Really? by M.J. Garrett (the beginning after the end read novel .TXT) 📕

me smiling, poking fun at my doubt and childish innocence.

"She's pretty. She's young. She's nuts!" I enjoyed how playful Angela was. The smile on her face and how she pulled herself close to me, made me feel close to her. I trusted her and I wanted to be honest with her.

"Who is she...I'll kill her!" I opened my eyes wide in surprise, such a quick change of demeanor. "I'm kidding, Abe. Calm down." The playful banter was comforting. I didn't know how to react to the situation and she knew it.

Today is Friday. It was a busy week of work and we had promised the girls that we would take them to the park. The same park where Angela and I spent our first date. She had begged me to wear the flowered shirt, but with my new found sense of fashion and my new fit body, I decided to surprise her with a new shirt that I found at the store. It was a white with small red and blue stripes. There was a paisley pattern all over the shirt. It had long sleeves with snap buttons and a wide collar that could have been mistaken for 70's decor. I was proud of this shirt. My first clothing purchase in probably 5 years!

"Oh Abe!" she yelled while I pillaged through the closet. "I hope you aren't wearing that shirt that looks like a 70's curtain that we could probably use as a picnic blanket!" Slumping my shoulders and with my face going blank, I stepped out of the closet to see her standing there with her hand covering her smile and shaking her head. "Yeah. That one." We looked at each other for a second and started laughing. "You know what? Wear it. You look good."

"Erin! Katie! You guys ready?!" I walked down the hallway and into the living room and see the girls dressed and ready to go. Rick, eating a banana, turns around to see me as a smile stretches across his face.

"Now that's a kick ass shirt!!"


Chapter 13


Chapter 14


For those who are reading this, I'm sure you are wondering why Chapter 13 is missing. If you understand the luck that I have had, I'm sure you will understand why I would not take my chances at writing such an unlucky chapter.

Things have been going good for me lately. Erin and Katie are doing so well in their new school. I have an amazing beautiful woman that loves me and understands me. I have a good friend that has helped me through a lot of difficult circumstances. Life, as of now, is going pretty good. Just like everything else in the world, it all blows up in our faces and we have no control of these circumstances. I just hope that I can take them as they come and have fun.


**


“Listen, Dee. I know that we got started off on the wrong foot, but I'm a little taken back in your sudden kindness.” I stood there peeking over the cubicle wall at this pretty little not-so-innocent face that had amazing written all over it. “Why the sudden change?”

“Abe,” She spoke as she dipped her face toward the floor. “I know that I was sort of mean at first, but I have been sitting beside you for months now and you have been nothing but a sweetheart. I want to be with a sweetheart. Is that bad?”

Shocked by her response, I sat down in my office chair and buried my face in my hands. Taking a deep breath, I knew that at this moment I was going to have to be an asshole. Either an asshole to Dee or an asshole to Angela. Sitting back, I looked up toward the ceiling and decided that today I'm not going to be an asshole to anyone…maybe.

Dee's little face slowly peeked over the top of the cubicle wall as she looked at me staring toward the ceiling. “Did I say something wrong?”

“No, Dee. You didn't say anything wrong. I think you are gorgeous! Look at you! You are what every man wants...physically.” she smiled and tilted her little head to the side. “There is one issue though. When I first came here, you were so rude. You belched in my face! Really?”

“It was because I didn't want you to be like everyone else.” She began to frown. “You are different.”

“How am I different?” I squinted my eyes and pulled my head back in surprise. “You laughed at me and didn't even help me when the entire office piled on top of me.”

“Yeah, but it was kind of funny.” She again smiled in her reflection of the moment.

“Funny? I was trapped like an earthquake victim and all you did was place a stupid smiley face cup in my hand.” Rolling my eyes in remembrance, quick flashes of still photo memories filled my mind. Her little irritating laugh. Her amazing legs and high heels. That ridiculous cup! “I could have died!”

“Abe, are you kidding me?! It was just a desk, a couple of walls, and a chair. Death wasn't an option, silly.”

“Don't forget the computer!” I quickly interjected. “I could have been electrocuted! Fried and burned to a black smoldering corpse.”

“You are so cute!” She giggled as she peeked over the top of the cubicle. “I think I'm going to enjoy this.”

“Enjoy what?” I asked her in complete surprise of her response.

“The lap dance I'm going to give you in 4 minutes.” Her voice became deep and heavy. Her seductive eyes squinted as she began to bite her bottom lip.

I quickly stood up and began to run down the aisle, making my way toward the elevator. With my heart pounding and tie wrapping around the back of my neck, I darted through the cubicles like O.J. Simpson through the airport.

“Get your ass back here!!” I heard her yelling at me as I peeked over my shoulder. Her little skirt and high heels were gaining on me as I couldn't believe the situation I have found myself in. Running away from her, I plowed into this overweight lady that had her hands filled with manila folders and stacks of paper.

As time slowed down, I rolled on the floor and caught a glimpse of the would be Dallas Cowboy's defensive tackle that I have come to know as Marla.

“Hey!” Marla screamed at me as she tried to pick her fat ass up off the floor. Regaining my footing in the midst of floating papers and Marla's gritting teeth, my eyes widened as Marla stood to her feet with her fists balled in anger. As I turned to run, I heard the sound of a crash and I couldn't help but turn and look. Marla, in some form of slow motion matrix, was floating in the air as Dee and her high heels plowed her shoulder into Marla.

Breathing heavily, I had to stop and watch. Marla hitting the floor and Dee's sexy body jumping over her without any interruption. Papers still floating in the air, folders scattered on the floor, Marla on her back with Dee hurdling her in mid-air. “Really?”

Heads were popping up from the cubicles like wack-o-moles. Blank faces with headsets covering their mouths. One by one, they looked on in amazement. Turning to run from this chain of events, I darted back down the isle. Dee, gaining ground, chasing me like I stole something. Scared, I started to grab things and throw them to the ground to slow her down. Fax machines, coffee makers, books, folders, small tables. I even grabbed one of the mail clerks and pushed them to the ground to try and make my getaway. Each item was futile. She was on me like a rabid dog.

As I finally make it to the elevator, I pushed the button repeatedly until the door slid open with the sound of the ding welcoming me to my safe haven. Jumping in the elevator, I pushed the button to close the door. As the door slid shut, I could hear Dee and her craziness yelling at me that I only had 2 minutes left before my dance.

Breathing heavily, I leaned back against the elevator wall. “Really? When did Marla start working here?”


**


“Fired?” Rick asked me as he sipped on his coffee.

“Yes! Fired!” I buried my face in my hands as I tried to figure out what the hell happened.

“Marla works there now?” He asked in surprise.

“Yes. She's the one who complained on me...again.”

“Wow, you should probably stay away from her.” He took another sip of coffee and then looked at me in amazement. “So, all of this is because you didn't want a lap dance?”

“Really, Rick?” I said as I pulled my face from my hands.


**Maybe there is a Chapter 13...no matter how hard you try to deny it**


Chapter 15


She sat there in her office and looked at me over the top of her glasses. Sinking into the seat, my head lowered until it had nowhere else to hide.

"Really?" She crossed her arms over her stomach and looked at me as if she was trying hard to read between the lines. "So, you got fired? Some girl offered you a lap dance and you ran like a scared boy? You plowed over Marla, dumped several printers on the floor, pushed a mail clerk down, and then ran and hid in the elevator?"

"You know, when you say it like that you make it sound silly and childish." I mumbled those words out as I pulled my feet under my chair and turned my head away with embarrassment. "I didn't ask for this! All I wanted to do was the right thing. You are my girl and I needed to get out of the situation before I did something that I'd regret."

"Okay." She tilted her head back and squinted her eyes through her eye glasses, "So, because you were doing the right thing, you ran through the office like a maniac? For me?"

Quickly glancing at her through the corners of my eyes, I contemplated the repercussion of the words about to exit my stupid mouth. "Yes." Closing my eyes and shielding my face, I embraced for the

"Abe?" She leaned forward and placed her palms on the top of her desk, "That is the sweetest thing I have ever heard! Sure, it's a little overboard, but that