Cake Love: All Things Payne(53)

"Look at this. Oh, who cares?" I pull at the wet stain on my t-shirt and start to get up, but somehow twist my foot under the couch and fall on my face, while the glass bounces off the floor and rolls over to the fireplace.

"Crap I can't get my foot out. HALP! Help me Edgar, I'm trapped." I try to lift up to a seated position but a sharp pain shoots up my leg. Glancing up, I see Edgar just sitting there rubbing at his chin.

"Why do you say you feel 'trapped' in a man's body?" A smirk appears on his face.

"Well, sometimes I get them menstrual cramps real hard," I reply and a moment later we both break out into laughter. Ah, Edgar. That's why I love him. He knows just the right time to break out a Raising Arizona quote.

He bends down and tugs at my leg, freeing my foot from the sofa's hold. I lay back and look up at the ceiling while my head spins slightly.

"She got in the program."

My eyes bulge at Edgar's statement. I tense and then lift up onto my elbows to look at him.

"I thought that would get your attention." Edgar sighs and looks down at his watch. "Come on, let's head out and get something to eat. I can explain it to you while we get lunch."

Edgar helps me off the floor and guides me into my bedroom so that I can change out of my stinky shirt and crotchless jeans. Once I am changed, he takes me down the block to a polish place. I’m thankful for the dark, old world décor; my eyes fearing light like a vampire. After our food arrives, I dig into my Hunter's Stew as I just now realize how famished I am.

"When does Morgana leave?" I ask nonchalantly while I swallow a bite of kielbasa.

He shakes his head while slicing a pierogi with his fork. "Oh no Henrik. You don't get that info quite so easily. Answer me this, why did you let her go?"

I stare down at the lumpy stew, swirling my fork around the golden liquid for a moment, wishing she never left. “It’s not like I had a choice. She walked out.”

Edgar chuckles and I look up to see him shaking his head. "Henrik, you always have a choice. It may not be as easy as going to her place and knocking on her door right now, but you can always try to win her back. What have you done the past few days? Nothing. Sitting on your couch, talking to Pillow, and drinking yourself stupid doesn’t count as being productive."

My eyebrow rises at the pillow comment.

"Yes, I know about Pillow. You seem to forget that I was your roommate in college and after graduation. Don't think I didn't hear your long one sided conversations with your pillow. Don't even get me started on Captain Cock." His laughter fills the space as several diners turn to look in our direction.

"Whatever Edgar. Like you don't name your junk." I roll my eyes and take a large sip of my water.

"Of course I do, but that's only for the ladies to discover."

"Don't you mean lady? One lady in particular. One lady who works in HR, and also, and it has been confirmed, is the spawn of Satan!” His smirk falls at my confession as he nervously eyes his cutlery and his hand rubs the back of his neck. “I have no idea what you’re talking about Henrik.”

"Look Edgar, I don't care where your mysterious named cock wants to settle into for the night, but don't think I am oblivious to you and Evaleen."

His eyes widen for a moment at the mention of her name. He opens his mouth to say something but then closes it just as quick. Bringing his finger up to point at me, he opens and closes his mouth once again. Finally after a long pause he speaks, "Don’t' try to change the subject. We’re talking about your cowardice with Morgana, not me and...um...not me!"

I hold my hands up in the air in surrender. "Fine. How am I being a coward? I gave up my job for her."

I expected surprise or confusion from my confession, but all I get from Edgar is a smirk.

"Yes, your little take-credit-for-her-idea trick. Don't think I didn't know what you were doing with that. Evaleen told me that morning that Morgana had come up with an idea that would help the company. She said it had something to do with the distribution issue we had. So, I knew as the words were leaving your mouth, while you sat there explaining the idea after we caught you two, that you were lying. It wasn't until after you left when Jacob started discussing letting Morgana into the program that I realized what you had done. Well, Bravo! You helped her and pushed her away all at the same time."

I grumble under my breath about how she left my office. Edgar cups his ear leaning toward me. "What was that Henrik? I don't think I heard you."

"I said, she already told me how she believed we should end our relationship. I was just making it easier for her."

"No, you were making it easier for you. Henrik, I have known you for fifteen years, and in that time I have never seen a woman have such an effect on you as Morgana. Shit, for the past ten years you were pretty much a robot. Come into work, bark orders, work late, go home, sleep, get up, and do the same thing all over again. I hadn't seen you laugh in a long time."

I shake my head and turn my attention to the waiter at the table next to us, really not wanting to continue this conversation.

"I remember about a month ago we had a meeting and the client was late. Morgana had stepped out to grab something at her desk. Jacob brought up that her birthday had passed and we didn't celebrate it as we usually have cake for our employees. I joked that if we brought a cake in for her birthday she might take it all for herself. Everyone laughed, but you added that she might try to elope with it. We all broke out in hysterics. It was like the old you came back for just that moment, the one who found the funny in everything. She brought that out in you."