Chapter 11

Sitting at his desk, Mike could see Gordon, his co-worker walking by, staring at him through his open door. Mike glared right back and the man picked up his pace until he was out of sight. Mike did not appreciate the gawkers who had been casually walking by his office all morning just to get a look at him. It was Monday and it was barely lunchtime. Mike thought everyone might have calmed down over the weekend about what had happened on Saturday night at the gala. But he was wrong. He underestimated the scene he had caused. Not only was there no one to accept the check from Thompson's after Jane ran away, but everyone had seen Mike practically kiss her in the middle of the dance floor. And they all knew that Mike was supposed to be dating the boss's daughter.

Mike had also heard a rumor going around about how Jane had pushed Margaret down, breaking her shoe. Although Jane technically had broken her shoe, Mike knew that nobody could prove that. Jane hadn't laid a hand on her. But that didn't stop the rumor mill from describing the 'cat fight' in great detail. Every time Mike heard the story, it was more embellished and more wrong. But Mike refused to comment on any of it. He had shut himself in his office and wasn't going to come out.

Mike sure had made a mess of things, but it wasn't Margaret or his job that he cared about. It was Jane. He had no way to get in touch with her over the weekend. He didn't have her cell phone number and he didn't know where she lived. He had stopped by the cafe where they first met, hoping to run into her, but she hadn't shown up there. He thought about getting one of his computer geek co-workers to somehow track her down, but he shot down that idea. She had made it pretty clear that she was done with him. But he wasn't done with her.

Mike wasn't having any luck talking to Margaret either. She was ignoring his calls. Even when he had shown up at her doorstep, she refused to answer the door. Mike only wanted to talk to her to break up with her. That was it. There was nothing else to be said or done.

"Michael," Mr. Thompson's voice rang out.

Mike looked up from his desk. Mr. Thompson was standing in his doorway along with Margaret. Unlike her usual put together self, she looked a mess. Her hair was in a messy ponytail, her mascara was smudged, and for once she looked like a normal person in normal clothes, not some super expensive dress.

"Sir," Michael said, standing up. "Margaret, how are you?"

"How dare you ask me that!" She spat. "After you humiliated me in front of everyone."

She sobbed, dabbing her eyes with a tissue in her hand. It was a convincing act, but Mike knew it was all pretend. By the look in Jeff Thompson's eyes, though, he was falling for it hook, line, and sinker.

"Let's have a chat," Mr. Thompson suggested, giving Mike no room for argument. Margaret and Mr. Thompson entered the office. Mr. Thompson closed the door and sat down in front of Mike's desk.

"I've been trying to call you," Michael said to Margaret.

"I didn't feel like talking," she sniffed.

"Look, Michael, I don't know what's gotten into you lately, but I did not like the behavior I saw at the gala this weekend. Now, I'm sure if you apologized to Margaret and promised her that you will never do anything like that again, she'll be more than happy to forget this ever happened."

"Once we announce our engagement, people are sure to…" Margaret began.

"Engagement?" Mike question. "We were never engaged."

"Perhaps a ring hasn't been given," Mr. Thompson said. "But you and my daughter have been dating long enough."

"It's only been a year," Mike reminded them.

"Which is plenty of time to make a commitment" Jeff replied. "It's time you grow up and promise yourself to her. Promise yourself to each other."

"I'm sorry, sir," Mike interrupted. "But that is none of your business."

"Excuse me?" Mr. Thompson replied, surprised as Mike's boldness.

"This is between me and Margaret," Mike said. "Our relationship. She's twenty-five for goodness sake. I think she's old enough to talk to her boyfriend without having her father in the room."

"How dare you talk to my father like that!" Margaret cried.

"I'm surprised at you, Michael," Mr. Thompson said sternly. "After all this company has done for you. After all I've done for you."

"You're right, sir. You have done a lot for me and I'll be forever grateful for that. But don't forget that I've done a lot for this company. It was my idea and software that you sold for millions. It's me who keeps all of the programmers on task. And as for you, Margaret, I won't be coerced into an engagement. The truth is I don't love you. I don't think I ever have."

"It's all her fault!" Margaret shouted, standing up. She pointed a finger at Mike. "That woman! That horrible, plain, stupid woman did this! Are you having an affair with her? Are you sleeping with her?"

"No," Michael answered truthfully. "And this isn't about Jane. This is about my happiness. You don't make me happy, Margaret. And I'm pretty sure if you look deep enough, you'll realize that I don't make you happy either."

"You've wasted the last year of my life!" She screamed.

"I'm sorry," Mike apologized and he meant it. He hadn't meant to string her along. But she was also the one who had changed so much in their relationship. She was not the person that Mike had first started dating.

"Well, this certainly has been an enlightening day," Mr. Thompson said, standing up. "I'm sorry, Michael, but I have no choice. You're fired."

Mike should have been surprised, but he wasn't. After all, wasn't his job the reason he had stayed with Margaret in the first place? He had been afraid that breaking up with her would mean he would lose his job. And he had been right. But Mike wasn't surprised. And he wasn't angry either.

"That won't be necessary, sir," Mike stated calmly. "I quit."

Mike grabbed a box that had a few reams of paper in it for his printer. He tipped the box over, dumping the packs of paper onto the ground with a thud. Mike look at his desk and realized that he had nothing of personal value. Why had he never noticed that before? He had no photographs of his family, no trinkets or mementos. His desk simply held all of the things he needed for work. Mike realized for the first time that even though he had worked for Thompson's for years and had watched it grow into the company it was, it was never home. Mike dropped the empty box. He wouldn't be taking anything with him. Margaret and Mr. Thompson were watching him, wide-eyed.

"Goodbye," Mike said.

Grabbing his briefcase, Mike left his office. He walked to the elevator with a smile on his face.

After dropping his things off at his apartment and changing into a pair of Jeans and a grey V-Neck, Mike hit the streets of San Francisco. He had never had this much freedom before. He was single and without a job. He should be terrified, but he wasn't. All he wanted to do was enjoy the beautiful day. After all, when was the last time he had nothing to do on Monday at one in the afternoon? Mike thought about going down to the Pier to see the sea lions or maybe he'd even take one of those stupid, touristy bay cruises that he never got to take. But Mike wasn't interested in any of those things. Not without Jane.

Before he knew it, Mike found himself standing outside of the Building for Human Services. He knew he could go in and simply ask for Jane. He could lie to the receptionist and tell her that he had an appointment or that his family was in need of assistance. Then again, his three hundred dollar shoes said otherwise. Mike would definitely have to stop buying those now that he was unemployed. Mike eventually decided just to wait. Jane would have to come out of the building sooner or later. Across the street was a small deli. Mike went in, ordered some lunch and picked a seat by the window so that he could see the entrance of the building. Then, he waited.

Four hours and $53 in sandwiches, muffins, and coffee later, Mike was still sitting at the table in the deli. After about two hours of sitting, the deli owner had politely asked Mike to leave. When Mike explained that the love of his life worked in the building across the street, but that he had screwed up royally and needed to get her back, the man invited Mike to stay as long as he wanted.

"We close at six," the man said from behind the counter.

Mike looked at the clock on the wall. It was 5:30. Around 5:00, a rush of people had left the building that Jane worked in. Jane wasn't one of them. She hadn't come out of or gone into the building since Mike had arrived. It was possible she wasn't even working. Mike hadn't thought of that.

"I'm sorry to have bothered you," Mike said, standing up.

"Look, some of the employees across the street come over here for lunch every once in a while. If I see your girl, want me to tell her you're looking for her?"

Mike shook his head. "No thank you."

"Don't give up," the man said. "If it's meant to be, you'll find her again."

"Thanks," Mike replied.

He paid the bill and left a $20 tip on the table and walked out of the deli. Just as he turned to head back towards his apartment, the whole afternoon wasted, he saw the door to the Human Services building open. With her satchel slung over her shoulder, Jane appeared in the doorway. She looked both ways down the sidewalk out of habit before her eyes landed on Mike across the street. She stared at him, blinking a few times.

"Hi," he said, realizing then that he should have put more thought into what he was going to say to her.

"I told you I didn't want to see you," she stammered, barely audible over the cars that were whizzing by between them.

"I know. I'm sorry. I had to see you again." Mike looked both ways, attempting to cross the street.

"No. No, I'm done."

Jane began briskly walking down the sidewalk, away from him. Mike stepped off the curb and a car honked at him. There were too many cars to cross the street at that moment so he went in the same direction she was going. There were walking parallel to each other with a street in between them.

"Please, Jane, let me explain."

She didn't stop, keeping her head down low

"There's nothing to explain. I told you, I'm done!"

"I broke up with Margaret!"
Jane stopped. She turned to look at him. A large minivan obstructed their view. It was stopped at a red light. Mike didn't want to lose sight of her. Despite the fact that traffic was still coming from the opposite direction, Mike darted into the street. One car slammed on its breaks and two others beeped at him. Mike waved his apology at them as he made it safely to the other side. He practically sprinted over to where Jane stood.

"Are you crazy? You could have been killed!"

"I wasn't about to lose you again."

"I told you I don't want to see you anymore."

"Did you hear me?" Mike exclaimed, almost breathless. "I broke up with Margaret."

"Well, I'm happy for you, but that doesn't change things. I told you I'm through and I meant it."

"I get it. I get why you're angry. You have every right to be. I was…stupid. I should have broken up with her the moment I saw you again. But I was scared. And I know that's no excuse. All I can say is that I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything I put you through. And I promise you that Margaret and I were never engaged. She just said that to…get everybody's attention. I had every intention of breaking up with her like I told you. And I know that's no excuse. I should have ended things sooner with her, but I wanted to tell you the truth. Because friends don't lie, right?"

He smiled at her weakly, hoping she would see that he was truly sorry. She looked at him, weighing her options. She could walk away and try to forget him. But she knew she could never really forget him.

"Have you been waiting for me all day?" She asked.

Mike nodded. "Pretty much."

"What about your job?"

"I quit."

"You...what?"

"I quit," he repeated.

"Why?" Jane asked cautiously.

"Because I didn't want to work for Thompson's anymore. Because it wasn't home for me. I didn't…"

"No," she interrupted. "Why did you break up with Margaret?"

Mike sighed. "Because I should have done it a long time ago. I don't love her. I never have. She was just...convenient, which I know sounds terrible. And it is. I wasn't fair to her or to myself and I'll forever be sorry for that. I wasn't happy, Jane. And I don't think I realized just how unhappy I was until you came back into my life. You make me happy."

"I...I don't know what to say. I...I blocked you out. I told myself that you and that part of my life was done and now...now here you are again and…and part of me is so…angry with you."

"I know. I deserve that. I'm angry with me too, but I promise I'll do everything I can to make it up to you." He paused. "We don't have to rush things. We can just be friends. I just…I don't want to lose you. I can't lose you. What do you say? Will you give me another chance?"

"I…I…" Jane stuttered, not sure what to do or what to say. She didn't speak for a long time. She just looked into Mike's eyes. She saw the same eyes staring at her as the ones from her dreams. The same eyes that gave her comfort and made her feel safe.

"I want to show you something," she finally said.

"Show me something?"

"Would you come with me?" She asked.

He nodded. "Ok."

Jane began walking and Mike followed. He didn't know where they were going or whether she would ever really forgive him, but he didn't care. All that mattered is that they were together again.

Author's Note: I told you all hope wasn't lost! Our dynamic duo is back together again…for now. Thanks for reading and don't forget to let me know your thoughts by leaving a review!