9. Jason
9
Jason
For the first time ever, Jason enjoyed being at work. Breaking the touch barrier with Hannah had made all the difference, and even though he worried over the long-term consequences of pushing himself too quickly, he felt himself slowly changing.
For the next few days and weeks, he no longer ate in his car, away from the bustle of the office, during his lunch breaks. Instead, he allowed Hannah to drag him to what was becoming their spot. Occasionally, they brought spades and other gardening tools to clear the area and clean up the overgrowth. On the weekends, she even talked him into bringing a weedwhacker and taking down the overgrown bushes. Other times, they just sat and listened to the sounds around them. And when she was feeling too restless to sit, they took a walk around the block. He saw buildings, signs, and houses that he’d never noticed but had been around their office for years.
And for the first time in his life, he had a friend, someone to share his many musings with, from trivial to deep thoughts he’d kept inside for years. Most of the time, he kept things light, but whenever they walked the dogs together, something he’d grown to love, their conversations were always enlightening and passionate—books, movies, failed relationships, struggles with unsupportive family members, and whatever else came to mind. There was nothing they couldn’t find common ground on.
At work the following Tuesday, he raced to grab their lunches while Hannah stopped to talk to Michelle. It had become their little routine. She got in chat time with the receptionist girls, and he got a moment to breathe alone in the office.
On the way to the stairs, Brandy blocked his office doorway. “Eating lunch again?”
He straightened his tie. “Yeah, I’ve been going outside lately.”
“I’ve noticed. I think it’s cute... the two of you getting to know each other more.”
“We’re just... friends.” Yes, that’s all they were, and it was nothing to be ashamed of.
Brandy winked at him and gave him a knowing smile. “If you say so, honey. I’m just here for the show. Go about your business.”
Hannah ran up the stairs and joined him at his side. “Ready to go?”
Brandy raised an eyebrow as if to say, See?
He shook off the implication and started for the stairs. “Yes, let’s get going.”
Hannah barely kept up with him. “Whoa, are we in a hurry?”
“No, I just—” He looked back at the office building, as if Brandy or someone else he knew was watching over them. “Let’s go on a walk today while we eat.”
“Okay,” she said, confused. “But we’ve almost pulled all the weeds in our little spot. And I have all the gardening stuff in my car.”
He held back a smile. “The next time you’re in the office, we’ll work on it during break.”
“Okay, but promise me.” She held out her pinky.
He stared it for a few seconds before linking his pinky with hers. Warmth traveled up his wrist and arm. “I feel childish doing this.”
She laughed. “Who says adults should grow out of childish things? We’re really just big kids exploring the world but with more money, more responsibility, and more health issues. I think that deserves some fun.”
He laughed. “I guess you’re right.”
She took her lunch from him. “Of course I am. Do you know what the fastest animal in the world is?”
He was used to Hannah’s constant change in conversation. It made it impossible to dwell on certain thoughts, which actually matched his wants perfectly.
“It’s the cheetah, right?”
Hannah glanced over at him and smiled. “Nope.”
“What? Yes it is. My fifth-grade teacher said so.”
She poked him in the arm. “Look it up. It’s actually the peregrine falcon.”
“What? No way.” He pulled out his phone and looked it up using an internet search. His eyes skimmed his screen, and in the first three results, he found his answer. The peregrine falcon was indeed the fastest animal in the world.
“A bird can’t run,” Jason said, more to himself.
“But it can fly,” she countered, “much faster than a cheetah can run.”
“One hundred and eighty-six miles an hour,” he read out loud. “That’s crazy. I learn all kinds of new things with you.”
She smiled brightly. “There’s one thing I don’t know a ton about. ”
“What’s that,” he said, biting back a smile. He was positive she knew a little about everything.
“I don’t know much about your family. Actually, I don’t think I know anything. Do you have any siblings?”
He bit into his sandwich. He hated talking about his family unless extended family was included. “Nope, only child.”
“Me too,” Hannah said. “I always wanted a younger sibling, but I think my parents had had enough after me.”
“Same here,” he said, catching her gaze.
The more time they spent together, the more he realized how alike they were, in all the right ways. At first, he was sure their opposite touch sensitivities would clash, but he was pleasantly surprised things had developed so well. He thought of his conversation with Brandy earlier the previous week. Finding common ground with someone didn’t mean anything.
“What about your parents?” he asked. “Are you close to them?”
“Not very much. They call to check up on me, but I’m practically on my own,” Hannah said. “My parents moved away after I finished high school and didn’t invite me to come along. Rude, huh?”
Another similarity.
“What about yours?” she asked.
“You and I are in similar situations. I’m close to my grandpa, but in my own family, I feel very much like an outsider.”
Hannah looked over at him and squeezed his arm, surprising him. “I like Rueben a lot. I’ll miss him when he finally decides to retire. Has he announced a date yet?”
He shook his head and tried not to think about her hand on his arm and how he missed the feeling. His fingers itched to be touched again. She wouldn’t mind, he knew, but would she think more of the gesture? He pushed away his worry, thinking of how she touched anyone she talked to.
Slowly, he slid his hand down her arm until he could squeeze her fingers for just a moment. Then he brought her hand up to his arm.
“Well, aren’t you two the cutest.”
They had circled the block and were in front of the clinic again. He immediately stepped away, but stubbornly, Hannah didn’t drop her arm.
“Hi, Brandy,” Hannah called. “Lovely day for a walk, huh?”
“It appears so.” She smiled and sent him a wink. “Have a great time, you two.”
Brandy went back inside, as if her whole purpose had been to come out and spy on him.
“She’s really sweet, kind of like the mother I never had.”
“She’s definitely nosy like a mom.”
Hannah scrunched up her nose. “What’s wrong?”
He shook his head and kept walking, putting the clinic behind him. “Nothing.”
“Don’t do that,” Hannah said. “You seem bothered. Talk to me.”
He sighed. “It’s just something Brandy said.”
“Okay,” Hannah said, drawing out the word.
He sighed. “It’s silly. She just said that the two of us got along really well.”
“Don’t we?” She squeezed his arm gently, and he looked down at her hand, marveling at the touch. She had left it there for minutes now; it still didn’t bother him. In fact, it had bothered him more when she had moved her hand.
“Yeah, but I think she was implying something more.” He looked over at her, but for once, she wouldn’t meet his eye.
“Would that be such a bad thing?” she asked quietly.
A shiver rolled through him. Not an uncomfortable one, but a feeling that made him know she had been thinking about their relationship too. But he couldn’t give her false hope.
“W-we work together.”
She stopped walking. “So? People who work together can have relationships. Some of the best relationships come out of offices. Adults go to work, home, maybe the gym or the store, but there’s not a lot of options for meeting people unless you’re intentional. Who cares how you meet if it feels right?”
A charged moment passed as they stared at each other, and he silently wondered if her words held a different meaning.
He had as much experience with women as he did with touching people. “I’m not fit for any kind of relationship.”
She frowned and stared at the sidewalk. “I think you should reprogram how you think about that.”
He was about to protest that thought, but as always, she changed the subject. “Guess how many types of skin tones there are in the world?” she asked.
Numbly, he called out a number, and she went into some spiel about how there were infinite shades. For once, he couldn’t focus on a thing she said as she rambled on. His mind was still reeling over what she had implied. Could he really overcome his touch sensitivity enough to have a relationship?
At the end of the workday, Hannah quickly packed up her things, much to his chagrin. A blood-bank event had invited her to paint again, and she had jumped at the opportunity.
“Have a good night,” she said, spinning around to give him one last winning smile.
Disappointment stabbed at his gut. Usually, they didn’t just leave when it was quitting time. They lingered in the parking lot, talking, or they caravanned to Annie and Jack’s to take Ginger and Snaps for a walk. But today, there was nothing to look forward to.
“Wait, Hannah,” he called when she grabbed the door handle. “Do you need help?” He nodded to her hand. “Will you be okay... with your hand still recovering?”
She flashed him a smile. “It only hurts after I see the doctor. Plus, I don’t paint with this hand, usually.”
He frowned. “Well, don’t spill any paint on any unsuspecting guys.”
Her grin widened, and she shot him a wink. “Only on you, sir.”
His heart fluttered. He opened his mouth to say something that would stall her, but she was gone before he could work up the courage. His feelings were developing into a full-blown crush. When she wasn’t around, all he could think about were what plans he could make with Hannah in the future. Work and walking dogs simply wasn’t enough.
A knock sounded on the door, and he looked up hopefully, only to collapse back against his chair.
It was Brandy.
“Enter.”
She came into the little office and closed the door behind her. Usually, she stood at the door.
He raised an eyebrow. “What can I do for you?” he asked, turning back to his computer screen. There were bills to be paid, and he was going to bury himself in work until he was sure Hannah’s event was over. And then... he wasn’t sure what to do. Ask her to hang out? Could he even maintain a real relationship? Holding hands twice and linking arms once hardly constituted a benchmark for whether he could handle one.
“Jason? ”
He looked up, realizing he hadn’t been listening one bit. “I’m sorry, did you say something?”
She gave a patient smile. “I just wanted to apologize... about earlier.”
He raised a brow. “You don’t have anything to be sorry about.”
“No, I think I do. I was too nosy for my own good. I just... can’t help cheering the two of you along.”
Heat rushed to his cheeks. “We’re just friends.”
Brandy held up her hands. “I know, and it wasn’t my place to say it was anything else. I just haven’t seen you connect with someone so quickly. But regardless, I’m sorry for prying where I shouldn’t have.”
“It’s fine.” He smiled to let her know no harm had been done. Of all the people in the office, only his grandpa knew as much about him as she did. “I know you’re just looking out for me.”
She lowered her hands. “If you ever decide you want to try a relationship with Hannah or anyone—and I do think it truly is possible—I’ll be cheering you on.”
He blew out a slow breath. “Thank you, but I think I’m not ready for a relationship.”
“I think you’re closer than you realize. I see you with Hannah, and you don’t seem to mind when she touches you.”
“She has touch-stimulation issues as well, and it’s kind of connected us. But we’re only friends. If anything, our friendship is a great experiment to test the waters to see if I could ever be in a real relationship.”
She raised an eyebrow. “So you’re only friends?”
“Yes.”
She nodded slowly. “Well, in that case, I hope your experiment goes well.” Her smile widened, and she turned away quickly.
Honestly, he hoped so too .
Hours later, long after most of the office staff had left—and hopefully close to when Hannah would be done with her event—he headed to his car. The entire drive home, he thought of excuses to call her. Any excuse, but nothing sounded right. It was too personal going to her house, and no one—other than family—had ever visited him. He wasn’t sure he wanted to cross that line either. But he wanted to see her, after hours, away from work, and without dogs jumping around them.
Just as he pulled up to his house, he knew something wasn’t right. Water was seeping out of the bottom of his garage door. Oh no! Quickly, he clicked the garage door opener, and a flood of water came rushing toward him. He jumped back, but not before dark-brown, poopy water seeped into his shoes.
Crap. Literally.