35 Chapter Thirty Five

"Have you even thought of what people will think? Michelle asked, putting one hand up as though to ward off an outburst.

"That didn't seem to be a problem when I was with you" he replied

"Ours was different." she said. "We didn't have to work so close to each other...As you well know, I didn't say anything to the manager, of course, but can you imagine if I had told him you weren't there because it was more important to be with that...tart? A faint flush of pink stained her face. "Can you?"

"I can". He replied calmly.

"But you don't care, do you? It doesn't really matter to you what people think. You lock yourself away in your own world, and nothing or anyone else exists"

Daniel stared at her, wondering where the hell all this was coming from. She had been fine with ending their relationship back then.

"Look Michelle," he said. "I think we both knew it wasn't going to work out between us. We never even made anything official. Look at us. If you remember vividly, towards the end of our relationship, we spent half our time together arguing over one thing or the other. And we still are. There is just... " he shrugged. "nothing there any more"

"Oh really?" she said. She crossed the room

Regarded him, arms crossed, her back against the wall. "nothing there, you say? And do you know why that is? Daniel? Do you have the faintest bloody idea why there is nothing there?

He waited for her to tell him

"No, if course you don't". She continued. "Because you are as oblivious to what is happening around us as you are to everything else going on around you. Well, I will tell you. You have lost touch with yourself, Daniel. You can't connect..

To anyone"

"Maybe you are right, Michelle" he said, picking up the pen on his desk. "I can't, don't, maybe won't. Go and find someone who emotes. Maybe someone who will sob at the drop of a hat. Want me to check if there is anyone available?"

"Sure, make a joke of it". Said Michelle. "It's the easy way, isn't it? You will meet someone new and it will be fine at first, just as it was with us. She will fall for your looks and the way you have about you, so bloody interested with all your questions and rapt attention, but you are like a collector. You take what you need, but you give nothing back "

"Now I'm the collector? We both got what we wanted from each other. We both needed someone to spend time with. We both enjoyed each other's company. And you sure as hell didn't worry about anyone 'collecting' when you were doing all that shopping. But now you wanna play the victim? Fine. I agree with you, I'm a fucking collector. Well, that is my problem, isn't it? He asked

"Yes it is, Daniel" she replied. "And frankly, I'm glad to be done with it. You have got something locked away up there and you will sacrifice anything before you let it out"

He leaned closer and looked her straight in her eye. "I meant what I said, Michelle. You will mind your business and stay out of my personal life. You will not speak about Emma in that way again. She has nothing to do with this. Now you will sit down, and we will go straight to the point and talk about why you are here. Do you understand that, Michelle? "

"Hey... Relax... Okay". She said raising her hands and taking a seat. "I was just talking.. You know... catching up... Just wanted to know what you have been up to lately... I have missed you... Honestly...That's all. I will mind my business from now on"

"Good". He said. "You are a friend.... And I don't want to loose you"

Michelle smiled.

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Emma was almost done with her work. Actually... She wasn't. But she just had to get outta there. Every bone in her body told her to. She couldn't wait to get home. Nothing a nice, long soak in the bathtub wouldn't fix.

Seeing Daniel with that Michelle had made her angry. She didn't care if she had no reason to be.

She was distracted be the sound of her phone ringing. She sighed. She wasn't in the mood for calls right now. She checked her phone and sighed. Instantly knowing the reason for the call

"Hi Ben". She said

"hello beautiful". Came the reply. "how have you been, Emma?" Ben asked.

"I'm great... How are you?"

"I'm doing fine" He said. "Everything has been going well. Except for the teeny tiny fact that that a certain beautiful lady was supposed to call me, and she didn't. Why is that... I wonder... And just to be clear, that certain lady is you"

Emma smiled. Though she felt really bad that she hadn't called him. She had actually planned to.

"Yeah I got that, Ben. And I'm very sorry". She said. "I really am. I wanted to call you to be honest. It just skipped my mind. There's been a lot going on. Especially at work.. I'm sorry"

"It's fine. I just wanted to check on you. That is why I called. Wanted to make sure you are okay" He said

Emma felt bad. "Oh... I feel so horrible... You know what?" she said. "I could really use some time off all this work... Just call me whenever you want us to hang out... When ever you are ready, I seem to always have something to do, so you call me and I promise I will make out time"

"That would be great. I will give you a call then" Ben said.

"alright... See you then"

Emma sighed as she hung up. She hoped she wasn't giving him the wrong idea by agreeing to hang out with him. Even if he had agreed that they would just go out as friends.

But she really needed to go out, have some fun. Think about someone else that wasn't Daniel. And maybe even meet new people.

And he could hang out with his Michelle for as long as he wanted.

Wonder what they had been discussing in his office for so long.