Jacob awoke with a start. For a few minutes, he attempted to remember where he was and why he was there. He rarely fell asleep on the couch, much less with his clothes and shoes still on. What had resulted in this strange divergence from his normal habit? As the events of the afternoon and evening before slowly unfolded, Jacob dragged both hands over his face, trying to kick his mind into high gear so as to decide what to do with the information he now had in his possession. Before he was able to come to anything conclusive, his alarm went off, alerting him to the fact that he was now required to prepare for work.
Without having any time to come to a conclusive decision, he decided to keep the events of the previous night to himself for the time being. He attempted all day to act as of nothing had happened. He bought Rosalind her coffee, teased her about her new outfit, worked on his projects. Only once did he almost let it slip.
"Penny for your thoughts." Rosalind set a pile of folders in front of him on the desk and leaned against it, eyebrow cocked in inquiry.The folds of her skirt spread across the corner of his desk and he briefly followed them, admiring the ombre tones. The bright pink shades fit her personality - perky and fun, but sweet and subtle. That kind of thing sure snuck up on a guy....What was wrong with him? He was distracted and restless and...ignoring her question.
"Sorry, I'm just sort of out of it today. I didn't sleep well last night. Fell asleep on the couch." He caught himself before he went any further. He had almost told her.That wouldn't be good at all.
"You do look tired...would you like some coffee?" Oh, the sweetness of her concern, care, closeness. He could just soak it up all day. He could melt in the warm chocolate of her eyes.She was looking at him so intently. She didn't normally. Was she finally realizing? Were they finally going to be able to move forward? No, you dingbat! She thinks you're crazy! He shook himself to clear his head and, for the millionth time plastered a smile on his face and blew off his weird behavior.
"Sure, coffee sounds great. Thank you, Rosie. Maybe it will help me wake up." Rosie didn't look like she believed him, but she brought him coffee and left him to his work.
Rosalind wiped the counter down and checked her list of responsibilities for the day. She had made coffee, taken it to multiple individual offices, given Ben's files to Jacob. Her mind wandered to the encounter in Jacob's office. Why was Jacob acting so strange? He had dark circles under his eyes and a stressed look in his eyes. His conversation was abnormal, distracted, subdued. The teasing was minimal, forced. Maybe she had read things wrong yesterday. Or maybe there was something that he wasn't telling her. If that was the case, he would tell her eventually. She turned her thoughts to their dinner that night. Where was he taking her? Did she need to dress up? She decided she would ask him.
"Where are we going for dinner tonight?" Jacob looked up and furrowed his brow at her. Rather than answer her question, he turned back to his computer. Rosie wasn't going to leave without an answer. She walked over to his desk and shut his laptop on his fingers. "I asked you a question, Jacob."
"Hey! You can't do that!"
"I just did. Now answer my question."
"I don't think I want to. You just shut my fingers in my laptop."
"Jacob. You know me. I need to know what to wear."
"Oh, yes. The ever present question of the clothing. Why must all women concern themselves so much with clothing? And then, after changing outfits for hours, then they spend another hour or more on hair and makeup each. It is so much easier to be a guy. Jeans, button up, comb through the hair, done. Simple. No fuss. No worries."
"Hakuna matata huh?"
"Yes. One of my favorite movies." Jacob's face lit up and he locked eyes with her. "We should watch it tonight."
"Jacob. I thought we were having dinner." He was definitely losing it.
"Yes, we are. I'm making dinner. In my apartment. And we are going to watch The Lion King. That also answers your clothing questions, yes?" Rosie raised her eyebrows, incredulous. Jacob didn't invite women to his apartment, unless he was considering dating them. That was his personal rule, and that rule had never been broken for her.
"Are you sure? I've never been in your apartment before, Jacob."
"Yep, I'm sure. We are having dinner at my apartment, I'm cooking, and we are watching The Lion King. I have your favorite dessert in the freezer. Your favorite CD in my player in the kitchen. We need this time to just relax and have fun, don't you think?"
"I agree. I have to get back to work. Are we going right to your house from work?"
"No, we'll stop by your apartment first so you can grab comfortable clothes and whatever."
"Sounds good. See you later."
--------------------
Jacob was right. They both had needed this break, this chance to kick back and relax with nothing to do but enjoy one another's company. Dinner was delicious, dessert was incredible. They had listened to music and danced around the kitchen without a care in the world. Now, they were buried underneath blankets and pillows on his beautiful couch, halfway through The Lion King. She felt so pampered, so spoiled, so loved. She was able to relax completely, forget about work and the outside world. It had been awhile since they had done this, just unwind and have fun. As much as she was enjoying this, she continually wondered what prompted this random break from normality. Little did she know she would soon get her answer.
"Sure, coffee sounds great. Thank you, Rosie. Maybe it will help me wake up." Rosie didn't look like she believed him, but she brought him coffee and left him to his work.
Rosalind wiped the counter down and checked her list of responsibilities for the day. She had made coffee, taken it to multiple individual offices, given Ben's files to Jacob. Her mind wandered to the encounter in Jacob's office. Why was Jacob acting so strange? He had dark circles under his eyes and a stressed look in his eyes. His conversation was abnormal, distracted, subdued. The teasing was minimal, forced. Maybe she had read things wrong yesterday. Or maybe there was something that he wasn't telling her. If that was the case, he would tell her eventually. She turned her thoughts to their dinner that night. Where was he taking her? Did she need to dress up? She decided she would ask him.
"Where are we going for dinner tonight?" Jacob looked up and furrowed his brow at her. Rather than answer her question, he turned back to his computer. Rosie wasn't going to leave without an answer. She walked over to his desk and shut his laptop on his fingers. "I asked you a question, Jacob."
"Hey! You can't do that!"
"I just did. Now answer my question."
"I don't think I want to. You just shut my fingers in my laptop."
"Jacob. You know me. I need to know what to wear."
"Oh, yes. The ever present question of the clothing. Why must all women concern themselves so much with clothing? And then, after changing outfits for hours, then they spend another hour or more on hair and makeup each. It is so much easier to be a guy. Jeans, button up, comb through the hair, done. Simple. No fuss. No worries."
"Hakuna matata huh?"
"Yes. One of my favorite movies." Jacob's face lit up and he locked eyes with her. "We should watch it tonight."
"Jacob. I thought we were having dinner." He was definitely losing it.
"Yes, we are. I'm making dinner. In my apartment. And we are going to watch The Lion King. That also answers your clothing questions, yes?" Rosie raised her eyebrows, incredulous. Jacob didn't invite women to his apartment, unless he was considering dating them. That was his personal rule, and that rule had never been broken for her.
"Are you sure? I've never been in your apartment before, Jacob."
"Yep, I'm sure. We are having dinner at my apartment, I'm cooking, and we are watching The Lion King. I have your favorite dessert in the freezer. Your favorite CD in my player in the kitchen. We need this time to just relax and have fun, don't you think?"
"I agree. I have to get back to work. Are we going right to your house from work?"
"No, we'll stop by your apartment first so you can grab comfortable clothes and whatever."
"Sounds good. See you later."
--------------------
Jacob was right. They both had needed this break, this chance to kick back and relax with nothing to do but enjoy one another's company. Dinner was delicious, dessert was incredible. They had listened to music and danced around the kitchen without a care in the world. Now, they were buried underneath blankets and pillows on his beautiful couch, halfway through The Lion King. She felt so pampered, so spoiled, so loved. She was able to relax completely, forget about work and the outside world. It had been awhile since they had done this, just unwind and have fun. As much as she was enjoying this, she continually wondered what prompted this random break from normality. Little did she know she would soon get her answer.
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