Chapter 2: Operation Find Damon A Decent Man Gone Wrong
664 Words
JANET'S POV
"Okay," I said, forcing a smile while trying to lift the mood. "Whatever it is, just remember you have me in your corner."
His dark eyes met mine and he sighed. "I know," he whispered. "That's the problem."
Before my brain could even begin to translate the strange, aching words in his tone, he moved closer to the window of his office staring at the sky with his dark cold expression, more like a mafia CEO, and sometimes struggled to recognize him as my bestie.
"Forget I said that," he said. He shook his head lightly as if to clear all his thinking. "Parental-induced melodrama. You know the drill."
"The drill is that they're tyrants in tweed and you're a grown man who owns half of this skyline," I said, gesturing to the view of Manhattan. "Seriously, D. What can they possibly do? Ground you? Cut your allowance?" I decided to press on, determined to pull him out of his funk.
I spoke as if it was no big deal, but he didn't smile. He just stood there watching me with that sad and weary expression.
"Something like that," he murmured.
"Right. Well, next time they try to pull you into one of their Inquisition-style dinners, just involve me, ok?" I said, flopping back onto the sofa. "I can be your human shield. I'll talk about budget reallocation and dynamic digital campaigns until they fall into confusion. It worked on Abernathy, you know?"
A little laugh escaped his lips. "You have no idea how much I wish I could do that, Jan."
"I know."
"Sometimes I wish I had someone like your parents as my own when we were young," he said and sighed.
"That's why you have to be strong for me," I said, grinning.
He smiled. "But….the pressure is too much for me"
His words made me pause, it's like we were having two different conversations. I was trying to cheer up my best friend but he sounded like he was mourning for something I couldn't understand. Shaking off the unease. He really needs a distraction, a positive one.
"Okay, new topic," I said, sitting up and grabbing my phone. "Operation Find Damon A Decent Man is back on. You are down recently, and as your best friend, it's my duty to help." smiled.
His jaw tightened. "Janet, don't."
"Nope, you don't get a say. You're already miserable, so I'm interfering," I said, scrolling through my photos. "As I said earlier, Mark is definitely a good match for you. Look!" I found the picture from my birthday brunch a few months ago and turned the screen toward him. Mark was laughing. He's a prince charming "He always asks about you. I'm telling you, D, the man is interested in you."
Damon stared at the phone screen, but his focus seemed miles away. He was looking at the photo of the handsome, smiling man next to me, yet his eyes were filled with a bleakness that had nothing to do with Mark.
"He's… not my type, and make sure you crop him out" he said.
"Not your type? Someone kind, smart, and attractive is not your type? What more could you want? D"
"Nothing. Period."
He turns his gaze away for a while before he faces me again.
"You know what? I'm… busy," he said. "Work is all-consuming right now. And you know."
I know he's making up excuses for me to leave but I'm not backing down.
"That's the reason you need someone!" I insisted. "Someone to help you de-stress. Someone—
"That's enough, my love life is not your business."
He shouted.
I can't help but tremble a little. "I worry about you, Damon."
"You don't have to," he said.
I sighed, gathering my things. The sky outside had deepened into a bruised purple. It was time to go home.
Just I was about to head out, his assistant—Elias barged in.
“Boss, there’s a problem.”
- Writer
