Focus
The first time Antonio brought Elizabeth lunch to her work, she'd found it sweet. They'd gone out onto the rooftop garden and set up an impromptu picnic and it had been the most romantic moment of their relationship yet.
The second time, a few weeks later, she obliged him but the holidays were approaching and things were getting busier and busier which made her lunch break shorter and shorter.
Despite her explaining this to him that night, he returns for a third time the day before Christmas Eve, when she's most desperate to get through all of her pending work so she can properly enjoy the holiday, and although the grin on his face is affectionate and adorable, her annoyance level rises. "Are you hungry?"
"No," she says dully, motioning to the piles of paperwork scattered around her desk. "I am ridiculously busy, though. Antonio, it's so sweet of you, but--"
"Come on, Liz, you should be able to take a few minutes away, you need to be able to eat," he wheedles her, his charming smile not wavering.
"I don't, and I can't," she says, glancing up at him. "I'm sorry, Antonio, it's nice but--"
"Elizabeth, are you going to really let this food get cold?" he insists, smile finally beginning to slip. "Please--"
"No," she says through gritted teeth. "Please just go, Antonio. I need to finish this work before five." He's still standing over her as she leans over her desk, causing her blood pressure to raise even further. "Antonio, just go!"
He flinches and turns, leaving as quickly as he'd arrived. She releases a deep breath and turns back to work, a niggling guilty feeling growing in her gut, but she tries to justify how she'd treated him, at least until she finishes all of her work, which she only just succeeds at minutes before 5 PM. Piling the reports up, she wanders around, delivering them where they need to go. As soon as this is done, she stretches and sighs as her shoulders and lower back pops. "Ah..."
It's when she's outside, the fresh evening air revitalizing her, that she remembers Antonio, her stomach dropping. She feels entirely guilty, though her temper had made sense to her at the time. She had never meant to hurt his feelings, and she's almost surprised when she arrives back at the apartment and finds his car parked in the lot, the lights in the living room on. She ventures inside after grabbing all of her things out of the car, dropping her coat and bag in the closet before standing in the doorway.
He's staring down at the newspaper, clearly trying not to glance up at her. She sighs and approaches him, sitting down next to him on the couch. He still says nothing so she sits back and runs her fingers through her hair, trying to give him some time. He still doesn't react and she grimaces, deciding to swallow her pride and make the first move.
"I was very rude to you earlier," she admits. "I was trying to finish my work early so I could enjoy all of Christmas with you and our families, but I should've just explained myself better... it just felt like every moment I spent talking was another that risked my not succeeding and having to bring work home."
"I see," he says dully, still not looking at her.
She grimaces and lightly runs her fingers through his short hair. "I should've told you sooner... I loved you wanting to come spend our lunch hours together, but I get in a certain mindset when I'm at work. I just want to get everything done so I can come home and spend the rest of the day with you, but when you come over... it snaps me out of that focus and I usually end having to bring more work home." She releases a breath, staring down at her hands. "Does that make much sense? I love having meals with you, I just can't do it at work and not have to ruin our evenings..."
He finally looks up at her, folding the paper and setting it aside. "You know, that does make sense. I just wish you would've told me that earlier, instead of losing your temper in front of all of your officemates..."
She leans closer to him and cups his face, making him look at her. "I really am sorry, Antonio," she sighs. "You know I get focused on one thing and when someone distracts me, I get really cranky. I'm sorry I took it out on you..." When he doesn't resist her touch, she leans up to kiss him. "How about this, when things at work calm down, we'll figure out when we both are available for lunch... but when we're not, whoever gets home first will have a nice dinner ready for the other."
He seems to ponder it while she kisses him again, finally nodding. "I think I can make that work, Liz," he agrees, his hand trailing lazily down her side. She's relieved to see the smile she adores back on his face, his eyes gleaming as he presses warm kisses along her jawline.
"Thank you," she murmurs, relieved.
The second time, a few weeks later, she obliged him but the holidays were approaching and things were getting busier and busier which made her lunch break shorter and shorter.
Despite her explaining this to him that night, he returns for a third time the day before Christmas Eve, when she's most desperate to get through all of her pending work so she can properly enjoy the holiday, and although the grin on his face is affectionate and adorable, her annoyance level rises. "Are you hungry?"
"No," she says dully, motioning to the piles of paperwork scattered around her desk. "I am ridiculously busy, though. Antonio, it's so sweet of you, but--"
"Come on, Liz, you should be able to take a few minutes away, you need to be able to eat," he wheedles her, his charming smile not wavering.
"I don't, and I can't," she says, glancing up at him. "I'm sorry, Antonio, it's nice but--"
"Elizabeth, are you going to really let this food get cold?" he insists, smile finally beginning to slip. "Please--"
"No," she says through gritted teeth. "Please just go, Antonio. I need to finish this work before five." He's still standing over her as she leans over her desk, causing her blood pressure to raise even further. "Antonio, just go!"
He flinches and turns, leaving as quickly as he'd arrived. She releases a deep breath and turns back to work, a niggling guilty feeling growing in her gut, but she tries to justify how she'd treated him, at least until she finishes all of her work, which she only just succeeds at minutes before 5 PM. Piling the reports up, she wanders around, delivering them where they need to go. As soon as this is done, she stretches and sighs as her shoulders and lower back pops. "Ah..."
It's when she's outside, the fresh evening air revitalizing her, that she remembers Antonio, her stomach dropping. She feels entirely guilty, though her temper had made sense to her at the time. She had never meant to hurt his feelings, and she's almost surprised when she arrives back at the apartment and finds his car parked in the lot, the lights in the living room on. She ventures inside after grabbing all of her things out of the car, dropping her coat and bag in the closet before standing in the doorway.
He's staring down at the newspaper, clearly trying not to glance up at her. She sighs and approaches him, sitting down next to him on the couch. He still says nothing so she sits back and runs her fingers through her hair, trying to give him some time. He still doesn't react and she grimaces, deciding to swallow her pride and make the first move.
"I was very rude to you earlier," she admits. "I was trying to finish my work early so I could enjoy all of Christmas with you and our families, but I should've just explained myself better... it just felt like every moment I spent talking was another that risked my not succeeding and having to bring work home."
"I see," he says dully, still not looking at her.
She grimaces and lightly runs her fingers through his short hair. "I should've told you sooner... I loved you wanting to come spend our lunch hours together, but I get in a certain mindset when I'm at work. I just want to get everything done so I can come home and spend the rest of the day with you, but when you come over... it snaps me out of that focus and I usually end having to bring more work home." She releases a breath, staring down at her hands. "Does that make much sense? I love having meals with you, I just can't do it at work and not have to ruin our evenings..."
He finally looks up at her, folding the paper and setting it aside. "You know, that does make sense. I just wish you would've told me that earlier, instead of losing your temper in front of all of your officemates..."
She leans closer to him and cups his face, making him look at her. "I really am sorry, Antonio," she sighs. "You know I get focused on one thing and when someone distracts me, I get really cranky. I'm sorry I took it out on you..." When he doesn't resist her touch, she leans up to kiss him. "How about this, when things at work calm down, we'll figure out when we both are available for lunch... but when we're not, whoever gets home first will have a nice dinner ready for the other."
He seems to ponder it while she kisses him again, finally nodding. "I think I can make that work, Liz," he agrees, his hand trailing lazily down her side. She's relieved to see the smile she adores back on his face, his eyes gleaming as he presses warm kisses along her jawline.
"Thank you," she murmurs, relieved.