When I got into work, it was almost two o'clock in the afternoon and I really didn't want to be here, but Mark called me several times to make sure that I was coming in. He had something to talk to me about and there really was no telling with him. Mark had been far too interested in my personal life lately. Or maybe it was the fact that I actually had a personal life without him knowing, that he didn't like so much. Either way, I wasn't too happy to see him when I got upstairs, and he was sitting at my desk.

“Mark. It's good to see you.”

“By the look on your face, I would know that that is a lie Hail. Apparently, it isn't too good to see me at all.”

“So, what's up? I don't think I've ever seen you around the office this much, as you have been lately.”

Mark never came into the office, and seeing him here was rather strange and it made me wonder what it was he was doing.

“I was just checking on one of my best sales reps.”

He was now saying one of his best, instead of his best. Had Evony already surpassed me? I had a feeling when I got her promoted, that it wouldn’t take long at all for her to usurp my title.

“Nothing to see here, Mark.”

“You were late this morning.”

“I was. Long night. Long weekend.”

He waved me off and told me that that was fine.

“I ended up going with Evony to lunch. She is a very interesting girl, the more time I get to spend with her alone.”

Just the idea that he was talking to her bothered me. Anything he said to her bother me. The fact that Mark even looked at Evony, bothered me some days and I knew that it was wrong to feel that way. I had known Mark for a very long time, but I didn't want him to have her. Out of everything and anyone, not her.

“Yes, she is.”

“I want to know what is going on between the two of you. I asked her about it, and she said that there was nothing going on. Are you trying to hold out on me, so that I don’t steal her away before you seal the deal?”

I was stunned for a moment at the reaching he was doing. Why couldn’t Mark just let it go?

“You asked her about it?”

“I did.”

“Why would you do that?”

“I don’t know. It seemed like the things to do, I guess. I wanted to see if you were lying. You’ve been acting hanky about it since she came up the first time. I don’t know what is going on with you. I think this chick is getting under your skin.”

“She has and you need to back off. If not, things are going to get real here Mark and I don't know if I'm going to be able to work here anymore.”

As soon as it came out of my mouth, I couldn't believe I’d said it. I'd been working here for a very long time, working with Mark I'd known forever. Was I really willing to give it all up for her?

He sat back in my chair and kind of chuckled a little bit.

“Damn she really did get to you. Of all people Hail, I didn’t think that you’d be one that lost it to a woman.”

It was obviously clear that she had gotten to me, and I was remiss that I wasn’t in the position that I wanted to be in with Evony. I had to go see her and straighten all this out. Mark had been dabbling in my relationship since it started, and I had to make sure that it was going to be okay after he left. I needed to make sure that she believed me, when I said that I cared for her. Why was she telling Mark that there was nothing between us?

“I am taking the rest of the day off, Mark. Clients will just have to wait.”

He tries to stop me, but I just kept going. Nothing I said at this point was going to turn out well and even though it would most likely make me feel better to punch him in the face, it wouldn't help anything. Violence never did.

Instead of trying to call her and give her a chance to just hang up on me, I went over to Evony's house instead. I had to see her, talk to her, look her in the eyes when I told her that I cared. When I told her that I loved her.

Did I love her? I don't even know how I feel half the time anymore.

When I got to her place, I saw that her car was there, and I relaxed a little bit. She was here and we were going to talk. Everything was going to work itself out. It just had to.

It took a couple of moments for her to say anything after I knocked on the door and I was thankful that I got the usual ‘come in’ response. Again, I'm sure that it wasn't for me or at least it wasn't intended for me, but I didn't care. As long as I got a chance to talk to her. I needed to see where we stood.

Now her place didn’t seem so strange to me, because I knew where everything was. I knew where she was, and I started walking back towards the bedroom, thinking that she was getting ready to go somewhere. I didn't want to think about where she was going or who she was going with.

Once I got back there, I realized that she wasn't in her bedroom at all. She was actually in the bathroom and I could hear the shower running. Who did she have coming over, that she was perfectly fine allowing them in when she was like this? I had no available answer right away, and that bothered me. Too many things were bothering me lately.

There was a moment of choice where I could call out her name on the other side of the door and let her know that I was here. Or there was another choice, where I could just walk in and see for myself. It really wasn't as hard of a struggle to figure out which way to go and maybe that in and of itself is a problem.

Finally, I push the door open and I could see her silhouette through the light beige curtain.

“I will be out in just a minute.”

I wonder who she is talking to, because I knew she wasn't talking to me. I could almost guarantee, that me being here was going to be a lot different for her. I was going to get a very different reaction, than the one she was given right now.

Wanting to stay there forever, but knowing that I couldn’t, I finally get the courage up to say her name. When it finally came out, it was more like a croak. I had to say it again, for her to even hear me over the running water.

“Evony. I think we need to talk.”

I was only a few feet from the curtain and I could see her shadow jerk when I said her name. She had not been expecting me at all.

“Hail? What are you doing here?”

The water came off and I was almost sure, that she wasn't ready to be done. But I had made that so, because I was here. I was pushing an issue that I could guarantee she didn't want to talk about.

“We need to talk Evony. We have to stop letting people get in the way of what's going on between us.”

“Hand me the towel.”

I looked where she was referring to and grabbed one of the towels that was on the rack. When I turn back around, the shower curtain was pulled back and Evony was standing in front of me. None of the innocence that I knew her for, was there now. All there was it looked like, was anger. But I never knew how beautiful she was in her anger. It made her glow and I wanted to touch her.

My arm stretched out the towel and handed it to her. I left it hanging there far longer than I should have and left it outstretched too long, making me look like an idiot. My mind was on the water dripping down her naked body.