or blue, maybe even green.
“Where do you see your future, Jane?” he asked. She hadn’t anticipated the question and had a feeling that her answer counted for more than just small talk. This was not really a conversation she wanted to have because she didn’t quite have a clear answer, and she certainly didn’t want to own up to the uncertainties she’d entertained in her head about her current work.
“I enjoy the performance evaluation work. It’s fascinating. I don’t have any immediate plans on moving on.” It was a sufficiently vague answer that also conveyed that she was dedicated to her current job. She quietly congratulated herself.
“So not planning to go back to more sedate work at the council?” he asked. She was actually surprised that he remembered that she’d mentioned that the other night.
“No, not for me,” she said decisively.
“Do you have a boyfriend?” It was a really personal question and she flushed a little bit.
“Not at the moment,” she said quietly. She absolutely didn’t want to discuss her disastrous love life, or how she’d been dumped for being too boring. Although she kind of wished she could take a photo right now and send it to her ex to say, look what I traded you up for. It was a completely petty thought and it made her smile. Not that she ever would, knowing her luck it would get out that she was claiming that Damon D’Arth was her boyfriend, which would be mortifyingly embarrassing
“Something funny?”
“No, nothing,” she said. “Do you?”
“Do I what?”
“Have a girlfriend?”
“I really don’t prescribe to definitions.”
“There’s a no if I ever heard one,” she said with a snort. That made him raise his eyebrows.
“What exactly is it that you doubt about me?” he said with curiosity and a bit of disbelief.
“Nothing,” she said. She had spoken before she thought and she wished she hadn’t, but then she refused to be a chicken. “Have you ever had a girlfriend?”
“Probably more than you can count,” he said dismissively.
“I guess that depends on your definition between a girlfriend and a date,” she said.
“And what would you say the difference is?”
“I don’t know, someone you care about, someone you want to spend your downtime with. Let’s say someone you’ve cooked for.”
“I don’t cook.”
“Alright, someone you’ve introduced to your parents.”
“ That’s a stupid definition.”
“You’ve never introduced anyone to your parents?” she said disbelievingly.
“Not on purpose,” he said with a smile. It was the first time she’d seen him smile. It was a kind of lopsided smile that just conveyed wickedness. It also made her insides melt. That was the smile of a shared secret and she wasn’t sure whether she should feel honored.
“That is shocking,” she said with a little amused shake of her head, “you’re one of those guys.”
“What guys?”
“A serial dater,” she accused. He shrugged, she had obviously got to the truth, although it wasn’t a great leap, he was photographed in the papers with a new girl every weekend.
“And what about you, are you looking for a husband, someone to give you 2.4 children and a nice house?”
“What is wrong with that?”
“It’s boring,” he said. She was a little shocked at first due to the fact that he’d just referred to her dream as boring. Obviously a recurring perception. She could take it to heart, but she let it flow off her.
“If having a family and a normal life is boring, then maybe I just am,” she said. It was actually something she wished she had said to her ex, but she had been too shocked at the time to really react.
“And what kind of man would you like to shackle yourself to?” he asked. She got the feeling that he perhaps didn’t have an entirely good opinion of the institution.
“I’m not actually fussy,” she said a little bit jokingly. “Just a
“Where do you see your future, Jane?” he asked. She hadn’t anticipated the question and had a feeling that her answer counted for more than just small talk. This was not really a conversation she wanted to have because she didn’t quite have a clear answer, and she certainly didn’t want to own up to the uncertainties she’d entertained in her head about her current work.
“I enjoy the performance evaluation work. It’s fascinating. I don’t have any immediate plans on moving on.” It was a sufficiently vague answer that also conveyed that she was dedicated to her current job. She quietly congratulated herself.
“So not planning to go back to more sedate work at the council?” he asked. She was actually surprised that he remembered that she’d mentioned that the other night.
“No, not for me,” she said decisively.
“Do you have a boyfriend?” It was a really personal question and she flushed a little bit.
“Not at the moment,” she said quietly. She absolutely didn’t want to discuss her disastrous love life, or how she’d been dumped for being too boring. Although she kind of wished she could take a photo right now and send it to her ex to say, look what I traded you up for. It was a completely petty thought and it made her smile. Not that she ever would, knowing her luck it would get out that she was claiming that Damon D’Arth was her boyfriend, which would be mortifyingly embarrassing
“Something funny?”
“No, nothing,” she said. “Do you?”
“Do I what?”
“Have a girlfriend?”
“I really don’t prescribe to definitions.”
“There’s a no if I ever heard one,” she said with a snort. That made him raise his eyebrows.
“What exactly is it that you doubt about me?” he said with curiosity and a bit of disbelief.
“Nothing,” she said. She had spoken before she thought and she wished she hadn’t, but then she refused to be a chicken. “Have you ever had a girlfriend?”
“Probably more than you can count,” he said dismissively.
“I guess that depends on your definition between a girlfriend and a date,” she said.
“And what would you say the difference is?”
“I don’t know, someone you care about, someone you want to spend your downtime with. Let’s say someone you’ve cooked for.”
“I don’t cook.”
“Alright, someone you’ve introduced to your parents.”
“ That’s a stupid definition.”
“You’ve never introduced anyone to your parents?” she said disbelievingly.
“Not on purpose,” he said with a smile. It was the first time she’d seen him smile. It was a kind of lopsided smile that just conveyed wickedness. It also made her insides melt. That was the smile of a shared secret and she wasn’t sure whether she should feel honored.
“That is shocking,” she said with a little amused shake of her head, “you’re one of those guys.”
“What guys?”
“A serial dater,” she accused. He shrugged, she had obviously got to the truth, although it wasn’t a great leap, he was photographed in the papers with a new girl every weekend.
“And what about you, are you looking for a husband, someone to give you 2.4 children and a nice house?”
“What is wrong with that?”
“It’s boring,” he said. She was a little shocked at first due to the fact that he’d just referred to her dream as boring. Obviously a recurring perception. She could take it to heart, but she let it flow off her.
“If having a family and a normal life is boring, then maybe I just am,” she said. It was actually something she wished she had said to her ex, but she had been too shocked at the time to really react.
“And what kind of man would you like to shackle yourself to?” he asked. She got the feeling that he perhaps didn’t have an entirely good opinion of the institution.
“I’m not actually fussy,” she said a little bit jokingly. “Just a
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