Yes, why not

John broke the silence as they reached the brightly lit bus stop, the fluorescent glare harsh against the growing darkness. "My boss, Mr. Jaccon, is having some kind of company thing this weekend. A party at his house."

He watched her face, trying to gauge her reaction. "I was thinking... maybe you'd want to go with me? As my date."

He regretted the words as soon as they were out. It felt too much like he was trying to stake a claim, to put a public label on whatever this was between them. Especially now.

Janice's attention snapped back to him. The offer seemed to pull her out of the Terry, induced fog she was in. A slow smile spread across her face, a genuine one this time that reached her eyes. "Really? Your work party?"

"Yeah," he said, feeling a bit of the tension ease from his shoulders. "It'll probably be boring, full of stuffy suits. But I'd rather go with you than alone."

"I'd love to," she said, stepping closer and linking her arm through his. She leaned her head against his shoulder, and for a moment, everything felt right again. The warmth of her body, the clean scent of her hair. "I'll get to see where all the magic happens. And I can wear something really slutty to make Terry jealous."

The last part was said with a laugh, but John didn't find it funny. A cold knot formed in his stomach. Even now, after everything, Terry was there. A ghost between them.

She leans in for a kiss as her bus arrives. Janice's bus pulled up to the curb with a loud hiss of brakes, its lights cutting through the twilight. He had a few hours work left so he turn and head back.

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