Secretly
Seven
They were quiet on the elevator ride up, and Julie took the time to assess the turn of events. Jon what’s-his-name wasn’t so bad after all.
In fact, he was quite the opposite. He’d fixed her up and was now walking her back home. The doors slid opened and they walked out, turning to the right.
“Thanks again,” she said. “I don’t know how I would’ve have gotten home if I hadn’t run into you. Literally.” She was still limping a bit, but the pain had mostly subsided.
“No problem,” he said. And because he wanted to defend his friend, he added, “And don’t take Patrick so seriously, he’s a big goofball. The, um, old fart comment… he didn’t mean it like that… I don’t think.”
She laughed at his terrible explanation. “It’s fine. And the cookies were a nice thought.”
Just as Julie was about to open her door, it swung open.
“Oh hey, babe,” Mike smiled. He had pulled on sweats and a hoodie. “I was gonna go get us some breakfast. I woke up and --”
Mike noticed for the first time that Julie wasn’t alone. And that Jon had his arms around her waist, still supporting her.
“Oh. Who’s this?” Mike and Jon looked at each other. Mike hostile, and Jon confused. Julie saw this as the perfect opportunity. She hated confrontations and long discussions. If she sat down and had a talk with Mike, it would be tedious and repetitive.
It was better, she figured, to get it over with. Now.
“Mike,” she sighed. “I wanted to tell you. I think we should break up. I’m in love with someone else. I’m so sorry.” She didn’t say whom or mentioned a name. The last thing Julie wanted was to obviously use Jon in her break up plan.
But she did look at him when she said “someone else.” How Mike interpreted that was completely up to him.
And he interpreted it exactly the way Julie wanted him to.
There was a lot of cussing. “I knew it!” Mike yelled. “You think I didn’t know something was up? It’s a good thing Mia and I are getting back together! You’re a lying --” There were several other curse words, and then Mike turned and stormed into the apartment, where a lot of banging and thudding could be heard.
Julie turned to Jon, who was staring opened mouth at the empty doorway.
“Sorry,” she squeaked, looking ashamed.
“What the hell’s going on?” Patrick came out of his apartment, looking concerned. He was still in boxers and his blond curls were a mess.
“My boyfriend’s leaving me,“ Julie answered, shrugging a little. Patrick looked amused for some reason.
“Really?” He came out of his apartment and the three stood and listened to the banging and slamming coming from Julie’s apartment.
Finally, Mike re-emerged, overnight bag in hand. “We’re over!” He declared. “I don’t know what I saw in you. I never should have left Mia for you! And just so you know, I cheated on you first!”
Julie waited patiently for Mike to finish while Jon looked like he was about to punch someone. Maybe Mike, or maybe Julie for using him like she did. She didn’t know.
Patrick couldn’t have been happier. He was watching the one sided exchange with an interest that wasn’t quite appropriate for the situation.
Mike finished and waited a beat for Julie to reply. When she didn’t, he stomped towards the elevators. There was an awkward moment as Mike waited and Julie and her neighbors just watched. The doors slid opened and then Mike was gone.
“Really sorry you guys had to see that,” Julie said apologetically. She walked over to her side of the hallway, stepping inside her door. Jon was furious, at what exactly, Julie wasn’t sure. Patrick still looked amused, and was staring at the elevators wistfully, as if hoping for an encore. “You guys want some breakfast?”
In fact, he was quite the opposite. He’d fixed her up and was now walking her back home. The doors slid opened and they walked out, turning to the right.
“Thanks again,” she said. “I don’t know how I would’ve have gotten home if I hadn’t run into you. Literally.” She was still limping a bit, but the pain had mostly subsided.
“No problem,” he said. And because he wanted to defend his friend, he added, “And don’t take Patrick so seriously, he’s a big goofball. The, um, old fart comment… he didn’t mean it like that… I don’t think.”
She laughed at his terrible explanation. “It’s fine. And the cookies were a nice thought.”
Just as Julie was about to open her door, it swung open.
“Oh hey, babe,” Mike smiled. He had pulled on sweats and a hoodie. “I was gonna go get us some breakfast. I woke up and --”
Mike noticed for the first time that Julie wasn’t alone. And that Jon had his arms around her waist, still supporting her.
“Oh. Who’s this?” Mike and Jon looked at each other. Mike hostile, and Jon confused. Julie saw this as the perfect opportunity. She hated confrontations and long discussions. If she sat down and had a talk with Mike, it would be tedious and repetitive.
It was better, she figured, to get it over with. Now.
“Mike,” she sighed. “I wanted to tell you. I think we should break up. I’m in love with someone else. I’m so sorry.” She didn’t say whom or mentioned a name. The last thing Julie wanted was to obviously use Jon in her break up plan.
But she did look at him when she said “someone else.” How Mike interpreted that was completely up to him.
And he interpreted it exactly the way Julie wanted him to.
There was a lot of cussing. “I knew it!” Mike yelled. “You think I didn’t know something was up? It’s a good thing Mia and I are getting back together! You’re a lying --” There were several other curse words, and then Mike turned and stormed into the apartment, where a lot of banging and thudding could be heard.
Julie turned to Jon, who was staring opened mouth at the empty doorway.
“Sorry,” she squeaked, looking ashamed.
“What the hell’s going on?” Patrick came out of his apartment, looking concerned. He was still in boxers and his blond curls were a mess.
“My boyfriend’s leaving me,“ Julie answered, shrugging a little. Patrick looked amused for some reason.
“Really?” He came out of his apartment and the three stood and listened to the banging and slamming coming from Julie’s apartment.
Finally, Mike re-emerged, overnight bag in hand. “We’re over!” He declared. “I don’t know what I saw in you. I never should have left Mia for you! And just so you know, I cheated on you first!”
Julie waited patiently for Mike to finish while Jon looked like he was about to punch someone. Maybe Mike, or maybe Julie for using him like she did. She didn’t know.
Patrick couldn’t have been happier. He was watching the one sided exchange with an interest that wasn’t quite appropriate for the situation.
Mike finished and waited a beat for Julie to reply. When she didn’t, he stomped towards the elevators. There was an awkward moment as Mike waited and Julie and her neighbors just watched. The doors slid opened and then Mike was gone.
“Really sorry you guys had to see that,” Julie said apologetically. She walked over to her side of the hallway, stepping inside her door. Jon was furious, at what exactly, Julie wasn’t sure. Patrick still looked amused, and was staring at the elevators wistfully, as if hoping for an encore. “You guys want some breakfast?”