For the next couple of weeks, I found myself taking a walk every single day after work in the gym at my apartment complex.

When my mind becomes a mess, I go for a walk. It feels like an escape for me, it has ever since I was young.

Things go wrong, so I put in my Air Pods and go for a walk.

The Air Pods go in, and the rest of the world gets tuned out.

Usually, I'll listen to music, my favorite is hip hop, and sometimes I'll put on a podcast about relationships and sex.

All that matters is that I am in the zone, and I try to not let whatever else that is going on in my life infiltrate my mind.

However, that can prove to be difficult.

Thanksgiving was approaching, and I had off work on that Thursday and Friday. The Wednesday before was a half day in the office, and we were getting a catered lunch.

That Tuesday night I found my feet pounding away on the treadmill after work at the gym.

First of all, fuck Gabby.

For close to 6 months my emotions were played, and I was essentially led on.

Second, fuck Kori.

She starts to let me in, and shows signs of attraction, and then completely shuts me down.

I knew it wasn't just as simple though as "fuck Kori".

I hadn't spoken to her a lot since our conversation. Well, not really conversation, her just telling me how our relationship was inappropriate.

When we would speak, she was purely professional. I tried to see if there were any small inklings of how she had been toward me peeking through at all, but there wasn't. No glances that were a second too long, no small smiles. She wasn't extra cold to me, but she sure as hell wasn't warm either.

She treated me like I was simply anyone else that worked for her.

I hated how much it hurt.

But it fucking hurt.

I would have to get over it. I didn't want to leave my job at Hollis anytime soon, and she was my boss. I had to just get the fuck over it at some point.

Ever since my run in with Denae in the ladies' room, I saw her a few times in the office. She flashed me a smile and a wave, and I swore, once again, her eyes would linger on me.

All I knew was, a small Thanksgiving break was needed.

I was going to be having dinner with my family at my Aunt Karen's house, like I did every year, but it was with extended family as well, so it was easier to avoid my parents as much as I could.

That Wednesday before Thanksgiving, no one was really doing any work.

Even Kori knew it, as she came up to the department and said, "Try to get as much done as you possibly can. Don't worry, I'm not expecting much today."

I watched as she stood by Hassan's desk and addressed us all.

I couldn't help but to look at her pretty green eyes, and still feel...something for her.

Curse her for being so good looking.

After she spoke, her eyes landed me in for a split second, but as soon as they were there and I looked back at her, they were immediately gone.

The catered lunch was going to be served buffet style in the conference room. The conference room was the largest room in the building, and it could hold many people. We were told that we could sit in there and eat if we wanted to as well.

I figured I would just eat back at my desk alone or even visit Francine and Mackenna up at the front. Grace was gone for the week, as she was visiting her family in Oregon for Thanksgiving.

Each department got called down to the conference room to get our food, and IT was after Accounting.

I walked down to the conference room and got in the back of the line. The food smelled delicious; the whole room was filled with the aroma of fresh herbs.

As I stood in line, a familiar face walked up to me, plate in hand.

"Hey Ashley," Denae smiled at me, "I know this may be a bit forward to ask, but I figured why not. Want to sit with me here in the conference room and enjoy our lunch?"

My eyes widened slightly, "Sure. Thanks for asking, I was just going to eat at my desk."

"I definitely don't want you to have to eat alone. I'll be at the windows over there, come on over once you have your food."

"Okay," I nodded, "Will do, thanks Denae."

When I got to the food, finally, I added some salad, chicken, and pasta to my plate, and then took a seat next to Denae. She had pushed two chairs over by the back windows. There were plenty of other people eating in the conference room as well, with chairs scattered everywhere.

"Man, this food is delicious," Denae said, taking a bite of a salad with steak, "Hollis really knows how to treat us well."

"You're not wrong about that," I nodded, "It's been really nice since I started working here."

Denae nodded as well and then spoke, "If you don't mind me asking, do you miss being a nurse?"

I was taken aback for a split second. I hadn't been asked that since I stopped being one.

"Overall...not really," I said honestly, "Sometimes I miss having patients and feeling like I am really making a difference in someone's life, even if just for a few moments. But the stress is something I don't miss."

"My ex fiancé was a nurse, she's not one anymore as well. The stress was all too much for her too. I know many nurses are quitting due to that."

She.

I could have guessed.

"It's definitely a problem. Not to say any job can't be stressful, but nursing is certainly up there."

"Please, I deal with numbers, you quite literally have someone's life in your hands!" Denae looked at me, "That's much more stressful."

I couldn't help but laugh as I said, "That is very true, when you look at it that way."

Denae laughed as well, and at that moment, Kori walked into the conference room.

I couldn't help that my heart skipped a beat as she did so.

Kori's eyes scanned the room for a split second...and then landed right on Denae and I.

And for the first time in weeks, Kori made direct eye contact with me for more than a millisecond.

This time it was me who broke eye contact, as I turned back to Denae and smiled.

Denae then said to me, "Can I confess something?"

I nodded, "Of course."

"I mentioned that I met you to Destiny, who works in my department. She said she knew you well...and she might have mentioned to me that you are into women as well."

Oh.

I wasn't exactly sure if I liked the fact that Destiny shared that information about me, but unfortunately you can't stop people from talking.

Even if you've only met them once.

"I am," I said to Denae, "I'm gay."

"As am I," Denae said with a small smile, "I wanted to ask you, are you currently seeing anyone?"

Wow. Someone's forward.

"Not currently, no," I said to Denae, also with a smile forming on my lips.

Once again, I looked at Kori out of the corner of my eye. She was at the front of the buffet line, and she was looking right at Denae and I. Almost like she wasn't even trying to hide it.

Denae looked at me, "Good to know. Now, anyway, tell me how you landed the job at Hollis."

I talked to Denae some more and told her how I found the job on Indeed one day, had two interviews, and then landed the position. Denae spoke to me about how she originally started in IT when she was in school to be an accountant.

I enjoyed talking to Denae. She was very personable, and a good listener.

However, even when her eyes would lock with mine, I wasn't sure if I felt that spark.

Unlike with someone else, who I most definitely knew I felt that spark with.

Right before leaving the conference room to start to head home for the day, Denae gave me her Instagram handle and said, "Add me. Maybe we can message some more over these next few days."

Instagram, really? You're not even going to give me your number?

I walked back up to the IT department, where everyone was packing up to leave. As I started to pack up my bag for the day, Lewis came up to me.

"Hey, Ashley," he said, "Kori said she needed a word with you really quick before you leave. She wanted me to let you know."

Oh, does she now?

"Thank you," I said to Lewis, "I'll stop by her office on my way out. Have a great holiday."

"You too," Lewis grinned at me, and he then walked off.

My heart rate picked up as I finished packing up my bag and made my way over to Kori's office.

Her door was slightly open.

I took a deep breath before knocking and said, "It's Ashley."

"Come in. Close the door behind you, please."

I walked into Kori's office and closed the door. She was sitting at her desk, a plate of untouched food in front of her. She was looking at her laptop but closed it almost all the way when I walked in, and then stood up and walked around to the other side of the desk, facing me.

I took a few steps closer to her, "You wanted to see me?"

At the same time, Kori took a couple of steps closer to me.

To my surprise, Kori said to me, "Just a word of advice, Denae is engaged."

Whoa.

I looked at Kori, "Why are you telling me this?"

"I didn't think it would be the best look for you to be flirting in front of everyone with someone who is engaged," Kori said in an even tone.

"Kori, she told me she has an ex-fiancé. As far as I know, she's not engaged."

Kori's brow furrowed, "Oh. Well, then I do apologize for being incorrect."

I stared at Kori blankly for a second and then said to her, "You really called me into your office to tell me to not flirt with Denae?"

"Like I said, I wanted to ensure that you weren't flirting with someone who is engaged in front of everyone in the conference room."

I wasn't sure what came over me at that moment, but I found myself rolling my eyes and said, "Sure, Kori. Whatever you say."

Kori shot me a severe look that normally would have stopped me in my tracks, "Ashley, remember who you're speaking to. I'm your boss."

"A boss normally wouldn't call someone to their office to tell them to stop flirting with another colleague," I shot back, "It's entirely inappropriate."

There I was now, using the exact words Kori said to me to describe how she felt about our relationship.

"Don't use my words against me, Ashley," Kori said, in a firm tone.

I looked straight at Kori, "Why do you even care? You made it very clear you want nothing to do with me."

Kori lowered her voice, "Denae was in my department. She'll flirt with anything that moves, even in a relationship."

"Okay. But why do you care if she flirts with me?"

Kori and I were looking right at each other, once again, with a million unspoken words between us.

I took a step forward, now even closer to Kori, and continued, "You're jealous, aren't you? I saw how you were looking at Denae and me. You couldn't stand to see us."

Kori looked as though she was carefully choosing her words to say to me, until she simply sighed and said to me, "Yes, Ashley. I was jealous. I am jealous."

I blinked, taken aback at Kori's admission of jealousy.

"I'm jealous that Denae gets to flirt with you without even thinking about it for a second. It doesn't matter. She's not your boss, she's not thirteen years older than you," Kori said to me in a soft yet earnest tone.

I looked at Kori, "Kori, those things don't matter to me."

"But they matter to me. I'll admit it, I am wildly attracted to you. I have been since the moment I laid eyes on you, and I can't seem to stay away from you. These past couple of weeks were incredibly difficult, trying to avoid speaking to you how I truly want to."

"You can't keep doing this back and forth with me, Kori. It's not fair. You either want this, or you don't."

"I want this. I want you. So fucking badly, Ashley, you have no idea," Kori said softly.

We were standing close to each other, eyes locked. My heart was thumping, and I swore I could hear Kori's heart as well.

I wanted to kiss her. I wanted to kiss her, but I was still hesitant. She had to make the first move.

"So, what do we do?" I asked Kori.

Kori closed her eyes for a second and then said, "I need to think about this. Thoroughly."

My voice lowered, practically to a whisper, "Please, just don't mess with me here."

Kori swallowed nervously, "I'm not messing with you on purpose. I'm just in a really tough position."

I looked at Kori and she continued, "But the last thing I want is to hurt you. Just...give me some time to think."

I nodded, "Okay. I will."

Kori then looked down, and to my surprise, she laced her fingers through mine and squeezed my hand.

Even just that simple touch sent electricity through my veins.

Kori then let go of my hand and looked back up at me.

"Have a nice Thanksgiving, Ashley," Kori said to me, "I'll...I'll be thinking of you. A lot."

So will I, Kori.