A Time for Hope (Lexi, #3)(58)

“Oh, yeah. That’s mine. Thanks.” I reached for the note and placed it on my desk, not sure if I was ever going to be making that call.

“What is it?” Anna asked curiously, standing in front of me.

“What’s what?” I responded benignly, not really wanting to explain.

“The name, the number? Do we need to add him to our list of contacts?” Anna pointed to the note, her tone increasingly agitated. Her moodiness was really starting to annoy me, especially when I felt it was unjustified. What could possibly be the cause for the permanent case of irritability?

“No, it’s a personal contact. Nothing for you guys to worry about.” I waved her off wondering why I was I needing to explain something that was clearly not her concern.

“Oh, ok. Fine.” Wow, someone clearly took a whopping big dose of her shit pills this morning. Anna stormed over to the other side of the office.

“Anna.” I paused to look across the room at her to make sure I had her attention. “Is there something wrong?” I figured my tranquility was well and truly in the toilet so why not get this conversation over with.

“No, everything is just fine.” Anna lied, possibly giving me the most unconvincing “fine” known to history. Oh I was aware of the “fine” routine, in fact, I’d used it myself a couple of times. It was usually reserved for the male/female dynamic and translated into “you have f*cked up and I don’t want to tell you what you did ‘cause you should already know.” Seeing as Anna and I weren’t f*cking (and never had, I might add) I would assume it was a latent “fine” from her meeting with Matt.

“Is Matt on his way back? I want to go over some details with him.” I wondered if he possibly could shed some light on the craziness that had seemed to grip Anna, or at the very least divert it from my desk.

“Why would I know when he is coming back, you’re the one who’s sent him on another one of your secret errands. Why don’t you pick up the phone and call him?” Anna’s condescending tone was scorching and I had tolerated it for as long as I cared to. In actuality, I was surprised I had allowed it go on as long as it had. Kudos to me.

“Ok, cut the crap. Firstly, we are friends but I’m also your boss and I think those two combined, affords me a certain amount of respect, wouldn’t you say?” I tried to be as diplomatic as I could but given my level of annoyance, this was proving difficult.

“Am I being disrespectful?” Anna mocked, tilting her head to the side in question.

“Yes. You are. When you come into work with an attitude for no apparent reason and you snap at Matt or me, it’s disrespectful.” She knew exactly what she was doing and I was calling her on it.

“So did Matt come running to you and tell you I was snapping at him? I shouldn’t be surprised.” She threw her hands into the air dramatically, the sarcastic slur not going unnoticed.

“He didn’t need to tell me shit. I see it every day. I’ve noticed that you’ve changed. What the hell is going on?”

“I should be asking you that question.” Her words were measured as her eyes darkened.

“Anna, seriously. What the f*ck are you talking about?” This circular conversation was giving me a headache. Just tell me what the problem is or move the f*ck on!

“Damn it Lexi! You couldn’t just leave us alone. You have f*cking everything but you had to have him too.” Her exterior crumbled as her emotions took over the conversation.

“Ok, now I’m really confused. Just say what you freaking mean instead of talking around it. Obviously it’s not Matt that has been bothering you, it’s me. So tell me. What have I done?” I was clueless considering the reason they were able to be together was because I had orchestrated it. Ungrateful much?

“You’re in love with him. I’ve seen the way you look at each other. All the time he spends on whatever it is he’s doing for you. The way he drops everything to be at your side when you need him. And what’s worse is he loves you too. In all the years I’ve known you, you’ve never had a male friend that you haven’t slept with. Now I’m supposed to believe you’re besties with Matt and you haven’t had sex? Please, I’m not an airhead.” Anna’s face reddened.

“Anna, have you lost your goddamn mind? Matt and I aren’t sleeping together. He’s in love with you. Sure, we care a great deal about each other but it’s never been romantic, it’s not like that for us. He’s just a friend. I’m in love with Alex and it’s always been Alex. How can you think that I would not only sleep with your boyfriend but cheat on my husband?” Did she think so little of me? That I would just sleep around? That I could do that to the man that I love or a friend?

“Because I know you and I know what you are like. Who are you kidding? You’ve never stayed with one guy for long Lexi, commitment isn’t your thing. You use guys like a game, we used to laugh about it. Now you expect me to believe you have done a complete one eighty and you’re going to play happy families with Alex? I can’t believe you went and actually married him!” Her barbed words stung, she might have summed up my past accurately but I was no longer that person and I was no longer using men for sport.

“How dare you! I have slept with a lot of guys in the past but I have never cheated on any of them. Besides, no matter how colourful my past was it does not determine my future. I married Alex because he was the only man I could ever imagine a forever with. I love him and I can’t imagine a day without him in my life so I would never do anything to jeopardize that. I don’t want anyone else and trust me if I had really wanted to f*ck Matt, I would have done so while he was sleeping in my apartment every night. Not now!”