sorry!” His eyes are pleading. For a moment, I think he may be sincere. Then I think back to the blonde he had pressed up against the wall in the stock room—her skirt hiked up, his pants down—and how he lied, saying nothing happened… and I remember he’s just a liar.
“Apology accepted. Happy?” I flash a fake smile at him and try to walk away, but he grabs my arm. I look back at him; my eyes are daggers. “Don’t touch me,” I warn him, my tone laced with ice.
He ignores me. “If you would just give me a chance to talk to you,” he pleads.
I snatch my arm away from him. “What, Michael? What do you want to talk to me about?” I yell and throw my hands up.
“What I did that night. I’ve regretted it every day since then. If I could change it I would, but I can’t. I keep trying to remember what I was thinking and what the hell my problem was, but I can’t count it toward anything but drunken stupidity. Never in a million years have I ever wanted to hurt you like that. I just-” he stops mid-sentence, and I follow his look to the door to see Angela walk in.
“Lauren, someone’s here to see you,” she smiles, not forgetting to roll her eyes at Michael.
“Michael. I’ve already told you. I’m over what you did, we’re not together anymore, and it no longer concerns me. I don’t care what you did, what you are doing, or what you are about to do. I’ve moved on. I just want you to leave me alone,” I tell him before walking away.
I have to take a deep breath once I get out of the room. He would never know how hard that was for me. Michael and I had a complex relationship from the start. I had just broken up, well kind of agreed to be friends with Steven, and one night, after a little too much drinking, he kissed me, and we kind of fell into a relationship from there. In the end, I think we probably should have chalked it up to drunken attraction instead of deciding to be together. But, you know what they say about hindsight...
The man sitting at the bar is Jason, the newspaper guy.
“Hey, Lauren.” He stands as I approach him.
“Hi, Jason,” I say hesitantly. After all, the last time we spoke, he did ditch me.
“I just wanted to say how sorry I am about the other night,” he starts off.
“It’s fine,” I smile at him. In fact, if he hadn’t ditched me, I never would have gotten up for some fresh air, which means I wouldn’t have bumped into Cal.
“I just… I thought I saw someone that...never mind. It was no excuse, and I wanted to apologize.” he says.
“Well, apology accepted,” I laugh slightly. I’m accepting a lot of apologies today, it seems.
Michael walks up to us, looking a little angry. What the hell does he want now?
“Remember me?” he says to Jason in a sarcastic tone. Jason looks at him with a perplexed expression.
“No, have we met b—?” His question is cut off by Michael’s fist in his face, knocking him to the floor.
“Michael! What the hell!” I scream. I immediately jump out of the way as Jason stands up and rams into Michael.
“Steven, Dan! Do something!” I call. Hearing the commotion, Angela rushes out of the storage room.
“Dan! Dan, get out here!” she screams. Soon Dan runs out to break them up, followed by Steven.
“Let go! Let go, guys!” Dan growls as he tries to pull the two of them apart. Steven grabs Jason and succeeds in separating them right as Ryan walks in.
“What the hell is going on here?” he yells angrily, his usually subdued British accent flaring. Everyone looks at him, none of us knows what to say.
“I don’t know! This-this lunatic just attacked me!” Jason yells.
“What the hell happened, Michael?” Steven asks.
“He hung up on me when I called Lauren!” Michael yells. Oh my God, I can’t believe this. I cover my face in embarrassment.
“I have never spoken to this guy!” Jason yells. “I hang up on a lot of people, but you don’t see them coming up to me and punching me in the face!
“Apology accepted. Happy?” I flash a fake smile at him and try to walk away, but he grabs my arm. I look back at him; my eyes are daggers. “Don’t touch me,” I warn him, my tone laced with ice.
He ignores me. “If you would just give me a chance to talk to you,” he pleads.
I snatch my arm away from him. “What, Michael? What do you want to talk to me about?” I yell and throw my hands up.
“What I did that night. I’ve regretted it every day since then. If I could change it I would, but I can’t. I keep trying to remember what I was thinking and what the hell my problem was, but I can’t count it toward anything but drunken stupidity. Never in a million years have I ever wanted to hurt you like that. I just-” he stops mid-sentence, and I follow his look to the door to see Angela walk in.
“Lauren, someone’s here to see you,” she smiles, not forgetting to roll her eyes at Michael.
“Michael. I’ve already told you. I’m over what you did, we’re not together anymore, and it no longer concerns me. I don’t care what you did, what you are doing, or what you are about to do. I’ve moved on. I just want you to leave me alone,” I tell him before walking away.
I have to take a deep breath once I get out of the room. He would never know how hard that was for me. Michael and I had a complex relationship from the start. I had just broken up, well kind of agreed to be friends with Steven, and one night, after a little too much drinking, he kissed me, and we kind of fell into a relationship from there. In the end, I think we probably should have chalked it up to drunken attraction instead of deciding to be together. But, you know what they say about hindsight...
The man sitting at the bar is Jason, the newspaper guy.
“Hey, Lauren.” He stands as I approach him.
“Hi, Jason,” I say hesitantly. After all, the last time we spoke, he did ditch me.
“I just wanted to say how sorry I am about the other night,” he starts off.
“It’s fine,” I smile at him. In fact, if he hadn’t ditched me, I never would have gotten up for some fresh air, which means I wouldn’t have bumped into Cal.
“I just… I thought I saw someone that...never mind. It was no excuse, and I wanted to apologize.” he says.
“Well, apology accepted,” I laugh slightly. I’m accepting a lot of apologies today, it seems.
Michael walks up to us, looking a little angry. What the hell does he want now?
“Remember me?” he says to Jason in a sarcastic tone. Jason looks at him with a perplexed expression.
“No, have we met b—?” His question is cut off by Michael’s fist in his face, knocking him to the floor.
“Michael! What the hell!” I scream. I immediately jump out of the way as Jason stands up and rams into Michael.
“Steven, Dan! Do something!” I call. Hearing the commotion, Angela rushes out of the storage room.
“Dan! Dan, get out here!” she screams. Soon Dan runs out to break them up, followed by Steven.
“Let go! Let go, guys!” Dan growls as he tries to pull the two of them apart. Steven grabs Jason and succeeds in separating them right as Ryan walks in.
“What the hell is going on here?” he yells angrily, his usually subdued British accent flaring. Everyone looks at him, none of us knows what to say.
“I don’t know! This-this lunatic just attacked me!” Jason yells.
“What the hell happened, Michael?” Steven asks.
“He hung up on me when I called Lauren!” Michael yells. Oh my God, I can’t believe this. I cover my face in embarrassment.
“I have never spoken to this guy!” Jason yells. “I hang up on a lot of people, but you don’t see them coming up to me and punching me in the face!
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