"Are you planning on returning to Chicago afterward?" Kerry asked Susan who sat opposite her in her office.
"Ah, no. I hadn't really thought about what I'm doing after a year in Italy. But I'll jump that hurdle when I get to it."
"Okay. Well if you ever want to come back you'll always have a job here." Kerry smiled.
"Thanks." Susan nodded, appreciating the compliment but knowing she'd never come back.
Someone knocked at the office door.
"Come in." Kerry called, standing.
Susan stood and shook her hand.
"Well, it's been pleasure Susan. And keep us in mind if you ever return to America."
Susan nodded and turned to leave only to find herself face-to-face with a stunned Mark.
"You're leaving?"
She could only nod. "Thanks Kerry." She fled.
Mark sat down after the door closed. "What happened?"
"She's doing an exchange to Italy. I wish I were that adventurous."
Kerry clearly had no idea what was going on between them. But then again, neither did they.
"So, what did you want to see me about?" Mark couldn't think about Susan now. He'd figure out what he had to do to make her stay later.
A couple of days later…
"Is Susan here?" Mark demanded of anyone in earshot.
"Not yet. Check the schedule." Jerry replied mindlessly.
"Oh." He didn't really hide the disappointment in his voice but no one seemed to notice.
Susan opened her locker to get ready for work. One week to go. If she could just survive that without facing-off with Mark she might be able to leave with an ounce of peace of mind left.
A card fell out of her locker. She picked it up. Bad start. It was another photo of her and Mark. She turned it over.
"Don't leave. I love you. And I'm running out of photos.
PS. I'm a fool. You can do better but I need you. Please"
She slammed the door of her locker and swept out of the lounge.
"Susan, what are you doing? I need you in here." Kerry barked.
"Yeah, hold on." She pushed through the people. "Where's Mark?" she demanded of admin.
"Curtain three." Jerry replied mindlessly.
Susan turned to go there but was stopped by Mark standing stock-still just a few meters away. She froze.
His eyes pleaded with her, "Stay."
She nodded slightly and rushed to him, kissing him softly but desperately like she'd been waiting to do it for five years and she didn't want to miss anything.
"What's going on?" Kerry asked when she saw them.
"I have no idea." Jerry looked dumbfounded.
"Yeah, this one's before your time Jer." Chuni pretended to be disinterested.
Mark pulled her roughly into his embrace as their lips parted.
"Don't scare me like that."
"Sorry." She wanted to disappear into him but suddenly became aware of the crowd around them. She pulled back and looked him in the eye nervously as if to say 'woops.'
He grinned at her.
"Whenever you're finished." Kerry didn't hold back.
"Ah, right. I'm coming." Susan didn't look at her.
"We better get back to work."
Susan nodded and turned away.
"Ah, no. I hadn't really thought about what I'm doing after a year in Italy. But I'll jump that hurdle when I get to it."
"Okay. Well if you ever want to come back you'll always have a job here." Kerry smiled.
"Thanks." Susan nodded, appreciating the compliment but knowing she'd never come back.
Someone knocked at the office door.
"Come in." Kerry called, standing.
Susan stood and shook her hand.
"Well, it's been pleasure Susan. And keep us in mind if you ever return to America."
Susan nodded and turned to leave only to find herself face-to-face with a stunned Mark.
"You're leaving?"
She could only nod. "Thanks Kerry." She fled.
Mark sat down after the door closed. "What happened?"
"She's doing an exchange to Italy. I wish I were that adventurous."
Kerry clearly had no idea what was going on between them. But then again, neither did they.
"So, what did you want to see me about?" Mark couldn't think about Susan now. He'd figure out what he had to do to make her stay later.
A couple of days later…
"Is Susan here?" Mark demanded of anyone in earshot.
"Not yet. Check the schedule." Jerry replied mindlessly.
"Oh." He didn't really hide the disappointment in his voice but no one seemed to notice.
Susan opened her locker to get ready for work. One week to go. If she could just survive that without facing-off with Mark she might be able to leave with an ounce of peace of mind left.
A card fell out of her locker. She picked it up. Bad start. It was another photo of her and Mark. She turned it over.
"Don't leave. I love you. And I'm running out of photos.
PS. I'm a fool. You can do better but I need you. Please"
She slammed the door of her locker and swept out of the lounge.
"Susan, what are you doing? I need you in here." Kerry barked.
"Yeah, hold on." She pushed through the people. "Where's Mark?" she demanded of admin.
"Curtain three." Jerry replied mindlessly.
Susan turned to go there but was stopped by Mark standing stock-still just a few meters away. She froze.
His eyes pleaded with her, "Stay."
She nodded slightly and rushed to him, kissing him softly but desperately like she'd been waiting to do it for five years and she didn't want to miss anything.
"What's going on?" Kerry asked when she saw them.
"I have no idea." Jerry looked dumbfounded.
"Yeah, this one's before your time Jer." Chuni pretended to be disinterested.
Mark pulled her roughly into his embrace as their lips parted.
"Don't scare me like that."
"Sorry." She wanted to disappear into him but suddenly became aware of the crowd around them. She pulled back and looked him in the eye nervously as if to say 'woops.'
He grinned at her.
"Whenever you're finished." Kerry didn't hold back.
"Ah, right. I'm coming." Susan didn't look at her.
"We better get back to work."
Susan nodded and turned away.