"What if I gave you a raise? Would that help?" I didn't want to help her buy a house, but if it meant she'd have everything she wanted, then I'd do it. With, of course, the hope I'd eventually be living under that roof with her.
"I'm not accepting a raise from you outside my evaluation, Dane. That wouldn't look good to anyone, and I refuse to use this"-she waved her hand between us-"as a reason to get more money." Focusing on the papers in front of her, she silently dismissed me.
It'd been three days since Janette and I discovered Eden's secret. I wanted to ask her about it, see if she was aware we knew, but Eden had nearly perfected the art of holding me at arm's length. And I would've asked Janette, but she'd made herself scarce since leaving my office Monday.
I felt antsy, the waiting game with Eden getting the best of me. I was isolated most of the time at the office, considering Eden kept herself holed up behind the closed door with the shades drawn on the adjoining window. And I was alone at home. I still didn't have answers, didn't have a house to focus on, didn't have anyone to keep me company on the pier. I never felt so lonely before, and I'd been in a relationship for twelve years with a woman who spent most of the time ignoring me while we were in the same room. I just had to push through and keep the faith.
To help pass the weekend, knowing I wouldn't be able to see Eden for two days and needing something to do with my time, I made an appointment to get another tattoo. I'd discussed it with the guy who'd done all my ink since moving home after college. I didn't need to see his sketch before Saturday, because I knew it'd be flawless. It was an entire side piece that would take up both days in his chair. I needed Eden to trust me and take me back before I was covered from head to toe in ink. At this point, I was desperate to do anything to fill my time away from her.
As of right now, I had scheduled my realtor to show me more options after work on Friday, the two sessions over the weekend for my new tattoo, and then another visit with Gabi Monday morning. Yet it still wasn't enough to keep me from losing my mind.
My texts to Eden had progressed from telling her to marry me and grow old with me to asking her to have my children. That was the last one I'd sent her, less than an hour after work on Wednesday. At least that one earned me a response. An emoji. Not just any emoji, though. A little yellow confused face. I replied with a little yellow baby and a baby bottle. She apparently didn't feel the need to continue that conversation.
"Well … I guess since you're busy, I'll just head to my office."
"Sounds like a plan, Dane," she replied without taking her eyes off her computer screen.
I knew I was probably pushing my luck, but I couldn't help it. Throughout the rest of the day, I'd called her into my office for every little thing. By lunch, she'd started to ask me the level of importance to what I needed her for. By three o'clock, she was telling me to just email her. And by four, she stopped answering my calls altogether.
When she came in Friday morning, she headed straight to my desk and handed me a notebook and pen.
"From now on, anytime you need something from me, write it down. If it's a pressing matter that needs my attention immediately, call me. If not, make yourself a note and ask me all at once when you see me."
"I never ask you for anything that's not a pressing matter." I tried to keep a straight face.
I failed.
And so did she.
"Dane, calling me in here to ask what the weather will be like this weekend isn't considered urgent. Write it down or look it up yourself."
"Well, it's urgent if I have to make plans," I muttered under my breath.
All she did was shake her head and walk away.
Friday was a repeat of Thursday, although when she started ignoring my calls before lunch, I had to resort to her method of making notes and asking her all at once. That took all the fun out of it.
"So I'll see you Monday?" she asked after checking in with me for the last time of the day.
"Yeah, but I'll be late again. So I'll need you to handle any emails that come in flagged as important. And any calls that can't wait for me to get in. You shouldn't have any, but in case something comes up with the San Diego Mom buyback next week, I just want to make sure you're on the lookout."
"You have a meeting Monday morning?"
"Uh … " I stumbled on my words, not expecting her to question why I'd be late. I'd gotten so used to her not asking me anything for fear of crossing the employer-employee relationship, that she caught me off guard. "I'll be visiting Gabi at the clinic."