||03||Love In The Past||03||

3.

Work is their only happiness and when things get mighty high or stumble down mighty low they lose themselves in it because that's there only source of happiness. Work is the way to avoid their social problems with their relationships and associations. Work is the way to shift their brain from the thoughts of the other. Work is their addiction, their drug to cure their wounded hearts. But when work becomes sabotaged by their new-found relationships and family tragedies, how will they react?

"Now, Ms. Cohen, it's been brought to my attention that you have an unacceptable amount of absences required to be fired,' Riley's boss, spoke. His voice was hoarse and deep and rung with forty six years of wisdom. His hair was a dark hue of red that stood straight up due to the massive amounts of moose he piled upon it. His piercing green eyes focused on the nonchalant figure that stood before him. Focus that was so fierce that it would have made any worker uncomfortable but not Riley. Riley stared right back with a force not familiar with Mr. Levington. And it was he who felt a bit uncomfortable, now.

"But not, only, that but a certain man of the name, Mr. Courier, has brought something up to earn my concern," her boss voiced, carefully, taking off from his chair and leaning on his office window. Every time he appeared by his office's window, he was certainly trying to solve a difficult problem. And the one that sat behind him was a very difficult problem to solve. Riley had always been emotionless but, yet, when it came to her work you could see so much emotion lurking within that you would be amazed that she was the creator. And, she was the best he had so far. From the arts to the architecture, she had a variety of style that was beyond ordinary. He couldn't just fire her for her insignificant life problems as the man had suggested. No matter how little her problems were, she was the future of his corporation, and he had to allow her to fix them without them turning into big unfixable problems.

"And what is it that this man has brought up to concern you? It must be something big since I'm in your office," she responded, monotonously. Deep down somewhere she could feel her heart thump against her rib cage at the fact that her current borderline boyfriend may have leaked harmful information to her boss that could ruin her career. She knew that he was worried but not worried enough to take her away from her job. She knew that he had his obvious opinions about her working in late hours, drowning herself in her work, recently picking up her drinking habits and 'most importantly' neglecting his needs. Which she had no idea which needs they were. But she hadn't thought of him thinking that it was her job that was driving her insane. She mentally sighed at her new born frustration.

"Mr. Courier stated that you have recently picked up liquor to face your problems. I'm sure he was hinting that your job is the problem. But I want to know it from you, Ms. Cohen, is it your job that's overwhelming you all of a sudden? Do you think you can't handle a heavier workload? Because I think you can, Ms. Cohen," Riley's boss turned away from the office window and stared at her with his striking emerald eyes. He was sure of it, that if it was Riley's job that was the problem, it wouldn't be a problem anymore. He would give her a promotion and a pay raise right on the spot if she were to respond 'no'.

"No, Mr. Levington, not at all. I am fine with the projects you have given me. I'm on schedule and I have everything on point. It's just that these days have been a rough couple of days for me because of past issues. It's usually this part of the year that I just feel so much less th-" Riley stopped before she lost herself, again, in the memories of yesterday. It was no use looking in the past but, yet, she couldn't help but look back. Her eyes sunk to the marble tiles of the floor. It was at that moment that she wore her depressed heart upon her face and Mr. Levington knew at once what it was due to his own hormonal teenage daughter.

"Ms. Cohen, if you don't mind my asking so, why is there a beautiful and talented young lady wasting her time dragging her heart about the floor when their are so many young bachelors in this building and the world waiting to help you pick your heart off the ground and sweep you off your feet," he questioned her, a quizzical expression wiping the surfaces of his face. She looked up at him and the corners of her mouth formed an upside down smile. Which made him place his hands in his pockets as he couldn't just look at his desk surface because he was no longer sitting, comfortably, behind it. "I mean there is so many fish in the sea."
She sighed before she answered,

"But there's only one fish for me."

He leaned upon his balcony's embroidered handrail while his eyes traced the dark skies that cried shooting stars. The dancing stars shined a hot white against the midnight blue skies. They frolicked down from the heavens above and romped the skies they touched. Then, quickly, disappeared from sight as soon as they had made their appearance. The only aspect that managed to stay in his presence for more than a minute managed to be the night's full moon. Not, even, his girlfriend seemed to respect his presence for, at least, a minute's time.

Nathaniel turned around from the scenery and to that of his girlfriend. Her physique glowed under the night's full moon. Her ivory skin illuminated under the moonlight. Her blonde hair flowed, gently, along with the night's breeze. Leaving the linings of her soft face, aglow. And her eyes took on an effect of a silvery hue due to the small water fountains that treaded small glistening water beads down her ivory cheeks.

"Are you still in love with her," she questioned. Her voice sounded languorous due to the fact that she had been pining over the idea that Nathaniel was still in love with another women. A women, in fact, that he hadn't seen or gained contact with for over six years, now, or so he said. She didn't understand why he had kept that box with that diamond ring. She didn't understand why he went ballistic when she threw the box out into the woods. She didn't understand why he went out into the woods to retrieve it. She didn't understand why he reacted the way he did when it dealt with that box. She didn't understand why he was still holding on to the mere memory of somebody who abandoned him when he had her (The current girlfriend). She didn't understand.

"Priscilla," Nathaniel sighed, deeply, as he leaned back onto the banister of the balcony. "I love you. You don't have to worry about anything, okay? Because there is nothing to worry about," he scanned her suffering features. He couldn't understand why she was acting like this. It was just a stupid box containing a stupid ring that he kept for six years. Nothing more than that. He thought she was completely overreacting about a situation that ended over some six years ago. That case was long closed but it didn't mean he had gotten over her or the situation. But he wouldn't tell Priscilla that.

"You're not answering my question, Nate. You're not answering it. And you say you love me? How can you love me when you can't even answer a simple question like that! In this whole nine month relationship have I ever asked you for anythin-" Nathaniel opened his mouth to counter that issue but Priscilla hushed him. "That's not the point! You're suppose to jump on the gun and say, 'No, Priscilla, I'm not in love with my ex-girlfriend, anymore. I'm in love with you.' That's what you're suppose to say to me. But your standing here with that nonchalant look on your face like you don't care about me because you don't want to admit that you're still in love with a girl who left you in the park, over half a decade ago!" She stomped away from him in a rampage of her own. Shouting and vociferating words that he couldn't even comprehend as a known speech.

"How am I suppose to give a legitimate answer when you're walking away from me like you've lost your mind," Nathaniel mumbled under Priscilla's boisterous commotion. He turned away from where she had left and returned back to the view of the night's sky. He saw the last few comets rip through the night and he, suddenly, remembered when Riley and him were younger and they spent their time outside on nights like this one. They use to watch the skies and its falling stars, together, or Riley use to watch the stars. Nathaniel usually spent his time sneaking peaks at her; admiring the way her eyes danced a golden hue as the stars raced across the skies. If it wasn't for Priscilla's grand exit he would have laughed at the memory but it only managed to come out as a sad sigh. If, only, love wasn't so hard...