Raymond sat on a stool by the bar waiting for Ron. He had finished his first bottle of beer and was on his second one and still no sign of Ron. Grabbing a handful of nuts into his hand he thought how typical it was of Ron to be late. He down the rest of his beer in one swallow and got up to leave when he saw Ron coming towards him. “You’re late.”

Sitting down on a stool Ron signaled the bartender for two more beers. “Sorry. I bumped into an ex and she wouldn’t let me leave. I literally had to pry her hands off of me.”

“I’m surprised you don’t bump into an ex every day or even every hour considering all the women that you dated,” Raymond joked. “It must be almost the entire female population of the city.”

Smiling arrogantly, Ron boasted, “You’re right about that. No female can resist me.” Bumping his shoulder against Raymond’s he asked, “Don’t you find me handsome and irresistible too?”

Picking up his bottle of beer, Raymond answered, “Sorry you’re not my type.”

Ron leaned in closer to Raymond. Putting his arm around Raymond, he batted his eyes, “But you’re my type. Why don’t we get together so that I can add you to my long list of ex’s.”

Chuckling softly, Raymond pushed Ron away with his shoulder which caused Ron to erupt into a series of laughter. After a moment, he asked, “Is there any woman that you were ever serious about?”

Ron thought for a moment then turned to face Raymond. With a sigh, he said solemnly, “Yes there is. It’s Charmaine.”

Raymond was astounded by Ron’s admission. Even though he and Charmaine never declared anything towards each other, Raymond had always thought of Charmaine as his. The idea of Ron liking her troubled him. In a quiet voice he asked, “Have you ever told her how you feel?”

Ron nodded his head sadly, “Yes. We went out on a couple of dates and then she wanted to take a break in our relationship so that she can concentrate on her career. I’m hoping that we would get back together soon.” Searching Raymond’s face, he asked, “Will you be happy for us if we do?”

It had never occurred to Raymond that Charmaine had someone else in her life and that someone was Ron. He knew he should be supportive of his friends but he can’t seem to form the words to tell Ron that he’ll be happy for them.

Ron saw the wounded look on Raymond’s face and burst out laughing. Holding a hand to his mouth to muffle the raucous noise, he howled, “I was only joking with you! You should have seen your face.”

Raymond’s face instantly changed to one of relief. With a grin, he grumbled, “I’m going to get you back for this.”

Ron’s laughter subsided as he looked Raymond straight in the eye, “Now will you stop denying your feelings for Charmaine.”

-----------------------------------------------------------

Kevin walked out of his office and was surprised to see that Charmaine was still working at her desk at such a late hour. Placing his jacket over his arm, he walked towards her, “I am fortunate to have such a hard-working employee.”

Charmaine jumped at his voice, “You scared me. I didn’t think anyone was still around.”

Perching on a corner of her desk, Kevin crossed his arms as he looked at her, “Why are you still here?”

Charmaine leaned back in her chair, “I’m just going over some binders from today’s showing. I’m out on appointments all of tomorrow and won’t have time to review them.” Glancing at her watch, she exclaimed, “I didn’t realize how late it was.”

“Yes it is and it’s not safe for a woman to go home alone at this hour,” Kevin said as he stood up. “If you’re ready to leave now, I’ll drive you home.”

Charmaine packed up her files and stuffed them into her bag, “Thanks.”

Inside Kevin’s car, Charmaine buckled herself in the passenger seat. When the car left the garage underneath their office building, Kevin the radio, but lowered it so that it played softly in the background. “What do you think about our new management?”

“It’s different for sure,” Charmaine said, “I like how you handle situations in a democratic way. Our old boss felt that we either have to do as told or get out.”

Kevin smiled, “I learned that every one thinks things differently. The more views, the faster we can resolve a problem. Take for instance: someone who has never sold a house could actually come up with a better sales pitch than someone who sold four houses in a week.”

Charmaine smiled in agreement, “I never thought about it that way.” She turned to look at him and teased, “I’m going to make you my idol from now on.”

Kevin glanced in her direction before turning back to the road ahead, “Me? Why?”

“Look at what you have accomplished at such a young age. Plus the way you run a business is truly to be respected and admired.” The darkness of the night saved Kevin from embarrassment. He felt his face flushed by her praise.

They arrived downstairs of Charmaine’s building and Kevin got out to open the door for her. When she alighted the car, she turned to face him, “Thanks again for the lift. I’ll see you in the office.”

“Wait,” Kevin called out to her. Charmaine turned back with a questioning look. Kevin looked down at the ground, not knowing how to ask her, “I-I… Goodnight.”

Charmaine looked at Kevin oddly, wondering what was going on with him. Waving a goodnight, she entered the building.