Ms. Harshwhinny. The head of the Equestria Games. She helps to make sure that everything runs smoothly, from the lighting of the torch, to the safety of the events. If she’s not working on the Equestria Games, she’s working on next year’s Equestria Games. Everything has to be perfect in the mind of Ms. Harshwinny. She is the living, breathing, physical embodiment of the word professionalism.

She’s also my boss.

I’ve been working in her office for the last few years, now. What started as an intern position in the Human Career Distribution act, has now elevated me to be her assistant. I have to do almost everything to make sure she is well taken care of. I have to get her coffee, I have to get her food, I have to pick up her dry cleaning, I have to transcript her calls and meetings, I have to read proposals aloud to her, all in unique voices to let her know that I’m acting like the one who wrote the letter. I’ve had as many breaks as she has, which is nearly zip.

Our conversations are next to nothing. Aside from the usual “Good morning,” “Good night,” and the frequent requests, we haven’t had much in the way of personal chat, despite being in the same vicinity as one another for the past year since I got this position. The last time we had an actual conversation, was when she interviewed me for the position. I was so nervous, I thought I bungled it. Her professionalistic (is that even a word?) attitude disarmed me in the worst way, and I was “um” and “ahh”-ing my responses. Surprisingly, after we talked, she told me I had the job, so I guess she saw something that I didn’t.

Getting an assistant job as a human male in a world that is populated by anthropomorphic horses with the major positions of power given to females, it’s safe to say that possible accusations of discrimination or sexism are mostly absent. Despite a good thirty percent of the population being humans who have transferred over to Equestria, I still get a couple of dirty looks from the ponies, but not as much recently. As much as those in the office like to say that Ms. Harshwhinny’s attitude lives up to her name, she’s never looked at me as inferior. That, or she’s really, really good at hiding it.

I guess you can say, in that regard, she’s treated me rather nice, all things considered. It’s only fair that I do something nice for her. I don’t know her birthday, no one in the office does. Luckily, a holiday has come by, but I can’t help but be nervous about her reaction to me wanting to celebrate it with her.

Hearts and Hooves Day.

It’s pretty much Equestria’s version of Valentine’s day. It’s interesting that hooves is in the title, as they only have hooves instead of feet. They certainly have hands and other human like appendages. If my world adopted this title, it’d be Hearts and Feet Day.

I haven’t seen her with anyone, so I don’t know if she’s in a relationship. After all, she’s called Ms. Harshwhinny, and not Mrs. Harshwhinny, but even then that doesn’t tell me much. I think a break could be good for her. Plus, I wouldn’t mind spending some time with her in a non-formal setting.

Being the holiday, we only have a half day of work. Once noon hit, the others start packing their things, and heading out. Ms. Harshwhinny however, is staying, and so am I. I can hear her shuffling papers in the office, and typing on her keyboard. She’s behaving as if there isn’t a holiday.

I, on the other hand, am sitting at my desk, holding my Hearts and Hooves card in my hand. It’s a fairly generic card, all things considered. It’s a red card, with a “Happy Hearts and Hooves Day!” message inside. The store had this, or one of those cards that play a tune when you open it, and I wasn’t sure if she would appreciate that. That’s not to say that that’s all I have for her. I also have a reservation to the Italian restaurant Villapiano’s in Manehattan, and the Manehattan Pier is hosting a Hearts and Hooves Day event, with games and a ferris wheel ride.

Oh, I should really just suck it up and go see her.

Screw it, I’m doing it. I stand up out of my chair, and walk into her office. I see her typing away at her computer with one hand, and taking notes on her notepad with the other. In the corner of her peripheral vision, she sees me. She continues to work, not stopping to look at me.

“What are you doing here?” she asks in a cold manner, “You have a half day; you should be going home.”

“I was wondering if I could have a moment of your time, Ms. Harshwinny.” I say, acting as professional as possible.

“I’m a little busy, but I’ll hear what you have to say. I don’t want to keep your missus waiting.”

“Missus?” I ask.

“It’s Hearts and Hooves Day, is it not? I figured you’d have a date.”

“N-No…I…don’t have a date for Hearts and Hooves Day.” Yet, anyway.

“Oh. Well, then. What is it you want to speak to me about?”

“I…um….it would probably be best if…” I don’t finish my thought, as I hand out my card to her. This makes her stop typing and writing, looking at my card with confusion. Slowly, she reaches out and takes it, opening it up. She reads it at a glacial pace, despite having only five words inside.

“What is this?” she asks.

“It’s…a Hearts and Hooves Day card…for you.”

“For me? Why have you given me a Hearts and Hooves Day card?”

“I…I was wondering…if…” I shuffle my feet, gulping down my fears at what I have to say next. “If…you’d like to be…my…special somepony…” God, it’s so weird to say that, but from what I’m to understand, it’s customary to ask this when asking someone out for Hearts and Hooves.

Ms. Harshwhinny’s face turns to stunned surprise, and a streak of crimson goes across her expression. She’s…blushing? Hey eyes alternate to me, and then to the card, opening it up to read again, and then back to me. Her face transforms from surprise into her signature serious face.

“You want to spend Hearts and Hooves Day with me?” she asks.

“Yeah…if you want to.”

“But, I’m your boss.”

“I’m sorry, is this a violation of something?” My mind goes blank. “Maybe I should check the rulebook. Hold on.” I turn to go back to my desk, when…

“No fraternizing with staff.” she says in a stern tone, causing me to turn back. “It’s the twentieth rule in the employee handbook. I figured, with you being my assistant, that you would be aware of the rules I have set for my employees.”

“I-I’m sorry.” Crap, I messed up big time. “I completely forgot. It’s just that…well…you’ve been so busy lately, and I realize that I haven’t done anything to show my gratitude for you giving me this position, and I wanted to give you a break from…all this.” I gesture around her office. “Just a bit of relaxation before going back to work.”

“And you thought that asking me out on a date was the appropriate response?”

“Y-yes-No!” I try to correct myself, “Not a date. A…uh…” Think fast, Man! “Rendezvous. Yeah, that.”

Ms. Harshwhinny puts the card down on the desk, tapping her fingers against it in a small beat. Her eyes stare at me, as if piercing me with her gaze. I can see the cogs in her head turning. Is she going to reprimand me? Worse, is she going to fire me?

“Let’s say I entertain the idea of going out with you…” she cuts through the silence with her authoritative voice, “…what is it that you have planned?”

“Well…I…” I have to remember my plans. Ah, I got it. “I booked us a reservation at Villapiano’s in Manehattan, and I wanted to take you to the Pier and spend some time there. Maybe play some games, ride the Ferris wheel?”

“And…what were your intentions afterwards?” she glares in an almost accusatory manner. Come on, now, you should know me better than that. Still, I can’t blame her.

“I would take you home, wish you goodnight, and see you tomorrow? Or, go back to the office and work?” I’m honest with her, despite answering in the form of a question. “It’s your choice.”

Her fingers continue to tap on the desk. It’s such a threatening noise. Ms. Harshwinny always has that stature about her that suggests power and authority, almost like she’s royalty. She may not be a Princess or a Queen, but she sure carries herself like one. The tapping stops. Her palm lays flat on the desk, but her eyes continue to stare at me. Suddenly, she stands up, straightening her purple jacket to better showcase her tight figure.

“Very well.” she says, “I could use the break. But, this is not a date, understand?”

“I understand.”

“This is just a Boss spending some free time with her Assistant.”

“Absolutely.”

“There will be no ingestion of alcohol, no hand holding, no touching of any kind, except for a handshake at the end of the night. After that, we won’t ever speak of this again. Do I make myself clear?”

“One hundred percent crystal.”

“Good. Since you are the mastermind of this evening, I invite you to take the lead and bring me to your destinations.”

“Great.” I smile. I’m not fired, so this date…I mean…hangout…is going fantastic already. I open the door for Ms. Harshwhinny, allowing her to go through before me. It’s time to head out. I certainly hope I don’t screw this up.

The two of us walk along the sidewalk of Manehattan, saying nothing to one another, but looking ahead to our destination. All around us, I can see various couples happy and in love with one another, holding hands, hugging, kissing…and then there’s me and Ms. Harshwhinny, with none of that going on. I’m good with not attempting to join the cool crowd and reaching to hold her hand. She’s such a powerhouse of a personality, that I’m sure her physical prowess is just as herculean, and rip my hand off.

Then again, I did hold her hand once. During an inspection at the last Equestria Games, she slipped on the grass and nearly fell into a puddle, but I grabbed her hand and pulled her towards me before she hit the water, potentially ruining her nice suit. She had a strong grip, but when it lessened after I pulled her up, I noticed that her hands were unusually soft, too. That day was also the first time she ever said ‘thank you’ to me, too. A good day.

We make it to Villapiano’s and I continue with my chivalrous gesture of holding the door open to her. This isn’t really anything new for me; I always hold the door open for her, but there’s a tension in the air now, even though this is not a date. Or…that’s what she’s telling me.

The waiter in the front leads us to our reserved table. Center of the restaurant. I know she’ll like that. Whenever she’s having a business meeting at a restaurant, she always likes to reserve the dead center spot.

“Thank you.” I tell the Waiter, as he hands me the menu.

“You’re welcome, sir.” The Waiter smiles, then turning to Ms. Harshwhinny, “And welcome back, Madame Harshwhinny.” Hey! She’s been here, already?! Since when?! “Would you like some of our fine wine, this evening?”

“No, thank you.” Ms. Harshwhinny shakes her head. “No alcohol for me, tonight. An iced tea with lemon will do.”

“And for your date?”

“This is not a date.” she shuts that down fast, “This is a celebration for the wonderful job he’s been doing the past year.”

“My apologies.” he nods, looking to me, “For you, sir?”

“Same. Iced tea with lemon.”

“Very good.” he takes his leave.

Ms. Harshwhinny immediately looks to the menu the moment the waiter leaves. I’m still stunned that she’s been here before, and she never told me. Well, she doesn’t tell me a lot of things, so I really shouldn’t be all that surprised, honestly. I’m staring at her for too long, I really should be…oh, she noticed.

“What?” she asks.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know that you’ve been here before.”

“Don’t apologize for things that aren’t your fault. I never told you, so how could have you known?” her voice is stern, appropriately so. She’s caught me apologizing for things before, and she always tells me to stop it. Guess I haven’t grown out of it, yet. “In any case, this is my favorite restaurant. I’ve never tried Italian before, and I thought it was rather good. I misjudged the talents of humans when it came to food.” she sounds almost proud while saying that. “If I may, I recommend the fettuccine alfredo with mushrooms.”

“Oh…thanks.” I’m surprised at her tone. It’s…nice.

“I meant what I said, back there.”

“What?”

“That you are doing a wonderful job.” I believe her, but her tone has gone back to her serious tone. Maybe she caught herself in the nice mood and had to dial back. “I’m aware that humans have a wanting to know how they are doing, and I never told you that. So far, I am pleased with your work ethic.”

“Thanks, but you didn’t have to tell me. Me still working for you told me that I was doing at least a fine job.”

“Fine wouldn’t cut it for me. Fine is for second place. You are doing fantastic work, and it is due for me to commend you. I’ve never had an assistant last this long.”

“Can’t imagine why.”

“Excuse me?” she sounds offended. “I compliment you, and you joke?”

“N-No!” I clear things up “Not at all! I’m saying that with all the travel to great places, and comfortable work environment, I couldn’t see why your previous assistants didn’t stick around.”

“Oh…” she cringes slightly, probably at her outburst. “It wasn’t the locations that were the problem. Not many ponies could keep up with me. I’m pleased that you…a human…have managed to follow me close in every step, since I hired you to be my assistant.”

“I aim to please.” I smile. She doesn’t smile back, but she does nod. As much as she can be pleasant company, she doesn’t smile much. I’ve caught her a couple times in a grin or a smirk, but never a full on smile.

Moments pass, and the waiter returns with the teas and asks for our orders. I follow Ms. Harshwhinny’s advice, and order the fettuccine alfredo with mushrooms, while she orders the spaghetti bolognese with vegetarian rolls. The waiter takes our menus and walks away to place the orders. Ms. Harshwhinny looks at me, her head resting on top of her knuckles, staring at me in a way that seems confused, but also curious at the same time.

“So, tell me.” she says, “Why did you ask me on this…rendezvous?”

“I thought it would be fun to spend some time together in an…informal setting. Not as Assistant and Boss…but as…”

“Lovers?” she raises her eyebrow. That’s a bit extreme.

“Friends.” I correct her.

“I see.” she nods, but her tone seems to indicate that she doesn’t believe me. “You could have asked me for a cup of coffee. You didn’t have to wait for Hearts and Hooves day.”

“I thought you said no fraternizing with employees. I think if it were any other day, you would reprimand me.”

“I guess I would.” she shrugs her shoulders. “You make a fine point.”

“Besides, you said this wasn’t a date.”

“I said it wasn’t a date, but when you approached me, you obviously wanted it to be. And don’t try to deny it. What was it you said? Special somepony? Nopony and no one would ask their friends to be a special somepony.”

“Yeah…” I blush, rubbing the back of my head.

“I suppose the most obvious question is…why me, and not any other mare or woman in Equestria?”

“What do you mean?”

“You know what I mean. You’re smart, not a dense bone in your body.” she says her compliments in such a condescending tone. It’s interesting. “There are plenty of more attractive, and younger females here. Why would you settle for an old somepony such as myself?”

“First off, you’re thirty five, hardly old. You’re only a few years older than I am, so the age difference isn’t that large.”

“But there is a difference.”

“So what?”

“I’m sure there’s plenty of other females that would be interested in you.”

“You’d be surprised at how incorrect of an assumption that is. Why don’t you have a cavalcade of stallions or guys around your corner?”

“I-I…” she stammers, taken aback at my question. Her cheeks again show a shade of crimson. “I don’t concern myself with the wants of males. I’ve had some interested parties, but I refused them, thinking it to be a waste of time.”

“Then, why did you say yes to me?”

“I-I…” she stammers again, “I…um…well…we’ve known each other for a while, and I thought it would be amusing to see what you had in store for me. And, like I said, I could use the break. I’ve had a lot on my plate. So to speak.”

“Oh, is there any trouble? Can I help?”

“No, no, no…” she waves it off “It’s fine, just the normal stresses of planning for the games. The safety in the venue in the Crystal Empire for the skating rink isn’t up to snuff, and the arena where the triathlon and hundred yard dash is to be held is far from ready, despite giving them a monthly head start. Now, I have to move around schedules to accommodate visits to the Crystal Empire to tell them what needs to be done.”

“You don’t have to move around schedules yourself, you know. That’s why you have me.”

“You have enough work as it is.”

“Ms. Harshwhinny, the whole point of having an assistant is to make me do all the rearranging and phone calling. Working me to the bone is part of the job description.”

“But you already do all of my daily chores, the transcriptions, the proposal readings, the latter of which I must thank you for, for reading them in the accent of the writers, it helps tremendously. You get me coffee, the dry cleaning, and I also made you go to the jewelry store to pick up my cousin's necklace for her birthday, and that took you nearly three hours.”

“To be fair, the last one was less torturous, and more boring, since I had to wait for them to make the thing in her size. There’s no need to take any work away from me. I’m ready for anything you dish out.”

“Anything?” her eyebrow raises. Just as quickly as it arrives, the eyebrow goes back down, and she shakes her head. I wonder what that’s about.

I want to ask her what went through her mind just now, but she almost looks like she has retreated from the conversation. What is that look on her face? Nervousness? Embarrassment? What’s there to be embarrassed about? I open my mouth to speak, but then the food arrives. Wow, it smells good.

Ms. Harshwhinny was right to recommend the pasta, it’s absolutely delicious. It’s like I never left Earth for Equestria, it’s that good. Ms. Harshwhinny is enjoying her spaghetti. That worrisome look on her face from a couple minutes before has been replaced by a pleased smirk. She eats her pasta, and bites into the buttered bread with a degree of professionalism; acting as if she’s a food critic, and not a customer. There’s an undeniable charm to it, because though she puts on this persona of a prim and proper mare, I can tell that she’s forcing herself not to go nuts and engulf the food in a single go.

We don’t talk much while we eat, other than commenting about how good the food is. We get too full for desert, and decide to pay the bill and head out. We split the check, despite my insistence that I pay for the whole thing. Again, she mentions that it’s not a date, and won that argument fairly quickly because of it.

We take a cab over to the Manehattan Pier, where the Hearts and Hooves day carnival is in high swing. Games galore, a dance floor set to moody romantic music, and a massive ferris wheel adorns the wooden pier. It’s amazing that it’s able to hold all this weight. Then again, there’s a similar pier in my world that rarely had any accidents pertaining to weight. Ms. Harswhinny looks around the area, seeming displeased at being there. I can tell that she’s not used to this kind of environment, and if she desires to leave, then I’ll acquiesce to her request. She’s not, however, so I walk in, and she follows.

“It’s lively, tonight.” I comment on the crowd. “Stay close to me, okay?”

“It’s unlikely that I would stray too far from you. I do not know many ponies around here. I…” she trails off, looking at something at a distance.

“What’s up?”

She does not respond, moving away from me. I see her heading towards a shooting gallery game, but her eyes aren’t on the game, but on a stuffed animal instead. I follow her, and catch up in a matter of moments. I look up to see a very cute pink and fluffy stuffed pony; the four legged kind, not the anthropomorphic kind. Ms. Harshwhinny is strangely drawn to the animal, and she looks to the man hosting the game.

“How much is that?” she asks in her authoritative voice. “I want it.”

“I don’t sell this stuff, Miss. If you want it, you’ll have to play.” the man responds with a smile. A sort of skeezy smile, but it’s a smile. He holds up the rifle, to which Ms. Harshwhinny backs away from with a harumph.

“I won’t sully my hands with such barbarism.”

“Hold on.” I say, holding out a couple bits to play. “I’ll give it a shot.”

“Thank you, sir.” he nods, taking my bits and handing me the BB rifle. “Good luck.” The man presses a button behind the counter, and a series of fast moving targets going in different directions pop up. About ten targets to be exact. The target move quickly, almost too quickly for someone with no experience. “You have thirty seconds to hit the targets.”

Thirty seconds? I only need ten.

I immediately raise the BB rifle up, and start shooting. I’m precise with my aim. Each target goes down. I shoot. Cock the rifle. Shoot. Cock the rifle. Repeat. Within ten seconds, all the targets are down, and low volume celebration music plays. The man stares at me with an agape expression. This kind of occurrence must be pretty rare.

I put the rifle down, and point at the pink fluffy pony. He takes it off the rack, and give it to me. I turn, and give it to Ms. Harshwhinny, who is staring at me with a wide eyed expression. Still, she takes the stuffed animal, and holds it to her chest.

“H-How…did you do that?” she asks.

“I’ve been to the gun range in my world. Got pretty handy with a rifle. Don’t worry, it was just targets like the game. Nothing living.”

“I-I wasn’t thinking that.” her eyes glance down at the stuffed animal. “Th-Thank you.”

“It’s not a problem, really.” I look over at the ferris wheel. “Would you like to ride the ferris wheel? I hear the view is nice.”

“Sure.” she nods.

We get in line for the ferris wheel. The line moves at a fine speed, there’s a lot of free seats. Ms. Harshwhinny remains quiet, holding on to that stuffed animal. I don’t ask her why she wanted it, but from how she’s holding it, she seems very happy to have it, as much as her still serious face tries to say otherwise. After a few minutes, we get our seat. The last one. The ride operator makes sure we are properly seated, and goes to the controls.

Now, I don’t have much of a problem with roller coasters. Ferris wheels are a bit of a different story. I’m terrified of these things. Ever since I saw an accident video years and years ago of a girl who was rocking her seat too much, and it flipped over, causing her to fall out. She didn’t die, but it still scared the crap out of me.

Hold on, if I’m so scared of ferris wheels, why am I on one right now?

Too late to reconsider, as we start moving up. I latch my hands on the safety bar, as we get higher and higher. I hope Ms. Harshwhinny doesn’t…

“Not a fan of heights?” Damn, she noticed.

“No. Not really.”

“Then, why did you want to get on?”

“I’m asking myself the same question.”

The ferris wheel stops. We are at the maximum height. Damn, we are high up. I think I can see my apartment from here. I’m not joking. I definitely see it. I’d say that’s impressive, but my stupid hands are rattling the safety bar. I’m embarrassing myself in front of Ms. Harshwinny.

Then, I feel warmth on my hand. I look down, and see Ms. Harshwhiny’s left hand on my right. Her soft touch calms me, but I’m also very confused.

“What happened to no holding hands?” I ask her. It’s not like her to not follow the rules, especially her own.

“It’s to get you to stop shaking.” she tells me. Something is interesting about her tone. It’s not stern or authoritative, but it’s rather…calm. Nice. Tender. “Don’t worry. I won’t let anything bad happen to you.”

I feel her thumb brushing my hand in a soft caress. I like it, but…again…it’s Ms. Harshwinny doing it. I continue to look into her eyes, and she stares back. The whole reason why we came up here was to look at the view, but now, we’re looking at each other. Her once serious expression has all but disappeared, and I see her cheeks becoming red. Ever so slightly, she leans forward at a gradual pace. Is she…? I can’t help myself, I start to lean forward, too.

This is insane, what in the hell is going on?

Ms. Harshwhinny’s eyes close as she gets closer, and so do mine. I prepare myself for the inevitable. Please be good at this, man. Please be good at this.

Suddenly, we are interrupted by the ferris wheel moving. We’re heading back down. Slowly, but we are. Got to have the others get their nice sight. I look at Ms. Harshwhinny, and she has let go of my hand, looking down at her stuffed animal.

“I would like to go home now.” she says.

Ms. Harshwhinny and I sit in the cab in silence. It’s raining a little outside, but nothing too troubling. I look over to Ms. Harshwhinny, still holding onto that stuffed animal, gazing aimlessly out the window. I can’t tell what she’s thinking; all I know is that we almost kissed. Does she feel embarrassed? Angry? It’s hard to tell.

“Ms. Harsh…”

“I don’t want to talk right now.” she says in a snapping tone. I’m taken aback. This is one of the very rare moments she’s actually been genuinely angry at me.

“Did I do something wrong?” I query.

“You will not speak of this to anyone or anypony. You do, and I will not hesitate to fire you.” Her tone is scary. I believe what she says. She looks away from me quickly, staring out the window once again. “I can’t believe you.” she mumbles, “Your own boss.”

“Excuse me?” something inside irks me about what she said. “If you didn’t want to go, you should have just said so.”

“Why did you even ask me?” she shoots daggers at me with her angered expression, “Did you think I’d be a notch under your belt? Something to brag about with your friends? A conquest to gloat over?” What the…? Where’s this coming from?

“No! Why would you even say that?”

“I know you humans too well; in a new world, and want to have your way with the indigenous species. I will not bow down to such…such…vileness!”

“Ms. Harshwhinny, if that’s what you think of me, then why did you hire me?”

“Why did you ask me out, then, if not for a conquest?” she avoids my question quickly.

“Because I wanted to show you a good time.”

“No! That can’t be it! There’s got to be a more shallow reason, I just know it!”

“You want me to be shallow?” I ask, “Fine! I’ll be shallow!” I don’t know what’s coming over me, but the accusations are really bothering me. If she doesn’t want the truth, then I’ll tell her the superficial stuff. “I think you’re very attractive! I like how you don’t wear make up, and still look beautiful! I like how your suit accentuates your body, and that you show off you legs, which I think are great! You obviously take care of yourself, which I admire!” I tell her all this like we’re in a major fight.

“I…well…I…” she’s struggling to get the words out, “What else?”

“What do you mean?”

“What else? That can’t be all.”

“You told me to be shallow, so I did.”

“Then, what is the not shallow reason?”

“You don’t want to know.”

“Now I have to know. Tell me, what’s the biggest reason why you asked me out?” She asks. I’m quiet. I can’t tell her. Who know what she will say to me? “You better ask me, or else I’m going to make you walk the rest of the way home.”

“I can’t tell you.”

“You can’t or you won’t?" I'm not going to respond to that. "Okay, fine. If you don’t tell me, I’ll fire you right here and now.” Crap, she’s going for the job. I can’t…

“Okay, you want to know the biggest reason why I asked you out? It was because you looked lonely!” I snap at her.

A silence falls. Ms. Harshwhinny stares at me with wide eyes, and an embarrassed blush on her cheeks. She looks down at her stuffed animal, refusing to make any further eye contact with me.

“I…looked lonely?” she asks in a whisper.

“Yeah. You did.” I respond in my own soft tone, “Whenever we weren’t traveling for the Equestria games, I would always see you eating lunch alone. You never had any personal visits or phone calls from friends or family. Most of all, every time I leave the office for the day, you would always stay. Alone. Working. I felt that, if I took you out, then you would see that you weren’t alone. You have me. I’ll be here whenever you need me.”

Ms. Harshwhinny is quiet with me again. Damn, that all just came out of me at once. I probably shouldn’t have said that, but it’s true. I hated seeing her so alone what I left the office, or eating lunch. Maybe I should have made the transition to spending personal time with her easier by asking to sit with her for lunch, or offering to stay later to help her with any overtime projects. Hell, I would have been fine if she said I wouldn’t be given overtime pay, just so I know that she gets home earlier, and has less things to worry about for the next time.

I’m such a screw up. I had a good job with good money, and now I’m messing it all up because of my damn feelings. And my big fat mouth. Can’t forget that.

The cab stops in front of Ms. Harshwinny’s apartment complex. So, she lives in an apartment? I always figured she lived in a nice house, with butlers and stuff. I step out of the cab, and open her door to let her out. She walks around the cab and stops at the door I came out of.

“Keep the meter running.” I tell the driver. I look back at Ms. Harshwhinny. “Listen, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you angry.” She doesn’t say a word. Her eyes glance up at me, staring into what feels like my soul. I’d compliment her eyes, but for the first time in forever, I’m actually kind of scared. “If you want me to leave, I’ll do it first thing in the morning.” She’s still staring. I don’t want to make this more awkward than it already is. “Have a good night, Ms. Harswhinny.”

I move to open the door. I place my hand on the handle.

It is now, that I feel pressure on my chest. I freeze. I look down, and see the right palm of Ms. Harshwhinny pressing on my chest, stopping me from opening that cab door. I turn my gaze back into the eyes of my boss, and she is staring at me with a new look, one that I have never seen from her before. Her eyes have softened into an expression that I cannot comprehend. Does…does she want me to go with her?

She nods. She nods before I can even ask my question.

I reach into my pocket, pulling out my credit card. I lean down to the cab driver.

“How much do I owe you?”

“Thirty five bits.” he says.

“Okay.” I slide my card in the meter, paying the fare. “You can go. Sorry for making you stay.”

“No problem. Have a good night.” he nods, driving away quickly.

I look back at Ms. Harshwhinny, her hand still on my chest. Slowly, her hand slides down all the way to my left hand. She grasps onto it in that same grasp that she had when I caught her from slipping those months ago. That soft and gentle grasp. She pulls me towards the front door of her apartment.

Why do I get the feeling that this night hasn’t even begun yet?