[DURING] ... time to forget

[freshoffthefarm]

Every day, at one-thirty in the afternoon, Annie went to the cafeteria to get lunch. It wasn't so that she could see Webb getting his lunch, it just so happened that she did. In fact, while they'd dated, it had been a happy coincidence: thirty minutes of together time. After they'd broken up, she often left the lunch area as soon as he entered it

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[freshoffthefarm]

The next morning, Annie woke up feeling slightly dull. Not quite hungover, but not nearly as spry as she should be. Laying in her bed, she looked up at the ceiling as she thought about the previous night's events and why should have possibly felt the way she did after.

It took several hours and a couple of activities: coffee, laundry, reading the newspaper and the like before she finally had her answer. Around six o'clock that night, she called Jai Wilcox.

"Hey," she said quietly. "I was wondering if you'd like to come over again. Dinner. Actual food, not ice cream. And we can um, talk."

[princeofthecia]

Jai had been at work all day, he found it more productive than just sitting home. He was surprised when she invited him over, he wondered briefly if she was going to tell him to forget last night ever happened.

"I could go for some actual food, sure."

[freshoffthefarm]

The fact that he'd been at work on a Saturday shouldn't have shocked her, but it did give her another insight into his character. Glad he hadn't turned her down, she told him to cover over about seven and that she'd order in.

"I'll see you then."

[princeofthecia]

Jai said goodbye then hung up the phone and looked at it, shaking his head. He left work shortly after that, deciding to go home and clean up first before heading over to her place.

When he arrived he knocked on the door and waited to be let in.

[freshoffthefarm]

Opening the door, Annie gave him a tentative smile and gestured for him to enter before shutting and locking it behind him. Too late, she realized the finality of the second motion and decided to forget any kind of symbolism it might have signified.

"I ordered Chinese, I hope that's okay?" She snuck past him to where she'd left cartons and paper plates on her coffee table near her couch.

[princeofthecia]

The action was noted by Jai but he didn't mention it to her. He smiled and nodded "It's more than okay." He moved over to the couch and took a seat, going through the cartons on the table looking for something to eat.

[freshoffthefarm]

While he served himself, she got comfortable on the couch and then served her own plate up. Aiming for small talk was awkward when she obviously wanted to discuss the previous night, but she tried anyway.

"What'd you do with yourself all day?"

[princeofthecia]

"Paperwork mostly." Jai said as he picked up a carton of sweet and sour pork and started to eat, there was an awkwardness between them yes but Jai though it better to push through it "How about you?"

[freshoffthefarm]

"Laundry, puttered around." She took a bite of her chow mein and then gave in to the awkwardness and decided to just confess where her mind had been all day. "And I thought a lot about last night."

[princeofthecia]

"As did I." Jai nodded "What were your thoughts?"

[freshoffthefarm]

"Honestly?" She gave him a hard look and then put down her plate and fork, wiping her mouth with a napkin so she could focus on what she was going to say.

Taking a deep breath, she said, "What we did last night was really unfair to you. I mean, when I invited you over here for vodka, you probably knew what you were getting into, but I mean the stuff after. I won't lie, I felt guilty. Not just about using you for sex, which I did, but because it felt like I'd almost cheated on Webb." Not Clayton, not Clay, but Webb. "It was the first time I'd even come close to doing anything crazy like that and we went straight into the deep end."

She realized her monologue had gotten off track and she tried again. "What I'm saying is this: he left me. Which makes him the problem, not me and certainly not you. I'm sorry that I invited you were under false pretenses, but I'm not sorry about what happened. I'm really sorry that I let you leave last night. That won't happen again

[princeofthecia]

"Annie, Annie." Jai shook his head and put his food down, taking her hand "You're right, I knew full well what I was getting in to. Did I back away? No, because my friend needed me...and I wanted her." He raised an eyebrow "Does that mean I'm not leaving this evening?"

[freshoffthefarm]

"If you want to stay tonight? I'd like that." Annie squeezed his hand and tried to ignore the flutter in her stomach when he said that he'd wanted her. Still, as she pulled her hand away so that she could pick up her plate again, she had to smile. Just a small one, a quirk of her mouth. "Your friend wanted you, too."

[princeofthecia]

Jai smiled back, popping some food into his mouth "Then I would say that she has impeccable taste." He winked.

[freshoffthefarm]

Annie rolled her eyes good-naturedly, smiling into her food. "Yeah, she'd agree, though she'd add that she can't help but be drawn to men with big egos."

[princeofthecia]

Jai frowned "That hurts me right here." He placed his hand over his chest then smiled "No, not really. I hope they have other attractive points besides their egos."