Chapter 36 - Dont Say Sorry
Friday afternoon, I was in Adrian's office.
We'd been discussing work for the last twenty minutes, which mostly meant Adrian was pointing out things he didn't like and I was explaining why some of the things he didn't like were perfectly fine.
Normal.
I was looking over the drawing in front of me when Adrian suddenly said,
"Are you available tomorrow?"
I looked up.
"Why?"
"Luke wants to go to a haunted house."
I glanced toward the windows.
Right.
October.
Somehow, between resigning, not resigning, Adrian Vale saying please three times, and Emma developing a very unfortunate crush on my boss, I'd almost forgotten Halloween existed.
"Oh, yeah. It's October."
Adrian looked at me.
I smiled.
"Sounds fun."
He didn't say anything.
I waited.
Nothing.
I looked at him.
He looked back at me.
Still nothing.
"So?"
"Luke was asking if you could come."
I kept looking at him.
Adrian waited.
I waited.
Apparently we were both waiting for something.
A few seconds passed.
Then he finally said,
"Do you want to come?"
I smiled slightly.
"Is that a question or an invitation?"
He stopped.
Actually stopped.
Like I'd presented him with a distinction he hadn't considered before speaking.
"I don't know if you like haunted houses," he said finally. "Or if you're scared of them."
I stared at him.
"Do I look like someone who would be scared of a haunted house?"
His eyes moved over my face for a second.
"No."
"Good."
"You look like someone who would like it."
"Exactly. I love it."
Something shifted in his expression.
Small.
Almost pleased.
"Then do you want to come?"
This time, it sounded like an invitation.
I smiled.
"Yes, I do."
"Okay. I'll pick you up in the evening."
"Sounds like a plan."
I looked back down at the drawing.
For approximately three seconds.
Then I looked up again.
"Wait."
Adrian's eyes lifted.
"What?"
"Is Elena going?"
"Of course."
"Is she scared?"
"No."
"She's five."
"I know how old my daughter is."
"I'm just saying, five-year-olds and haunted houses don't usually sound like a particularly successful combination."
"She wanted to go before Luke did."
I stared at him.
Of course she did.
"Why am I not surprised?"
"You shouldn't be."
I smiled and looked back at the drawing.
Adrian did the same.
And just like that, apparently I had plans with the Vales tomorrow.
Not because Adrian needed a ride.
Not because my car had broken down.
Not because we happened to be working late.
Not because there was some project-related reason for us to be in the same place.
Luke had wanted me there.
And Adrian had asked me to come.
Well.
Eventually.
After making me drag the invitation out of him.
I picked up my pen.
"You're getting better at asking people to do things with you."
Adrian didn't look up.
"Don't start."
"I said you're getting better. That was a compliment."
"I don't want it."
"You're welcome."
"Angelica."
I smiled and went back to the drawing.
Saturday night at a haunted house with Adrian, Luke, and Elena.
Yeah.
That sounded fun.
Later that afternoon, Ethan appeared in our section with an idea.
"We should all go see a movie tomorrow."
Emma looked up immediately.
"Oh, yes."
Ethan laughed.
"I'll take that as one vote."
"Who else is coming?" she asked.
"Whoever wants to come."
Then he looked at me.
"You're coming, right?"
"Nope. I'm busy."
He frowned.
"Why will you be busy on Saturday?"
"I have plans."
Maya looked over from her computer.
"With whom?"
I said absolutely nothing.
She waited.
I kept looking at my screen.
A moment passed.
Then-
"Okay."
Emma was staring at her.
Maya eventually noticed.
"What?"
"You just asked her a question."
"Yeah."
"And she didn't answer you."
"Yeah."
"And then you just said okay."
Maya looked at her.
"Yeah."
Emma frowned.
"Don't you need an answer?"
"No."
"Why?"
Maya shrugged.
"She said she has plans. That's all. Why do I need any details?"
Emma looked at me.
Apparently the concept of minding your own business was new to her.
"Where are you going?"
"A haunted house."
Her face immediately brightened.
"A haunted house?"
"Yeah."
"Oh, I love haunted houses."
"Me too."
"Which one?"
"I don't know."
Emma blinked.
"You don't know?"
"Nope."
"Why?"
"Because I didn't make the plan."
She was quiet for half a second.
"Who did?"
I said nothing.
There it was again.
Silence.
Except this time, Maya wasn't the one who'd asked the question.
Emma was.
And unlike Maya, she didn't immediately move on.
She kept looking at me.
Waiting.
I kept looking at my computer.
Then Ethan spoke.
"What time are your plans?"
"Evening."
His face brightened slightly.
"Then come to the movie. We'll go in the afternoon."
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because I don't want to go to a movie and then rush home."
"Why do you have to rush home?"
"Because I'm getting picked up."
Ethan stopped.
It was tiny.
Barely anything.
But he stopped.
And so did Emma.
The expression on her face changed.
Not dramatically.
Just enough.
Her eyes stayed on me for another second.
Then, very briefly, they moved past me.
Toward Adrian's office.
Oh.
I looked at Ethan.
He wasn't looking at me anymore.
He was looking in the same direction.
Shit.
Nobody said anything.
Nobody had to.
I hadn't told them who made the plan.
I hadn't told them who was picking me up.
I hadn't said Adrian's name once.
But Ethan had spent months watching Adrian and me.
And Emma-
Well.
Emma had spent the entire week collecting evidence like she was preparing a case for trial.
Coffee.
Lunch.
Dinner.
His car.
Me walking into his office without knocking.
You.
Yeah.
Apparently I'd given her enough.
Ethan looked back at me.
Something in his expression had changed too.
It was subtle.
But I knew his face.
I knew his normal smile.
And when he smiled now, this wasn't it.
"Well," he said, pushing himself away from the desk. "Movie tomorrow for everyone who doesn't have a better plan."
I frowned.
"Ethan."
"What?"
"I'll come next time."
"Yeah."
He shoved his hands into his pockets.
"Next time."
That one hurt a little.
Emma hadn't said anything.
Five minutes ago, she'd been excited about the movie.
Now she was staring at her computer.
Quiet.
Too quiet.
I looked at her.
"Emma?"
"Hmm?"
She looked up.
"You okay?"
"Yeah."
Another smile.
Also wrong.
"Okay."
She looked back at her screen.
I stared at her for a second.
Then at Ethan.
Then at Maya.
Maya was already looking at me.
There was no amusement on her face this time.
No teasing.
Just understanding.
They didn't know.
Not really.
But they knew enough.
And apparently that was enough to hurt both of them.
Saturday evening, I was ready ten minutes early.
Which was annoying.
Because now I had nothing to do except walk around my apartment waiting for Adrian.
I checked my reflection again.
Black jeans.
Sneakers.
And a black Stranger Things T-shirt with a Demodog on the front and the words-
Perfectly appropriate for a haunted house.
And also an important question.
Probably not a good idea.
But still.
At exactly the time Adrian had said he'd be there, my phone buzzed.
Of course they were.
I grabbed my bag, locked the apartment, and headed downstairs.
The second I stepped outside, I saw them.
And stopped.
Oh.
Apparently everyone had understood the assignment.
Adrian was leaning against the car in dark jeans and a black T-shirt.
A familiar red smile stretched across the front.
I stared at his shirt.
Then at him.
Then back at his shirt.
Oh, the irony.
Adrian looked down at himself.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"You're staring."
"I'm just appreciating your complete lack of self-awareness."
His eyes narrowed.
"What does that mean?"
I pointed at his shirt.
"Why so serious? And that's being worn by someone who's always serious!"
He looked at my Demodog.
"You're asking me that?"
I looked down at my shirt.
"Mine makes perfect sense."
"Of course it does."
"Yours is false advertising."
"Get in the car, Angelica."
I smiled.
"See? Serious."
I walked around him toward the passenger side.
Then the back door opened.
"Angelica!"
Elena climbed out before Adrian could apparently do anything about it.
She was wearing a dark-purple top covered in tiny white ghosts, black leggings, and sneakers.
I immediately pointed at her.
"Okay. You win."
She grinned.
"I'm ghosts."
"You are many ghosts."
"Yes."
Luke leaned across the back seat.
His black T-shirt had a glowing skeletal dinosaur stretched across the front.
I stared at him.
"Is that a dinosaur skeleton?"
"Yeah."
"Does it glow?"
"In the dark."
I nodded solemnly.
"You might win."
Elena gasped.
"You said I win!"
"I hadn't seen the dinosaur yet."
"Angelica."
"Sorry. I don't make the rules."
"You just made the rule!"
Fair.
Adrian opened the passenger door.
"Get in the car before she starts a competition."
"There already is a competition."
"No, there isn't."
Luke said from the back,
"I think I'm winning."
"You are not!" Elena shouted.
Adrian looked at me.
I smiled.
He sighed.
I got into the passenger seat.
A few seconds later, Elena was buckled back in, Adrian got behind the wheel, and we pulled away.
We made it approximately two minutes before Luke said,
"Wait."
I turned around.
He was staring at my chest.
More specifically, my shirt.
"Is that a Demodog?"
"Yes."
His face lit up.
"You watch Stranger Things?"
"Of course I watch Stranger Things."
"Who's your favorite?"
Oh.
Serious question.
I turned farther in my seat.
"Steve."
Luke immediately made a face.
"What?"
"Steve?"
"Yes, Steve."
"Why?"
"Because Steve Harrington has one of the greatest character developments in television history."
From beside me, Adrian said,
"That's dramatic."
My head snapped toward him.
"You stay out of this."
"Why?"
I stared at him.
"Wait."
Adrian glanced at me.