Can't Let You Go

Chapter 42

"I went all the way to Chinatown to get your favorite shrimp lo mein so we can have lunch together since you never seem to be home when I bring you dinner." She opens up the white paper carton.

"One, my favorite Chinese restaurant is not in Chinatown. Two, your favorite dish is shrimp lo mein. Three, I already have a lunch. Four, I'm having a lunch-in meeting with someone that I was on my way to when you barged in. Five, good-bye Mrs. Scott."

"I see you still remember my favorite food. You can go, I'll just wait here until you get back." She puts a forkful of noodles in her mouth.

I log out of the computer system, pick up the bag Tally sent me and open the door.

"Kyle," his desk is a few meters away, I raise my volume so he can hear - so everyone can hear.

"Please escort Mrs. Scott to the lobby and if she refuses to go with you, call security."

Across the hall is an office door which I knock on, enter before I get an answer, and lock behind me. The nameplate outside says "Jackson Wright" but the office is currently unoccupied. Suddenly, my issue with Tally doesn't seem so irksome.

Lunch is a baguette with ham, fig preserves, and camembert cheese and a salad with mixed greens, apples, grapes, and a zesty vinaigrette dressing. I've never had either of these dishes, but Tally is right, I do like them.

There's a knock on the door a little while later. "It's Kyle, Sir. Mrs. Scott is gone," he says from the other side.

"Thank you, Kyle," I call out from my seat while I finish eating. After tidying, I go to Kyle's desk.

"Again, I'm sorry, Sir. She just blew right past me. I didn't know if she was or wasn't your fiancee, but I did think you recently became engaged. That's the news that's been going around since yesterday."

"Yes, I am engaged. Here, this is from my actual fiancee." I hand him one of the two wrapped chocolate truffles that were in my lunch bag. "My future wife is most definitely not that woman. Call reception and find out how she got in. She probably used her maiden name. Emily Smith." I leave Kyle to play detective.

Sitting on my desk is the empty carton Emily brought, while the shrimp lo mein, still in the shape of the carton, in my wastebasket. I add my trash and take it out.

"Kyle, is there a larger trashcan I can throw this into?"

"There should be one in the maintenance closet. I'll handle it." He starts to hang up on the phone call he was making.

"No, that's okay." I walk across the open office space to the closet, tie the bag from my can tightly closed and put it in the large one in there. I hope they empty that tonight.

"Sir," Kyle stops me on the way back, "according to the visitor log, an Emily Smith had a meeting with Cheryl Miller, our social media and outreach manager. I spoke to Cheryl's assistant, Sofia, to confirm her identity. She was less than impressed by Ms. Smith's act of ordering the delivery of a single carton of Chinese food, which she had to hold onto until the meeting was over. Sofia is allergic to shellfish, so this was problematic on top of being rude."

Part of me wants to chastise him for eavesdropping at my door, the other part says, "Thank you for your fast work and attention to detail." I return to my office.

"Hi Liam!" Tally answers the phone as soon as it connects. "I was afraid I wouldn't even get to talk to you again today. Did your meeting get cut short?"

"No, we're taking a ten minute break. Hey, I'm sorry I was MIA yesterday."

"I understand. Seeing each other each and every day was an illusion that couldn't last forever, but it was nice. Anyway, can you promise me some time on Saturday? I have something important to do and I'd like you to be there with me."

"I can and I think I can pick you up from work today."

"Good!"

I can hear that she's smiling.

"Thanks for lunch, by the way. It was delicious."

"I got the same, minus cheese, and I concur. If we make it at home I'll have to source some of that vegan smoked cheese, I bet that would be good with ham. I ate mine in that little greenspace a couple blocks down from your office. Maybe we can meet there another day?"

"I'd like that, but wasn't it chilly today?" I feel bad imagining her sitting huddled on a bench eating a sandwich alone.

"A little, but it was sunny and there wasn't any breeze, so it was nice. I won't keep you when you have such a short break. I'll see you tonight. Bye!"

"Bye." The call disconnects.

The realization hits me that Tally and Emily could have crossed paths in the lobby. I don't know what would happen then. Emily said she left our past a secret on purpose when Tally "introduced" me to her as Liam, but I don't know if she'll keep it that way. Both of them are full of surprises.

I really don't know how two women can be so similar and so different.