CHAPTER 38: MEN AND RELATIONSHIPS SUCK

"Whatever’s going on between you two feels like an HR violation waiting to happen," I commented once Mike was gone.

"I’m ignoring him," she told me. Well that much was obvious I thought to myself.

"What did he do this time?" I asked as I rolled my eyes and continued folding.

He missed his lectures on Monday and I was grilling him about that yesterday," she explained. I remembered when the two of them were bickering yesterday in the kitchen whilst Josh and I were attending to Louis and his guests.

"In fact he has been coming to less and less lectures this semester," she went on as she organised the cutlery to be put on the tables.

"Is something wrong with him?" I asked.

"He won’t talk to me. I know somethings going on with him but he won’t tell me anything," she told me. "He’s always been like this he keeps things to himself and doesn’t ask for help! That idiot!" She sounded worried and concerned for him.

"Mmhmm, that’s difficult," I responded. How do get through to someone who was usually closed off.

"And the thing is I can tell something is stressing him. I can tell he’s in pain I want to help him

I got closer to Megan and placed my hand on her shoulder and gave it a small squeeze. I could only imagine what it was like to care for someone and want to help them but have no way

"You’re a good friend Megan. Although there’s nothing you can do to force him to share with you what’s going on with him. The only thing you can do is continue to show you’re there for him whilst giving him the space he needs," I recommended.

"I see,"she responded

"Also, I’m sorry if I’m overstepping but can something a little personal?" i started.

"Go ahead," she said.

"Are you two dating?" I asked her. The two of them seemed really close despite their constant bickering. I knew they were good friends. However, the energy between them at times was as if there was something going on between them.

She scoffed at my question. "Mike? My boyfriend?" She said then proceeded to laugh. "I don’t think he has the courage to ask me on a date!"

My eyebrows raised at he response.

"If he can’t talk to me about whats going on in his life, I doubt he can confess to me," she told me.

From what she was saying it seemed her and Mike both liked each other and broth seemed to be aware that one liked the other but could not confess.

"Men and relationships are so weird and frustrating!" Megan complained and sighed.

I chuckled lowly hoping Megan wouldn’t here it. Young love was interesting I thought to myself. Overly complicated for no reason. You both looked each other both know it so go for it!

"What’s your husband like?" Megan then asked me.

"What?" I asked her in surprise. I don’t remember ever having told her that I was married.

"Your ring girl," she said to me and her gaze averted to my hand at my side.

I looked down at my finger and noticed the wedding ring on my left ring finger. I held out my hand and looked at the ring. It was pure silver band encrusted in small diamonds around the band and then one large diamond at the center. I had forgotten I was wearing it. This whole time since I come back to the past I had been wearing it absent mindedly. It’s only now with Megan pointing it out that I was processing the fact I wore a wedding ring.

"How many diamonds are on that thing!?" She asked in excitement as she got closer to me and my hand in hers to see the ring closer. "It’s so beautiful and looks expensive," Megan commented in excitement. "Your husband must love you so much."

I then looked at Megan who looking at me expectantly. I realised she was waiting for me to elaborate on what my husband was like.

"Oh my husband,... I hate him and I’m getting a divorce," I told her nonchalantly.

Her smile disappeared and her eyes widened in surprise at my answer. "Oh god, did not see that coming," she replied stunned.

I shrugged my shoulders in response."As you said men and relationships are weird and complicated." I repeated her words.

"I’m sorry to hear that," she said to me.

"Don’t worry about it," I assured her it wasn’t a problem.

Talking about Keith reminded me I was going to meet with my divorce lawyer soon. I had finally found one.

The manager then came to the dining room where Megan and I were. We stopped talking solely focused on setting up the table.

"We need some new table cloths. There are some freshly washed ones in the basement offices in a pile. Can one of you get them?" he asked to Megan and I.

"I’ll go get them," I offered.

"Okay then," the manager approved.

I left the main dining area and went down to the basement of the restaurant. There were five offices in the basement. Two were used for storage and others weren’t in use. I found the neat pile of cloths in the first room where cloths were typically kept.

As I left the room I then heard a feint voice coming from one of the rooms. Out of curiosity I turned back and went toward the voice. It was coming from one of the out of use rooms. The door was slight open, I peaked inside and found someone standing in. The middle of the room whispering on the phone. It was Mike.

So this is where you’d escaped to, to avoid work? I thought to myself.

"I’ll be there tonight I promise."

Silence

"How’s dad doing?" I heard him whisper.

Silence

"Oh" he replied a depressed tone.

Silence

"I don’t know where we’ll get the money yet but we’ll figure it out, okay?" I heard him say.