I Can Explain (Awkward Love 2)

Then again, I'm probably the last person she’d tell.

The other part of me is wondering exactly what this promotion will entail. I'm opening myself up to God knows what. I really want to prove that I can handle this, but how do I know he’s going to play fair? And is it a coincidence that all this is occurring after what happened on the weekend? I have so many unanswered questions.

The rest of the day I work quietly by myself, avoiding nearly every attempt that Peyton makes to engage me. If we start talking, I’ll tell her, and I don’t want to do that until I know what I want to do. If I can’t even tell her that I’ve been promoted or why, then how do I expect to handle working directly for Chase? Is advancing my career worth it, if it’s at the expense of my only real friend?

I’m beginning to think it’s all more trouble than it’s worth.I rush out of the office as soon as work finishes to avoid talking to Peyton, but she corners me in the elevator.

“Want to come to my place for a drink?” she asks.

I take one look at the hopeful expression on her face and cave.

“Sure.”I make the short walk with Peyton to her place, neither of us saying much the whole time. Once we’re inside her apartment, I prepare myself for the conversation I know we need to have. She pours each of us a glass of wine and turns on some music, dancing her way over to me.

“I want to talk to you about something,” I say, my heart racing. I need to get this over with before I chicken out.

“Oh? About why you’ve been acting super weird all day, I hope?” she asks, smirking at me.

“Sort of,” I mutter. I hesitate, the sudden urge to confess everything overwhelming me. “Chase offered me a promotion,” I blurt out.

“What? Wow,” she mumbles, forcing herself to smile. “That’s great. Congratulations. Did it have anything to do with last Thursday and what he overheard in the office?”

“I can’t believe you’d even think that,” I frown.

“Relax, I’m teasing you, Lanna.”

Even though she’s laughing, I’m not sure I believe her. She sits down and lets out a sigh, giving up her game. Her shoulders roll forward, telling me how defeated my news has made her feel.

“I’m sorry. I totally didn’t mean that,” she says. “If it’s going to be anyone, I’m glad it’s you.”

“But?” I prompt her.

“It’s just that Jade’s job is pretty much how far I can go with the qualifications I have. But you? This is just a stepping stone for you. You’ll do it for maybe a year, then you’ll be somewhere else entirely, and he’ll probably replace you with someone outside the office.” She shakes her head sadly. “I try so hard to not let this kind of stuff get me down, but I’ve been working really hard. It would’ve been nice if he noticed or acknowledged that sometime, you know?”

I nod, feeling terrible. I’ve been so self-involved that I didn’t even think about it like that. Sure, my qualifications outweigh hers by a mile, but she has something for this position that I’ll never have—loyalty.

“Anyway,” she says, wrapping her arms around me, “let’s move on. Okay?”

“No,” I say, not wanting to leave things like that. “Look, this has nothing to do with how hard you work or who deserves it more. Trust me.”

“What do you mean?” she asks, confused.

I sigh and sit down, gulping down my wine. The only way for her to understand this has nothing to do with her is to tell her the whole sad and sorry story.

“You know how I went out the other night with Jake?” I say, my voice small.

“And didn’t call me right away,” she accuses. “Too busy getting down and dirty, huh?” She reaches over and slaps me on the arm, a big grin on her face.

“Sorry about that, and no. You’ll understand in a moment,” I add, when she goes to speak. “So, we ended up back at his place, only before anything really happened, his wife came home.”

“His wife? Dude, you didn’t tell me he was married,” she hisses, her eyes wide with horror.

“I didn't know,” I retort. “If I had known, you know I’d never have gone out with him in the first place. Anyway, that isn't the point. He pushed me out onto his balcony—in my underwear—and locked me outside.”

“Fucking asshole,” she rages, her dark eyes flashing.

“Oh, it gets even worse,” I say in a grim voice. “I jumped one apartment over, because I figured if anyone was going to catch me, I was better off with it being a complete stranger, rather than his wife. Right?”

“Totally,” Peyton agrees. “So, what happened? You knocked on some rando’s window?”