A tiny little chapter. No HR, Dimitri and Erin. Somewhere between 10:1 and 10:4
Dimitri was waiting for his computer to shut down and watched Erin walk across the grid picking up her jacket. She came within earshot and Dimitri thought he'd give it a shot. She looked so wonderful that he couldn't resist. "Erin, do you want to get a drink with me?" he asked as she flicked her hair out of her jacket. She smiled and sat down opposite him chewing her lip lightly, debating what to say.
"I can't," she said, her eyes still sparkling. "I'd love to, honestly. But I can't."
"Do you want to explain or do you want to remain an enigmatic mystery for a while longer?" Dimitri asked as he watched her deep in thought. She seemed to be considering whether to tell him the truth or not.
"I have to get home," she said. "I want to see my daughter."
"You have a daughter," Dimitri said calmly, trying to hide his surprise.
"Yes, she's five," Erin said with a smile. "Rosie. She's gorgeous." Dimitri nodded, loving the way her face lit up when she mentioned her child.
"Maybe some other time then," Dimitri said.
"Yeah, some other time. Definitely," Erin said, a smile hovering on her lips. She stood and looked at him a second before turning to the pods. Dimitri smiled and watched her walk away. Maybe something would happen there he thought and his hopes were raised for the future.