Read Online January and the Single Heart by Vi Zetterwall - Free Book Online Page A

new online app with their personal info on it.  Glen filled his out but it wouldn’t let him leave the emergency contact field blank.  He didn’t really have anybody to list so finally he filled in his cat’s name and then it insisted on a phone number.   So he filled in his own.  Somehow, someone saw that and spread the word that he was living with some girl named Vicky.  We both thought it was funny so we went along with it and had some laughs.  Then it got out of hand.  He tried to tell you.  He put a picture of Vicky and a personal note into an envelope along with a copy of the neighborhood rag that printed a story about how he rescued the dying cat.  That was the one you threw away.  He really likes you but he just couldn’t handle it anymore.”
    Jan pinched her eyes shut, turned and walked out of the office.
     
    Two days later, on Friday the 19 th , Jan heard the rumor that Glen was coming in today to get his things and help Lou sort out a few of the problems.  She watched but did not see him enter the office. 
    Glen wanted this last day to be as little about him as possible.  He came in at 7am with Lou and stayed in the office the whole day.  He packed a lunch and focused on the day’s tasks. 
    As it neared four o’clock, Jan couldn’t handle the suspense any longer.  She visited Latonya’s office armed with an innocuous question and as she turned to leave, as casually as possible, she mentioned, “I thought today was supposed to be Glen’s last day.  I never saw him come in.”
    “Oh he came in real early with Lou.  They’ve been working all day in his office.”
    Jan tightened up.  “He’s here now?”
    “I assume so.  I am done with his exit paperwork so he may have left.  We said our goodbyes already.” Latonya watched Jan’s reaction and read it clearly for what it was.  “You can probably still catch him if you, you know, wanted to say something.”
    Jan left and returned to her desk.  Then, abruptly, she stood and walked to the Lady’s room.  She entered a stall, sat down on the top of the lid and buried her face in her hands.  Damn it!  I have to do something.  Anything. But I don’t know what.  What will I say to him?  I’ve got to collect myself.  Stop it!  No crying.  Just get a hold of yourself, Jan.
    After a few minutes, she stood up, straightened her clothes and checked herself out in the mirror.  Her eyes were a tinge red but otherwise she was OK.  She walked back into the office and directly to the Accounting Department door.  It was closed.  She took a deep breath and opened it.  There was Louis at his desk … and no one else in the room.
    “Uh, Hi, Louis.  I thought … I thought I heard that Glen was here.  I just wanted to stop by and … um … wish him luck or … something.  Is he around?”
    Louis gazed at her and admired what he saw.  He was beginning to get why Glen was so infatuated with her.  “You just missed him.  He finished showing me what I needed so I won’t screw up payroll again and some of the other stuff I had to know and left the office about ten minutes ago.  Sorry.”
    A bit stunned, Jan muttered, “I was in the …” She stopped talking and turned to leave.  Before she did, she put on a good front and smiled at Lou.  “Thanks anyway.”
    “You could probably still catch him if, you know, you needed something.  He had a Friday ritual. He’d bu y a new book for the weekend and then start it off reading the first few chapters over a drink at O’Brien’s.  Sometimes he’d have dinner there.  If you hurry, you could probably find him there.”
    Jan’s eyes widened. “O’Brien ’s?  Three blocks down?”
    “Yeah.  Just a thought.  You know … he really really liked you.”
    Jan headed back to her desk immediately.  She pulled her coat off the rack in the corner and grabbed her purse and her briefcase.  She didn’t ask permission to leave early.  She didn’t say her goodbyes for the