Chapter 8
CHAPTER EIGHT
David
Even though I’ve gotten very little sleep these last few days, I feel lighter and more alive than I have in a while. There’s just something about a new relationship that wakes up parts of your soul you started to think didn’t exist anymore—especially when you’ve been through the same shit I have.
I have an extra kick in my step as I walk to work, wearing my headphones, which I haven’t worn in a long time. Starting my day listening to music just adds to the smile I already had on my face.
When Morgan Wallen’s “Crazy Eyes” comes on, I pause my steps and really take it in.
I don’t care one bit about the people who are yelling at me because they now have to walk around me.
This song just hit me like a brick wall, and the world can wait while I take the lyrics in as it says so much of what I’m feeling right now, except one thing …
I don’t know if her eyes will affect me the same way the song describes.
It starts off talking about not getting any sleep because the girl you’re with is keeping you up at night, yet you don’t mind one bit, but then it goes on to talk about how her crazy eyes are your kryptonite.
I can’t believe I’m falling for this girl, yet I have zero clue what she looks like or if just seeing her eyes will affect me this way.
I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and continue on my journey to work feeling like I have a big question mark floating above my head that I won’t be able to answer for a few more days.
Zoe
Thank God it’s Friday. This lack of sleep from staying up and talking to David two nights in a row is starting to catch up with me. I will definitely be sleeping in tomorrow!
I set my stuff down and go straight for the coffee in the break room. Jana bursts into laughter as I walk back to my desk, clinging to my cup of coffee and drinking from it as though it’s the elixir that will power me through the day.
“Another long night with the mystery man?” she asks, eyeing me over her laptop.
I grin before I take another sip. “Maybe.”
“Jeez, two nights in a row. Do you think you’ll start going steady soon? Don’t tell Emma; she’s going to get jealous.”
I giggle at her antics of pretending like we’re in high school again with all the drama that goes with that time in your life as I take my seat.
“I know this is all very different, but I like it. I like him. You remember those days of new relationships when you were younger, right? Your sleep calendar went straight out the window so you could stay up way too late to talk to them.”
“Yeah, but you aren’t sixteen anymore!” she teases. “Plus, what if he turns out to be this ogre with black teeth and smelly armpits?”
“I can’t tell you about his smell, but one of my friends already signed off on his looks. Remember, that’s how the app works.”
“If he uploaded a real picture. What if this is a total catfish situation?”
“Joey ensured us they vet every person through software so there would be no catfishing.”
“Okay … just don’t get your hopes too high until you know who this guy really is.” Her face softens, and I know she’s coming from a place of love.
I nod, taking another sip from my cup, not wanting to go down that road yet. I like this bubble I’m in, where I’ll be for a few more days.
I sit at my desk and just happen to look up when I see both my boss and David sitting at the conference table, staring at me.
“Shit,” I whisper under my breath. “I forgot I had an early meeting to go over the tallow branding.”
I rush to grab my things and shuffle my feet faster than I should to where they are waiting for me.
“Sorry,” I say, pulling out the chair to sit down. “Our meeting slipped my mind.”
“Obviously,” David says under his breath, to which I roll my eyes as I open my binder to pull out the final drawings.
“Well, now that we’re all here, talk to me,” Christina says, her voice not hiding her annoyance with me.
“I’ve been—”
David cuts me off, “These are what I’ve drawn up for the market analysis.”
Excuse me, I was just talking before you rudely interrupted …
I close my eyes and take a deep breath before I do something stupid in front of my boss.
I listen to his spiel about numbers and markets and blah, blah, blah. All of this is fine, but no one picks up the product if they don’t think it’s pretty. Especially women. That’s where I come in.
It feels like David is talking forever, and it’s killing me to just sit here and listen to his voice, but I take it in stride and smile as he talks and talks and talks.
“Great work, David,” Christina finally says, then turns to me. “And how are we doing on logos and packaging?”
I show her what I’ve been working on and love when she continues to just nod her head in agreement and doesn’t have anything to add.
“Okay, looks like we have everything together. Our client will be here on Monday, nine a.m. sharp.” She stares right at me, raising her eyebrows ever so slightly to make her point. “Please don’t be late.”
“I won’t be. Thank you, Christina.”
We all stand, and I gather my things to head back to my desk.
“Don’t be late again,” David bites out as he walks past me.
“How about you never interrupt me like that ever again?” I fight back.
Thankfully, he doesn’t engage me more and goes about his business while I take a seat at my desk.
“How did that go?” Jana whispers.
“Good, thank God. She says we’re ready for Monday.”
She nods, then goes back to what she was working on. I sit back, close my eyes, and take a few breaths to calm myself. Going from very tired to racing to the meeting to having to be on for my presentation might have taken a little too much out of me.
I decide I need music, so I grab my earbuds and put them in for my little pick-me-up.
Remembering Online David talking about a specific artist at the beginning of our conversation last night, I decide to give the song High Road a try to see if I can learn a little more about this mystery guy through the music he likes.
I open my Spotify app and search for Koe Wetzel. The first song on his artist list is “High Road,” but it’s the version with Jessie Murph. Knowing he likes the original version, I have to search for it because I want to hear what he likes first before I hear the other one.
Once I hit play, I open my laptop and, if I’m being honest, pretend to be going over emails as I let the music that Online David loves wash over me and fully take it in.
It’s slow at first, and then it starts talking about a guy knowing his girl is mad at him. They are obviously in a fight, but he’s saying he’s going to take the high road and not fight back with her.
I’m vibing with the sound, and when I get to the chorus, I laugh out loud at probably the best lyric I’ve ever heard—“I don’t need a ticket to your shit show.” Boy, I’ve felt that way a few times before when it came to breaking up with a guy.
The second verse starts, and I smile even more when he just announces, “Fuck it, I quit.” I have felt that exact moment of just being done so many times, and I love the way he’s not afraid to put it out there.
By the end of the song, I am grooving with the beat and singing the chorus. It all makes me wonder though, does he like this song because it reminds him of a certain time in his life where he just threw in the towel and had to walk away, his own fuck it, I quit moment?
I decide to send him a little text before I listen to the Jessie Murph version.
I just listened to your song and can’t help but wonder if there’s a story behind why you like it so much.
Ha! Maybe. We can have story time tonight. Be ready to share yours though too.
I know he’s at work, so I don’t respond and instead play the other version of the song.
It starts out the exact same way, even with the chorus, and I’m curious what the difference is when the second verse starts, but this time, it’s just her singing.
Now it’s her turn to share what she thinks about the relationship. In his version, you felt like it was all her problem, but now you see he has some issues as well.
Isn’t that the epitome of life—that there are two sides to every story? And this song lays them out perfectly.
I do like this version slightly better, just for the more pop/R&B vibes, but I do notice there’s no fuck it, I quit line, which bums me out slightly.
I go back to his version to give it one more listen. By this time, I have the chorus down and am loving the shit show line even more, making me smile every time I hear it.
“Are you listening to the same song on repeat?” Jana asks, making me giggle at the fact that I was caught.
“It’s different versions of it, but yeah. It’s Online David’s favorite.”
She lets out a loud laugh. “Did you just call him Online David?”
I roll my eyes. “Yes. I hate that they have the same name. I need to separate them somehow in my head.”
She chuckles under her breath and gets back to work, so I do the same by turning my music off so I can focus on my morning emails.