I close my laptop at exactly 6:01 PM because that’s when my contract says I can leave and I’m not staying one second longer in this building where my boss locks himself in his office to avoid me.
The elevator ride down feels longer than usual and I’m exhausted in a way that has nothing to do with actual work, and when the doors open to the lobby I just want to go home and sleep for twelve hours straight.
“Astrid?”
I freeze because I know that voice and I haven’t heard it in months and I was really hoping I’d never hear it again.
Jake is standing by the security desk wearing jeans and a leather jacket that I bought him for his birthday last year, and he’s smiling that apologetic smile that used to work on me before I realized he used it every time he got caught doing something shitty.
