early, and there were only a few tables with diners, most of them older people, and a couple of young families. Despite the early hour, she couldn’t stop herself from looking for Ryle. But although more diners came in, it was no one they knew.
On Monday morning, Charlie got to work earlier than usual. She wasn’t surprised to see Jeff’s car already there. She was walking towards her office when Jeff came out of his.
“ Charlie,” Jeff said her name somberly.
“ Good morning.” She murmured, briefly meeting his eyes.
The hangar was still relatively quiet except for a few early workers who were busy doing their own thing.
“I…er…tried calling you yesterday.” He said.
“ I know; I got your voicemail.” She said. “I was out all day and my cell phone ran out of power.”
“ Do you have a few minutes? Can we talk?” Jeff asked.
“ Sure.” She agreed as he fell into step beside her.
There was a long moment of silence as they walked in the direction of her office.
“So, I’m not sure where we stand.” Jeff began huskily. “Charlie, you know I really care about you and honestly, I wanted us to be more than just friends…this dating thing is not working…” He sighed, raking his hand through his hair. “I understand your reservation about trusting a man again after your ex, but I thought we were moving past your misgivings. I thought you were starting to trust me.”
Charlie shook her head. “I trust you, Jeff.”
“ Then…”
“ I don’t know what to say, but I think we should stop dating; take a break.” She said.
“ What are you saying? You don’t even want to give us a chance…?”
“ I’m sorry, Jeff. I can't do this right now.” She admitted, being as honest as she could without admitting to some things she just wasn't ready to face. “I just need time alone to think. I would like it if we could still be friends, but I understand if you don’t want to.”
Loosing Jeff as a friend was not easy. She didn’t realized how much she was used to seeing his smiling face and talking with hi m at lunch time and after work. Her days at PAL seemed brighter when he was around to chat with at breaks or lunch time. He shared a passion for his work much as she did, and he understood her for it unlike other men she had dated who didn’t work in the same field. As for outside of work, that time was easily filled with her friends.
She had told her friends about the breakup and they seemed to understand ev en if they didn’t exactly agree with her about it. Telling her parents was not as easy. She knew how much her parents, especially her mom, worried about her. This breakup would cause them a lot of concern. She’ll have to break this to them gently. Maybe wait a little while, let the dust settle, before she told them. She was still wondering how to tell them when her mom asked her about Jeff over breakfast a couple of weeks later.
“Darling, how is Jeff? We haven’t seen him for the last couple of weeks.” Her mother asked.
“ Jeff is good.” Charlie murmured.
“ Did you invite him for dinner tomorrow?” Her mother asked, somewhat preoccupied with mixing the pancake batter.
“ Um…Jeff won’t be coming tomorrow.”
Eva stopped to search her face. “Is there something wrong between you, darling? Did you have a fight?”
Charlie opened her mouth to answer. This was it, the moment of truth. But her mom seemed so harried the last few days as she helped a local community centre organize a neighborhood event. Charlie hesitated to tell her mom the truth right now. She hated lying to her parents, but it might be better if she waited until the neighborhood event was done.
“ No. We’re fine, Mom.”
Telling her parents about Jeff was not the only thing occupied her mind. As much as she tried to push thoughts of Ryle from her mind, she couldn’t stop thinking about him. And every time she thought of him, she remembered that look in his eyes. They were
On Monday morning, Charlie got to work earlier than usual. She wasn’t surprised to see Jeff’s car already there. She was walking towards her office when Jeff came out of his.
“ Charlie,” Jeff said her name somberly.
“ Good morning.” She murmured, briefly meeting his eyes.
The hangar was still relatively quiet except for a few early workers who were busy doing their own thing.
“I…er…tried calling you yesterday.” He said.
“ I know; I got your voicemail.” She said. “I was out all day and my cell phone ran out of power.”
“ Do you have a few minutes? Can we talk?” Jeff asked.
“ Sure.” She agreed as he fell into step beside her.
There was a long moment of silence as they walked in the direction of her office.
“So, I’m not sure where we stand.” Jeff began huskily. “Charlie, you know I really care about you and honestly, I wanted us to be more than just friends…this dating thing is not working…” He sighed, raking his hand through his hair. “I understand your reservation about trusting a man again after your ex, but I thought we were moving past your misgivings. I thought you were starting to trust me.”
Charlie shook her head. “I trust you, Jeff.”
“ Then…”
“ I don’t know what to say, but I think we should stop dating; take a break.” She said.
“ What are you saying? You don’t even want to give us a chance…?”
“ I’m sorry, Jeff. I can't do this right now.” She admitted, being as honest as she could without admitting to some things she just wasn't ready to face. “I just need time alone to think. I would like it if we could still be friends, but I understand if you don’t want to.”
Loosing Jeff as a friend was not easy. She didn’t realized how much she was used to seeing his smiling face and talking with hi m at lunch time and after work. Her days at PAL seemed brighter when he was around to chat with at breaks or lunch time. He shared a passion for his work much as she did, and he understood her for it unlike other men she had dated who didn’t work in the same field. As for outside of work, that time was easily filled with her friends.
She had told her friends about the breakup and they seemed to understand ev en if they didn’t exactly agree with her about it. Telling her parents was not as easy. She knew how much her parents, especially her mom, worried about her. This breakup would cause them a lot of concern. She’ll have to break this to them gently. Maybe wait a little while, let the dust settle, before she told them. She was still wondering how to tell them when her mom asked her about Jeff over breakfast a couple of weeks later.
“Darling, how is Jeff? We haven’t seen him for the last couple of weeks.” Her mother asked.
“ Jeff is good.” Charlie murmured.
“ Did you invite him for dinner tomorrow?” Her mother asked, somewhat preoccupied with mixing the pancake batter.
“ Um…Jeff won’t be coming tomorrow.”
Eva stopped to search her face. “Is there something wrong between you, darling? Did you have a fight?”
Charlie opened her mouth to answer. This was it, the moment of truth. But her mom seemed so harried the last few days as she helped a local community centre organize a neighborhood event. Charlie hesitated to tell her mom the truth right now. She hated lying to her parents, but it might be better if she waited until the neighborhood event was done.
“ No. We’re fine, Mom.”
Telling her parents about Jeff was not the only thing occupied her mind. As much as she tried to push thoughts of Ryle from her mind, she couldn’t stop thinking about him. And every time she thought of him, she remembered that look in his eyes. They were
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