Chapter 7- Chasing the Sun
As she finished reviewing her last project of the day, Fiona immediately checked the time on her cell phone—8:23 P.M. Perfect timing. After lunch, she had been working nonstop without so much as a small break in order to get home as early as possible. She exhaled as she packed her items into the large designer handbag on her desk, and grabbed her jacket. Though enthusing, it felt incredibly strange to be leaving the office so early. She gave it a once-over just to ensure that she wasn't forgetting to do anything. Confident that the day's duties were complete, her tall black heels clacked with determination through the office door, more than eager to get home to a certain quirky young woman.
Before heading out, Fiona stopped by her assistant's desk, surprised to see her still there. Noticing Eliza's head propped on her arm, the socialite couldn't quite tell if the girl had dozed off from an inevitable caffeine-induced crash. "Well you were right, Perry is going to be perfect for the position!" Her voice startled the other girl, causing her to jump in her chair. Fiona, spotting Eliza's smudged mascara and red eyes, quickly realized she had not been sleeping at all…she had been crying. "Whoa, hey, is everything okay?"
Embarrassed, Eliza grabbed a Kleenex from the corner of her desk and dabbed underneath her green eyes. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! I finished everything, I was just about to pack up and go." With a deep inhale, she ran her fingers through her bangs and then released the air from her lungs. "I cannot believe I'm crying at work right now—I've become one of those girls," her voice was laced with distain. Eliza stood up and began shifting the papers on her desk to the metal tray in front of her.
"Was it something I said?" Fiona asked, confused. "Honestly, I can be so dense sometimes and not even notice the ridiculous things that come out of my mouth. If it's something I did, I'm incredibly sor-"
"It wasn't you," the young blonde interrupted. "it's just…ugh." Reaching out, she grabbed a small 5x7 picture frame and handed it to her boss. "Today would have made three years."
Fiona held the picture, examining it. The two looked so happy together…so much in love—he was a tall, very handsome young man, with dark black hair and a muscular build. His face was lit up with a huge smile as he stared at the woman sitting next to him on the wooden park bench. Fiona had never seen Eliza look as gratified as she did in that photo. "Wow…" she set the frame down on the desk. "You made a beautiful couple." As the words left her lips, she kicked herself mentally. Probably not the right thing to say in this instance, her brain managed just a little too late. God, did she hate these types of situations. "I mean…" words, think of words… "I'm sorry, I just…do you need to talk about it? Is there anything I can do?"
"No, really, it's okay. Just been a really long day."
The curly haired brunette nodded in understanding, unsure of whether or not it was appropriate to resume her journey home. As she went to slowly turn around, she saw the younger woman drop back into her chair, burying her face into her pale hands. The girl looked utterly broken—a feeling Fiona was all too familiar with. With added sympathy, Fiona pulled out the chair across from the girl's desk and placed her handbag on the floor as she lowered herself onto the cushion. "What happened?"
Eliza shook her head as a tear hit the top of the desk. "I really have no idea…everything was so perfect. One second we were talking about engagement and starting a family, and then we moved to this damn city…New York destroyed us. We grew so far apart that I didn't even notice when he started texting another girl."
"He cheated?" Fiona was completely surprised. The young man in the photo looked entirely too enamored with the girl to ever be able to do something like that.
"Yeah…they dated for almost a month before he broke it off and told me everything.
"Oh my gosh, Eliza. That's horrible. What an asshole," she affirmed.
The blond sighed, clearing her mind. "No, he's not an asshole. It's my fault too. Each day I was falling more in love with this city. And every piece of my heart that I gave to Manhattan, I was taking away from him."
"That doesn't excuse what he did. He should have talked to you if he was feeling neglected."
Shrugging her small shoulders, she threw her Kleenex away. "How do you and your wife do it? How do you manage to put all your effort into your jobs and not have to sacrifice your relationship?"
"Listen, if you think Imogen and I don't have our setbacks, you're wrong. It's been to the point before where it has seemed almost unsalvageable." The socialite felt a sense of guilt talking of such personal things with someone she barely knew, yet it was obvious that the young woman needed a friend now more than ever in that big, lonely city. "Our relationship is far from perfect—we've had to work extremely hard at times to keep it together. I'm not going to lie to you, Eliza, being so dedicated to my career has withered us down and taken its toll." Fiona glanced down at the diamond on her finger. It was glistening as it reflected the lit monitor, shining almost as bright as Imogen's smile. Her heart warmed just thinking of her smile. "But she is my everything…the only thing that I can't live without. So if it came down to it, I would choose her over my job any day. Can you say the same for Jared?"
"I know that I love him, I do," she said, staring at the picture. "And if I could go back and do things differently, I would, if it meant it would save us…but how do I forgive the affair?" She looked up at Fiona. "Would you be able to forgive Imogen if she cheated on you?"
Fiona's stomach turned at just the idea of it. If there was one thing that she had always been confident would not happen with them, it was cheating. But thinking more into it, she realized that no one really ever expects to be cheated on. "There isn't much that I wouldn't be able to forgive Imogen for." She placed her hand on the other girl's and gave it a light squeeze. "But every situation is different. Only you know what's best for yourself, and what you can't live without." Fiona stood up and grabbed her purse from the floor, pushing the chair back to its position.
"Hey," the girl hesitated, "would you maybe want to grab that drink tonight? I don't know many people here, and could use a little time away from the office and my apartment."
Looking at her watch, the brunette scrunched her eyebrows. "Hmm…" It was almost nine now, and she really desired nothing more than to go home and spend this rare extra time with Imogen. "I'm really sorry, but can we do it a different night? I promised I would be home early tonight. Things have been a little tense lately, and I'm trying to do better about leaving here at reasonable times."
"That's completely understandable," Eliza grinned, "a rain check it is."
"You going to be okay?"
Giving a slight nod, she turned off her monitor and stood up, matching her boss's height. "Oh yes, I'll be fine. I have wine and a warm bath waiting for me at home. I'll see you in the morning."
Anxious to leave, her legs marched towards the elevator and then out towards the street. The harsh wind cut through her coat, but it wasn't long before she was in the cab and approaching their condo. 9:20 P.M. Not too bad, she thought to herself, hoping her wife was still awake. Quietly creeping through the doorway, Fiona noticed the room was dim, flickering with the light of a candle on the table—an odd scene to be greeted with. She placed her coat on the rack and then set her purse on the countertop. As soon as she was about to search for a sleeping Imogen, she felt two arms wrap around her waist from behind.
"Happy Fiona Coyne Day," the young woman whispered in her ear.
A/N: I've been so busy at work, but I've got so much more that I want to write in this story. It's really just getting started. I'm going to make a huge effort to pump some chapters out in the near future. Until then, thank you for all of your patience, and please keep reviewing! I love reading reviews!