When Half Gods Go.
I have really enjoyed reading the stories here. And I can only hope mine makes a good addition.
Mary stared into the drawer full of perfectly organized files and admitted she had nothing else to work on that night. With a sigh, she gave the drawer a dissatisfied shove. She looked over at the doorway to her boss' office then, and couldn't help but chastise herself. She had stayed late all week hoping to get up the courage to ask Lou Grant out.
All week the two of them had been together after everyone else had left. And it hadn't worked yet.
Feeling defeated, she pushed her chair back to leave.
"Mary?" she heard Lou call, and when she looked up she realized he was already walking from his office toward her desk.
"Yes?"
"Why are you here?" he said in his low gentle tone.
"It's complicated," she managed.
"You don't think you'd be happier if you spent less time here? You know ... get out. Find a hobby... Find a..."
"You're still here. You aren't out there." She was not accusing him, but she was looking for something to explain these nights he'd stayed late as well.
"I was out there. I did marriage. The Marines. I even did getting blown up. I don't recommend some of those," he said, slyly.
"But...why are you still here? Tonight?" she asked him, feeling braver.
"I'm here in case you..." He stopped himself and looked up at the ceiling. "Mary? What do you want?"
"Why do you think I want something?" Have I been that obvious, she was asking.
"You've been wearing flats for two weeks. I noticed. We've actually been the same height. And your usual 4 trips to my office each day has turned into an average of 6. Today it was 7."
"Oh, yeah?" she countered, feeling challenged "Murray told me you have no reason to work late this week. He can't think why you'd be here every evening."
"Oh, Murray said that, did he?" Lou shook his head as the accusing words came out. "Well, he told me you have a crush on someone at the station."
Mary was paralyzed for a moment. And when no good response came to her, she fired back with "Everyone thinks that." Before she could think better of it, she added, "Then there is that rumor that I sort of revere you, but won't act on it because you are on this pedestal."
"You would have to have a strange notion of what belongs on a pedestal," he whispered.
She shook her head. "I think you're a wonderful man," she told him just as quietly.
"But something must have changed. Certainly, I was just this wonderful 6 months ago," he joked.
Something must have changed. Mary agreed with him. But she wouldn't say just what it was.
She would not bring up the pity-inducing men whom she had dated over the last year. Or the nights spent unhappily alone.
Besides, she was not the only one who was different now. Somehow Lou had changed, too. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, he'd become quietly... accessible. The emotion in him and the caring had become more evident to her.
It had all become steadily more obvious, until one day Mary decided Lou Grant was a man who was waiting -even trying - to be noticed.
That man leaned against her desk to be next to her now, and his hand fell to cover hers. "This isn't the kind of thing that comes at all easily for me. You know that."
"I know." She shrugged then. "Do you want dinner? I've been trying to invite you over all week."
He smiled weakly and nodded. "I'll get my coat."
/ / / / /