Part 10
CJ sneaked into the apartment as silently as she could. She didn't turn on the lights. Instead stood by the door until her eyes got used to the dark. She sat down in the couch, leaned her head back and closed her eyes. She had had a good talk with Toby in her office earlier that day. None of them had said what they really wanted to say, but they both knew it. And they also knew it was too late to change things now.
"Claudia Jean?"
She looked up and noticed Eric in the doorway. He turned on the lights and sat down next to her.
"I'm sorry. Did I wake you?"
"I wasn't a sleep. I was waiting for you."
"Oh, why?"
He smiled softly. "Is it weird that I want to see my fiancée before I go to sleep?"
CJ forced herself to smile. "Sorry, I'm just tired."
"Where have you been?"
"I was at work. Me and To... I had to go through some things for tomorrow. Sorry, I didn't call you."
His smile was gone, but it wasn't something CJ thought about. All she could think of was Toby.
"Lets go to bed." He took her hand and helped her up.
* * * * *
She had tons of things to do, but she needed a break. The truth was that she had been on a break since she came to work two hours ago. She couldn't find the strength to start with the things she needed to be done with later that day. Suddenly, she felt the urge to turn her chair around. She wasn't surprised when she saw Toby in the door. She had sensed it was he. When she met his dark eyes she quickly looked away.
"How long have you been standing there?"
"Long enough to know that you don't get anything done today." He closed the door and sat down on the couch. "Is there anything I can do?"
She glared at him, which made him look away, nervously.
"Do you want to..."
The phone interrupted his question. When she hung up she came over to the couch.
"It was Eric. He wants to have lunch with me," she said with a sigh.
"And the reason you're not sounding thrilled is because...?"
She sighed. "No reason. I just... I have work to do."
He laughed. "You haven't worked the entire morning. I'm sure you'll get more done on your lunch with Eric."
She raised her eyebrows. "If I didn't know you I could easily have misunderstood that."
He smiled shyly.
"What did you want to ask me?"
"Um... nothing. So, have you picked a date for the wedding yet?"
She shook her head. "No, but Eric wants it pretty soon."
"And you?"
She looked at him. "Toby, don't ask me questions like that. I don't want to talk about it with you."
He understood. He understood and he left her alone.
* * * * *
He kissed her on the cheek before they sat down. He gave her a menu, which she pretended to study frequently.
"When do you have to be back?" He asked her when they got their food.
She smiled, her first smile since she got there. "Toby told me to take the rest of the day off. He said I wouldn't get anything done today anyway."
"Why?"
"I don't know. Tired, I guess."
He studied her while she was eating. She had become more silent lately.
"CJ?"
Her head snapped up. He hadn't called her CJ since they first met.
"Claudia Jean?" He continued softly. "What's going on with you and Toby?"
She looked done and continued eating. "What do you mean?" she mumbled between chewing.
"You are just friends, huh?"
She looked up, tried to assure him with a smile. "Of course. What else would it be there?"
"So, you can honestly tell me you've never thought differently of him?"
"Eric, what is this? I swear! Toby is my friend. We're only friends and that's how it always has been."
He put away his knife and fork, leaned back in the chair and crossed his arms over his chest. "Why are you lying to me?"
"Eric, I don't understand what you're talking about."
He made a sound, something that sounded like a sarcastic laugh. "CJ, honey, Sam has told me everything."
TBC.
CJ sneaked into the apartment as silently as she could. She didn't turn on the lights. Instead stood by the door until her eyes got used to the dark. She sat down in the couch, leaned her head back and closed her eyes. She had had a good talk with Toby in her office earlier that day. None of them had said what they really wanted to say, but they both knew it. And they also knew it was too late to change things now.
"Claudia Jean?"
She looked up and noticed Eric in the doorway. He turned on the lights and sat down next to her.
"I'm sorry. Did I wake you?"
"I wasn't a sleep. I was waiting for you."
"Oh, why?"
He smiled softly. "Is it weird that I want to see my fiancée before I go to sleep?"
CJ forced herself to smile. "Sorry, I'm just tired."
"Where have you been?"
"I was at work. Me and To... I had to go through some things for tomorrow. Sorry, I didn't call you."
His smile was gone, but it wasn't something CJ thought about. All she could think of was Toby.
"Lets go to bed." He took her hand and helped her up.
* * * * *
She had tons of things to do, but she needed a break. The truth was that she had been on a break since she came to work two hours ago. She couldn't find the strength to start with the things she needed to be done with later that day. Suddenly, she felt the urge to turn her chair around. She wasn't surprised when she saw Toby in the door. She had sensed it was he. When she met his dark eyes she quickly looked away.
"How long have you been standing there?"
"Long enough to know that you don't get anything done today." He closed the door and sat down on the couch. "Is there anything I can do?"
She glared at him, which made him look away, nervously.
"Do you want to..."
The phone interrupted his question. When she hung up she came over to the couch.
"It was Eric. He wants to have lunch with me," she said with a sigh.
"And the reason you're not sounding thrilled is because...?"
She sighed. "No reason. I just... I have work to do."
He laughed. "You haven't worked the entire morning. I'm sure you'll get more done on your lunch with Eric."
She raised her eyebrows. "If I didn't know you I could easily have misunderstood that."
He smiled shyly.
"What did you want to ask me?"
"Um... nothing. So, have you picked a date for the wedding yet?"
She shook her head. "No, but Eric wants it pretty soon."
"And you?"
She looked at him. "Toby, don't ask me questions like that. I don't want to talk about it with you."
He understood. He understood and he left her alone.
* * * * *
He kissed her on the cheek before they sat down. He gave her a menu, which she pretended to study frequently.
"When do you have to be back?" He asked her when they got their food.
She smiled, her first smile since she got there. "Toby told me to take the rest of the day off. He said I wouldn't get anything done today anyway."
"Why?"
"I don't know. Tired, I guess."
He studied her while she was eating. She had become more silent lately.
"CJ?"
Her head snapped up. He hadn't called her CJ since they first met.
"Claudia Jean?" He continued softly. "What's going on with you and Toby?"
She looked done and continued eating. "What do you mean?" she mumbled between chewing.
"You are just friends, huh?"
She looked up, tried to assure him with a smile. "Of course. What else would it be there?"
"So, you can honestly tell me you've never thought differently of him?"
"Eric, what is this? I swear! Toby is my friend. We're only friends and that's how it always has been."
He put away his knife and fork, leaned back in the chair and crossed his arms over his chest. "Why are you lying to me?"
"Eric, I don't understand what you're talking about."
He made a sound, something that sounded like a sarcastic laugh. "CJ, honey, Sam has told me everything."
TBC.