I wished I was back in bed. Instead I was at some 7 am company culture meeting. Screw company culture, I thought. At 7 am screw it into the ground and bury it.
No, I don't hate my job. It's part time, flexible and pays fairly well. It's just that these classes are as effective as a chain link fence put up against mosquitos. You sit through a ridiculously presentation where they repeat the same things 200 times, take a test, answer questions exactly how they want you to, then everyone goes back to work the same as before. Nothing changes. Complete waste of time.
I signed in on the notepad by the door, dutifully filled out a nametag and sat in the back with my extra large coffee. It wouldn't be that bad if I could sleep with my eyes open.
Just as I started to cross my legs and get comfortable, a short pudgy man about 50 years old held his hand to his forehead so he could see all the way in the back. He pointed at me and said "hey, you there! Come on up! Let's fill the first two rows!"
I sigh as inaudibly as I could and tried not to roll my eyes. Then I willed my tired body to the front of the auditorium.
"There are some extra seats here!" he said with way too much enthusiasm. He pointed to an extra space in the middle of two very large women. Fortunately, there was a seat on the end of the second row, so I took that instead.
"I may have to step out." I said loudly so he could hear my excuse as to why I wasn't willing to wedge my way to the center. "I'm waiting on a call from a client." I smiled tightly and decided I didn't care if he saw through me or or not. Then I watched as another attendee endured the same treatment. This poor woman ended up shimmying her way into the middle aisle. God I missed the pandemic. Last year we were six feet apart and sitting away from the stage was encouraged.
For the next hour, I doodled discreetly on my notepad and tried not to check my phone. Then, just when I thought I would visibly roll my eyes if I heard the phrase "omni connected" one more time, I had the eerie feeling of being watched.
Curiously, I swiveled my head, and realized someone was looking at me from maybe 30 feet away. Recognition hit, and our eyes locked. I was trapped by his gaze, and unable to breath or think. It was like I was in some kind of vortex, and I wondered if the thunderbolt that hit me had hit him as well.
When I finally tore my eyes away from him, I looked down at my notepad and felt my heart pound.
It was Tommy. A man I'd had a crush on that had eased itself into emotional affair territory a few years ago. Before the pandemic had stopped our liaison in its tracks.
When I finally regained my senses, I looked back at him as discreetly as I could and saw he was no longer looking at me, but at the speaker on stage. I guess he felt my eyes on him and began to turn toward me again, so I snapped my eyes forward, feeling breathless.
The speaker droned on for another half hour, during which time I was tortured. We stole glances at each other, unable to stop ourselves, but trying not to let the other know what we were doing. It was a sensual game of cat and mouse where we took turns being the hunter and hunted.
Finally, after learning an acronym for how to interact more positively with people over email, we were released for a bathroom break.
I walked out of the auditorium, both wanting and not wanting to run into him. What would I say? I felt like I was transported back to junior high with a crush. Or maybe just 2.5 years back when the butterflies wouldn't leave my stomach because of him.
I felt a blush creep into my cheeks, and I felt nervous, though I tried to tell myself I didn't need to be. We never slept together. He was simply a guy I liked, and had a few conversations with. Yeah, there were a few text conversations that crossed over into somewhat flirtatious territory, but that was all. The crush was mutual, I was positive of that, but we were both married, so that was that. Had the pandemic not put a stop to it, I would have. I wasn't a husband stealer. I had empathy for his wife, who seemed like a decent person, even if my marriage was lonely and Michael barely spoke to me.
When I saw him coming towards me, I put on my best smile.
"Hey! I didn't expect to see you here. I thought you quit Smith Co." I said as casually as I could manage. He looked hot in his suit. Professional and in control, much different than I had seen him last in a beat up old concert tee showing my son how to scoop notes on guitar.
"They offered me a full time job in IT, so I took it." he replied, and I wished I had worn a skirt with heels instead of slacks and flats.
"Oh, that's awesome." I said. "We certainly miss you in our department." I told him, just trying to be nice.
"I miss being over there too." then to change the subject, he said "You're looking fantastic." and scanned his eyes over my entire body. I laughed a little. Sure, I still kept in shape, but my clothing was slouchy at best. Today I barely ticked the box of business casual, especially having to get to work two hours earlier than usual. When I spent most days flirting, I looked a lot better. Had my hair and nails done, make up, heels. All of it.
"So how's Megan?" I asked, remembering his wife's name. If social media was any indication, she was sort of an earthy type who liked tie dye, pottery and hinted heavily that she liked to smoke pot.
"She's doing good. Gardening a lot." he hesitated. "What about Michael?"
"Same old." I told him. "Crazy busy at the hospital as usual." I said, and immediately regretted saying that. If that wasn't an invitation for him to swoop back into my life, I wasn't sure what was. Maybe I'd said it because I really did want him back.
"And Eric?" he asked, talking about my son. I sensed he wanted to stop talking about my husband.