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I sighed and let my hand relax against the bedsheets. It was almost the same position from when I had left Gabe at the restaurant. For a moment, I considered calling him, but I didn't want to steal him away from his planning. He was about to move. I didn't need to take up anymore of his time. Besides, a friendship meant having boundaries.
And being sure to enact those boundaries is important. I don't need to tell him everything or run to him when things go wrong. That's what Jen is for. But Jen is on vacation.
I rolled to my back and stared at the ceiling. I clicked my tongue a few times while working out a few more thoughts in my brain. There was simply too much happening. I shook away everything, opting to sit up and make a cup of coffee. Caffeine had a way of clearing my brain.
As I set up the coffee maker, I noticed the sticky note sitting on the counter from Sunday morning. I plucked it from the marble and gently held it between my fingers, squinting at my handwriting.
I should have told him to wait, I thought grimly.Maybe he thought I didn't want him. God, why was I being so stupid?
I threw the note in the trash and went to grab the coffee grounds from the freezer. It was my favorite Colombian coffee that always perked me up. I scooped an ounce into the machine and poured water into the back, flipping the switch as soon as it was ready. The sound of the machine bubbling put me at ease for a few seconds.
I leaned against the counter.
Once I realized I was in the same corner as Saturday night, I recoiled from it as if the whole counter was on fire.
Crap. I shouldn't have done any of that. I had done well to get rid of his energy in my life. Now, I have to deal with this reminder forever. I frowned.Or not. I can search for apartments today.
When the coffee was brewed, I grabbed the carafe and poured a generous serving into a large mug. I added almond milk and one scoop of sugar before heading back into my room. I sat at the desk in front of my laptop and popped it open, determined to fix up the mess that my life had become.
And I would do it whether Levon was around or not.
CHAPTER25
Levon
“I've gotthe file right here, boss.”
I slid the folder across the table. We were sitting in a meeting room at The Grande Hotel, where we each had our own rooms.
“Excellent work, Levon. This is superb,” Mr. Herring noted while flipping open the file. He frowned and squinted at one of the pages. “Ah, you misspelled our client's name. It should be Mr. Tremblay, not Mr. Tremble.”
I wonder what Clara is doing right now?
I picked at my right nail, recalling how Clara had done the same thing when she was nervous. Since I had left, I wasn't able to get her out of my head. I saw her in everything—the mirrors that were spotless which made me think of her cleaning habits, the bed that was too firm which made me wonder what happened to that bed she hated so much, and the curtains which were blander than oatmeal without any cinnamon added.
She would have preferred them to be navy blue like my room.
“Levon?”
I blinked away my fuzzy vision. “Yes, sir?”
“There are a number of errors on this page. We can't present this to our client.”
I accepted the folded from Mr. Herring and looked closely at the page, nodding as I noticed my errors. I withdrew a green pen from my pocket protector and marked the changes needed on the page. “I'm sorry, sir.” I stood up. “I'll take care of this immediately and print out a new copy.”
“Sit down for a minute, Levon.”
I resumed my position in my chair, listening to the hinges creak slightly beneath my weight. I set the folder down and folded my hands on top of it.
“Were there additional errors?” I asked. “I'm happy to fix whatever it is.”
“I'll be honest, I haven't seen you make that many mistakes in quite a few years.”
“Ah, I guess my mind has been slipping lately. I can feel my age upon me.”
He chuckled. “You're only thirty-three, Levon. You're not old.”
I shrugged. “Must be the jet lag.”