"One rule of conduct that has served me well is this: I don't make an important decision until my heart (intuition) and my head (intellect) are both in agreement."
― Joseph Deitch, Elevate: An Essential Guide to Life

"Where is Michonne?" Lori had asked.

Lori had her long brunette strands behind her shoulder. She sat closest to the cafeteria windows in hopes to enjoy some sun and the possible company of someone who had the customer service office whispering. Even though their lunch together was planned, Lori was still very surprised that Rick actually took a seat across from her. They were actually going to have lunch together. She was almost finished with her chef's salad when he had joined her. She loved it when he appeared sheepish, and up-close he was very good looking. Lori was cautious in allowing his company to go to her head while her heart pitter-pattered.

Rick had his Subway sandwich. He offered Lori the other half, but she had politely declined. He then responded to her question, "She had called off."

"Did you two break up or something?"

Lori was originally on the fence whether or not to accept Rick's invitation to see a movie and have dinner. He had asked more than a week ago. He had never followed up with the time nor an exact day. She had secretly waited. Even though she was tempted to ask him about it, she did not.

"Break up? No, we didn't break up. We would have to be dating. We are friends."

"So you are not dating Michonne?"

"Why are you asking me if Michonne and I are dating? I just said we, Michonne and I are friends. We like to go out together. We like the same things mostly, or we are opened to most things. I think she would probably say the same if she were here. I did ask her out to this new Restaurant called Mulberry."

"Mulberry? I've never heard of it. Wait, is it the place where a steak is like a hundred dollars each?"

"Yeah. A new location opened up a couple of miles from here. I took Michonne as a surprise."

"Was it her birthday?"

"No. Michonne's birthday is two days before mine. I happen to have other plans for her birthday. She will be stoked out of this world. It has been a beast trying to keep it from her. I really like a happy, Michonne. Makes our time together better. She probably says the same about me. She baked me an apple pie the other day. It was pretty good. I was surprised. Pleasantly surprised. It was actually delicious. Just like the pizza shop she prefers. I have to remember to stop there tomorrow night before going by her place."

"I'm so confused."

"How? Why?"

"I thought you and Michonne weren't dating?"

"Why does everyone think that?" Rick sat back more erect in his chair.

"Because you two are always together. You choose Michonne for every team project, or she selects you. You two are always talking to each other, walking in together, or walking out together."

Lori found no reason to point out to him what he had just admitted. Her point was to focus on how it appeared to everyone at Go Stop.

"Michonne's competitive. If there is a prize attached or it is something she wants, then we team-up." Rick paused to consider how things may appear, "I can almost see why you think the way you do, but Michonne and I are not together. Not in that way. When we first met she didn't like me at all. Feeling was mutual. We couldn't stand each other in the beginning. It took about six months to get to where we are now."

"And where is that?"

"Friends. Very good friends."

Skepticism was all over Lori's face, and there was nothing Rick could do about it nor did he try. Lori wasn't the only one who thought he and Michonne were in some type of relationship. Only two people knew the truth on any given workday, Rick and Michonne.

Lori had witnessed Rick bringing Michonne lunch on more than one occasion. Michonne, in turn, would do the same for him. They were always taking there lunch or breaks together more than not. If you saw one, you would eventually see the other in close enough proximity to know they were meeting up together or separating. Sometimes there was a third wheel with or around them but not often enough to matter to change the pretty brunette's mind who found Rick unavailable. Lori watched Rick take a bite of his sub. He eyed Lori before placing his focus on his phone. He began texting, and then he suddenly stopped to return his full attention to the brunette whom he had nothing in common.

"Do you like the Walking Dead?" Rick asked. He was hoping to move the conversation to an interest he shared with Michonne.

"The Walking Dead?" Lori stopped playing with what was left of her salad.

"I'm a big fan of the show. I plan to go to the Comic-Con in Atlanta. It's the lead character's final one. The show won't be the same without him—reason for the movie. My Dad says he has two tickets that were given to him. I hope to swipe them before my Mom misplaces them."

"Two tickets?"

"Just two for the comic con. He doesn't watch the show. My Dad nor my Mom. A complete waste giving him something he didn't ask for in the first place. He is a needs only man. He doesn't need anything. You'll have to spend a good amount of time around him to know what he wants. And that's usually peace and quiet."

"Oh," Lori didn't have anything significant to add.

"My Dad gets concert tickets. He always has various music genres in his desk drawer at home."

"What does your Dad do for a living? Is he in the entertainment business?"

"He's retired. Semi-retired."

"From what field?"

"Hey!" Michonne stepped up to the table shared by Rick and Lori.

"What are you doing here? I thought you had called off?" Rick remained seated as he instinctively pulled a chair for Michonne to have a seat next to him.

"Lori." Michonne acknowledged the brunette with the most unreadable face.

"Michonne," Lori greeted with absolutely no enthusiasm or offer to join them.

"If management sees you here, you are going to be in trouble," Rick warned. He had lowered his voice, but he was still overheard by Lori as he continued, "Another occurrence, and you are both feet out the door."

"You don't think I know that? I reported in." Michonne bumped her shoulder with his.

"So, you are not sick?" Rick searched her face for answers to her wellness. He wanted to touch her forehead but resisted the impulse.

"Boredom was going to kill me. I had absolutely Nothing to do. Either come here or die alone."

"How long do you plan to work today?"

"Normal hours."

"But you didn't come into work for your normal hours?"

"I am not staying three hours over to make up the three hours it took to make up my mind not to quit this place."

"Can I have my key?" Rick held his hand out for the key to his new Dodge Charger.

"I'm leaving the same time you are, Rick." Michonne handed over the key fob at his request. "I need a ride, but I am more than willing to take an Uber."

"Why would I give you any reason to think I'm that type of guy?"

"You've been trying to prove a lot of things to me."

"Very confusing," Lori added unacknowledged that she did.

"When will you have your car out of the shop?"

"When they tell me it's ready."

"When is that?"

"Daryl promised by Monday or Tuesday."

"Good."

"What do you mean, good?"

"Every day, you always have two or three stops before I can get you home."

"Because I don't have a car. Besides, each time you find something you need too. So thank me later when we stop at Walmart for icecream. Ben and Jerry have just released a new flavor."

"Are you going to the Comic-Con with Rick, Michonne?" Lori ventured to ask.

"If You have the tickets, Rick and I would be there, right, Ricardo?" Michonne nudged Rick.

"Rick has tickets," Lori confirmed. She watched in amazement the sudden hues that lit Rick's face. He was angry.

"You have the tickets?!" Michonne asked a second time just as excited as the first time.

Rick immediately became dismayed by Lori. He had yet to tell Michonne about the tickets, purposely keeping it from her. His goal was to surprise her.

"I was going to tell you, Michonne."

"When?"

"Before it was time to pick you up to go?" Which was his initial plan before being exposed.

"How much time would that have been?"

"Well, it is this Thursday. Today is Monday. My birthday is Saturday..."

"If you think I am going to tell you what I have for your birthday, you are sadly mistaken. I know how to keep secrets. Sadly, you do not."

"I will figure it out, Michonne."

"Orlando, here we come! Yay! Road trip!"

"Our first." Rick pointed out a little known truth smiling at her.

"Yeah. True. It will be our first." Michonne smiled back at him.

"Unless you want to fly?"

"Road trip is fine. My playlist."

"My playlist coming back."

"Deal."

"Deal."

"Wait! I thought the tickets were sold out?" Michonne remembered.

"I am just as resourceful as you are, Michonne. Besides, you made it very easy to keep it from you."

"How?"

"I didn't like how you were lusting over the movie poster the other night when you and I went to see the Walking Dead Movie together."

"I knew you were jealous of my fantasy baby daddy."

"It was easier to be less forthcoming with you, yes."

"You are mastering deception day by day."

"Crafty."

Lori was hoping to clarify Rick's relationship with Michonne while both of them were sitting on the other side of the table. In Lori's mind, she got more than she bargained. It was crystal clear.

"Excuse me, I have to get back to work." Lori pushed her chair out. She wasn't surprised that Rick hadn't said another word to her or acknowledged that she was leaving. He was utterly engrossed in his conversation with Michonne. Neither one of them took notice of her departure.

"Why are you looking at me?" Michonne questioned the heavy silence that began to build between them as their eyes remained locked. A sudden rush became alarming but not unfamiliar since it had been happening more often than not.

"Because you are looking at me, Michonne," Rick smirked. Rick's head tipped to the side in hopes of lessening his desire to lean forward and press his forehead to hers as he would often do outside of work.

"There's a rumor going around," Michonne informed conspiratorially.

"A rumor about what?"

"Rumor that we are dating."

"Lori just asked me the same thing."

It was only then Rick and Michonne realized Lori was no longer present.

A/N: 06/29/2020 corrections made. Thanks for reading!