s going on?” I can feel him staring at me, and I hate it.
I don’t want to see him, I don’t want to be around him, I don’t want anything to do with him right now. And I definitely don’t want to feel the weight of his eyes on me.
There’s something about the way he looks at me that I can’t handle right now. It’s so deep, so heavy, and I want nothing to do with it.
Picking up my folder, I walk around to the front of my desk, and head to the door. “Don’t tell me what I am. I said I’m fine, so I’m fine.” Storming past him, he reaches out to grab my arm and misses.
I feel the air off his fingers, and I exhale a relieved breath. I can keep going.
“Dalia, wait.” Lyle follows me out, but I don’t look back at him over my shoulder.
Picking up the pace, I hit the button for the elevator. I watch the light above the doors, not making eye contact with him. I’m still crying, I can’t shut it off, and I’m trying so damn hard to.
My chest hurts as my tears become sobs, and Lyle softly touches my shoulder. “Dalia, please, tell me what’s wrong. You haven’t answered my calls or my texts all weekend. Talk to me, I can’t fix anything if I don’t know what to do.”
Jerking my shoulder out from underneath his hand, I don’t answer. I won’t.
And why should I? Why should I tell him anything at all? It’s not like he’ll care. He’ll just go back and tell his sister, and then what? I get fired?
No. Not a chance.
The doors open, and I charge inside. Hitting the star for the lobby, I dart my eyes up. I’m slamming my thumb against the button to close the doors, but Lyle is inside before they slide shut.
“Please, talk to me, Dalia.”
Tipping my chin, I don’t even bat a lash in his direction. As far as I’m concerned, my silence should tell him exactly what’s wrong.
Lyle grabs my shoulder, spinning me to face him. “If you’re not going to talk to me, that’s fine, you can just listen.” His fingers dig deeper, holding me in place. “I haven’t stopped thinking about you, I can’t get you out of my head.” His eyes bounce around my face, feverishly desperate for something from me.
The tears are still flowing effortlessly. My lungs are gasping for air as I cry. His eyes scan my face, and I know he’s waiting for a response. He wants me to answer. He wants to hear my thoughts and know what I’m thinking.
But I can’t give him that. I’m afraid that anything I say will come back to haunt me later. It obviously has already, the folder in my hands with red graffiti is all the evidence I need for proof of that.
Using his thumb, he captures a tear and wipes it away. His eyes trace my face, moving over my lips. And then he kisses me.
He kisses me hard and fast, coming out of nowhere. Shock makes me freeze, my body limp and motionless as his lips wet mine. In a single breath, he erases everything.
We’re not in the elevator. We’re not on this earth. We’re floating. It’s just us, lighter than air, and no one else matters.
Reality quickly rushes in, dropping me back down on to flat feet.
This is wrong! Stop! With firm hands, I shove Lyle away.