Our Way

“You think I want to feel like this?” I snap. “You think I like feeling betrayed?”

“Lize.” He sighs sadly. “I didn’t betray you, babe, and I know how this sounds. I would be angry, too, if I were you. But I swear to God, there is nothing between Stephanie and me. I’m in love with you, and this all happened before we started. It’s purely platonic between her and me. I would never betray you.”

I hate sounding insecure and whiny, and I know I do. My eyes well with tears. What’s wrong with me? This isn’t who I am.

“I’ll call you tomorrow.” I sigh sadly.

“I love you.”

I frown through my tears. “Goodnight, Nathe.”

He stays on the line, unable to hang up.

“I love you,” he whispers again.

“I love you, too.” I sigh sadly. Before he can reply, I hang up the phone.

I exhale heavily and switch the television off. I can’t even stay mad at him.

Sleep, I need some sleep.

* * *

I walk into the breakfast restaurant, feeling a lot better with some sleep under my belt.

A new day and all that. “Morning.” I smile at Henry as I take a seat beside him.

“Hello,” He says as he butters his toast. “I should have gone to bed when you did last night,” He mutters dryly. “I’m suffering this morning.”

I giggle. “Sucked in. I feel great.”

He rolls his eyes.

“So, what’s today’s agenda?” I ask.

“God, do we have to go?” He sighs.

I giggle and pour myself a coffee from the pot. I look around the restaurant and notice a heap of men in business suits. Many have women with them that are in work clothes, too. “Are these people all from the plastic’s industry?”

He sips his coffee as he looks around the restaurant. “Pretty much.”

“Do you know everyone?” I ask as I serve myself breakfast from the platters.

“Yes, but if I don’t know them personally, I know who they are.”

“You come to conferences often?”

“There’s so many new developments in the industry that we have to constantly attend to be able to keep up.”

“Like products and things?”

“Yeah, and techniques. Take this afternoon, for example. It’s a surgical tutorial on a new method of lower rhytidectomy.”

“Neck lift?” I frown.

“Yeah. When someone is using a new method in surgery and getting good results, they are asked to give a class at one of these things. I imagine Nathan is always teaching at these. He’s very respected in his field.”

“He is,” I agree.