Janitor's Love

Episode 3

As the lady walks in, Paul turns to her, “What are you doing here, Grace?” he asks.

“I just came in to get some documents.” Grace replies. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were busy.”

Sylvia is puzzled by the sudden tension in the room. Who is this Grace, and what is her relationship with Paul? She wonders. As she’s lost in thought, Paul turns to her.

“Sylvia, I’d like you to meet Grace Davis. She’s the director of corporate affairs.” Paul says. “Grace, this is Sylvia. She’s the newest addition to the team.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Sylvia,” Grace says, extending a hand. Sylvia takes it, still feeling a bit bewildered by the turn of events.

“Likewise.” Sylvia replies, trying to keep her composure. She turns to Paul, “Should I leave you two to talk?”

Paul looks at Grace and then back at Sylvia.

“No, it’s okay. Grace, I’d like you to hear me out on this.” Paul says, gesturing to the chair beside Sylvia. “Please, take a seat.”

Grace sits down, and Paul turns to Sylvia. “Sylvia, I’m sorry for the way I spoke to you earlier. It was unprofessional of me. I was just stressed out about this partnership deal, and I took it out on you. I hope you can forgive me.”

Sylvia is taken aback by his apology.

She hadn’t expected Paul to apologize, and she felt a bit conflicted. On one hand, she’s grateful that he’s owning up to his mistake. On the other hand, she’s not sure if she can forgive him so easily. After all, he had been very rude to her.

She looks at Grace, who is watching the exchange with interest. Finally, Sylvia takes a deep breath and says, “I appreciate your apology, Paul. It takes a lot of courage to admit when you’re wrong. I accept your apology.”

“Thank you, Sylvia. I really appreciate that.” Paul says, a look of relief on his face. He turns to Grace. “And thank you for coming in here and mediating this situation. I’m sorry you had to see that side of me.” She smiles and says, “It’s no problem, Paul. We all have our bad days. I’m just glad you and Sylvia were able to talk it out.” She turns to Sylvia. “I hope you’re feeling okay about everything.”

Sylvia nods, still a bit dazed by the whole situation.

“Sylvia, I want to make it up to you.” Paul says, his voice serious. “Is there anything I can do to make things right?”

Sylvia hesitates for a moment, considering her options. Finally, she allows him speak. “Go on, Paul.” She said.

Paul says, “I’d like to get to know you better, Sylvia. I think we got off on the wrong foot, and I’d like to start over. Why don’t we have lunch tomorrow?”

Sylvia considers his offer, and then nods. “That’s alright. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Paul nods and stands up, shaking Sylvia’s hand. “So glad you agreed to my request, Sylvia. Looking forward to the lunch.”

With that, she leaves the room, leaving him and Grace alone. Grace turns to him and says, “You handled that really well.

Next day after work, Paul and Sylvia meets at cozy little restaurant, enjoying a candlelit dinner. Paul has been seeing Sylvia at work for a while now and has seemed to develop a strong connection for her. Paul looks at Sylvia and says, “I’ve been meaning to ask you something, but I haven’t found the right moment.”

Sylvia looks at him, her heart beating a little faster. “What is it?” she asks, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Well,” Paul says, reaching for her hand.

Paul asks, “Sylvia, ever since you stepped into this company, you complete me. It’ll be pleasure to walk life’s journey with you.”

“Will you be my girlfriend?”

Sylvia is shocked by this act. At first, she thinks it a joke. Sylvia laughs. “Paul,” Sylvia says, pulling away from his handshake. “Never knew you were a comedian. I only knew you to be a drummer since college. When did you become a stand up comedian?” She said as she laughs so hard.

Paul’s face falls, and he looks disappointed. “I’m really being serious here”. Paul said as he stands from his chair to kneel, presenting a bouquet he had hidden all the while under his seat.

Sylvia realizes he’s being serious and expresses her sudden shock and disappointment. “I never expected this from you, Paul. You’re my boss and someone I look up to. We possibly can’t be flirting around knowing we have a company to run.”

Paul stands to say, “But… I thought… we’ve been getting along so well…” he said, looking hurt.

“I’m sorry, but I think it’s best if we just stay friends.” Sylvia’s voice is firm. She really doesn’t like Paul, and she knows she’s not ready for a relationship.

Paul looks down at his hands, and then looks up at her. “I understand,” he says, his voice heavy. “I don’t want to pressure you into anything.

As he spoke, Sylvia starts to feel a rush of anger. She’s angry at Paul for trying to pressure her into a relationship. She walks away in anger and takes a cab to her home, downtown.

As Sylvia walks away, Paul watches her go, feeling a mixture of regret and frustration. He had thought they had something special, but he clearly misread the situation. He sits back down on the table were they sat, trying comprehend what went wrong.

His mind keeps playing around the moment when Sylvia rejected him. He replays the scene over and over in his head, wondering where he went wrong. He feels like he’s been punched in the gut.

He’s not sure what to do next. He takes a deep breath and looks around, as if hoping someone will give him an answer. But there’s no one there. He’s alone, with his thoughts. He starts to think about the past few weeks since he met Sylvia, and how everything had been leading up to this moment.

He thinks about all the times he and Sylvia had talked, and how he had felt a connection with her. But now, that connection is gone.

Paul sits at the restaurant, his mind racing. The determination in his eyes is clear, and it’s clear that he’s not giving up on Sylvia. He’ll do whatever it takes to win her over, whether she likes it or not.

As the hours pass, Paul’s self-blame turns into determination. He’s determined to win Sylvia over, no matter what it takes. He thinks about all the ways he could try to woo her, but nothing seems right.