Back to the office

Jason took Monday off, he just couldn't face Ray right now, Lily understood completely. Jason instead spent the day work-shopping his resume with his wife, trying desperately to avoid thinking about what Ray is doing. "He's probably told the whole office" he sighs talking to Lily, guilt forms a knot in her stomach knowing that it's her fault this happened and she has potentially ruined her husband's office credibility.

Tuesday Jason does the same, when he tells Lily she sits him down. "You can't keep avoiding this, you're gonna have to go to work" Lily says "you keep calling out you're going to get fired" she explains, Jason frowns "it's just two days". Lily sees right through him "yeah but the longer you leave it the worse it will get. I would love for you to be able to just quit, for this to be over but you can't do that, not until you have something lined up" Lily explains. Jason couldn't argue with her, she had a point, "fine I'll go in tomorrow" Jason says dread filling his mind.

Wednesday morning Jason wakes up exhausted, he didn't get a good nights sleep but that was inevitable, he pounds down a coffee before heading to work the drive filled with anxiety. However to Jason's surprise there was no indication of anyone at work knowing, Jason had expected strange looks and restrained laughter but all his colleagues treated him normally as if nothing had happened. "Surely Ray had told people" Jason thinks knowing Ray would like to brag he doesn't understand why everyone was seemingly oblivious. "Hey Jason, Ray wants to talk to you in his office" one of Jason's coworkers informs him, "thanks Nick" Jason says trying to hide his fear, this was it the first contact since he literally threw him out after fucking his wife.

"Ahh Jason come in, close the door behind you" Ray says from his desk as he sees Jason approach, Jason complies closing the door and sitting across from Ray, "you wanted to see me?" He asks bracing himself for the worst, "yes I wanted to talk about your absence the past two days" Ray says matter of factly. "Um yeah about that..." Ray holds up his hand cutting Jason off, "no need to explain, it was a big weekend. I told the office you had a family emergency and I took the liberty of removing this from your record so it won't effect your performance review with the board next month". Jason was stunned was Ray doing something nice? "What... Why did you do that?" Jason asks skeptically, Ray chuckles "not even a thank you" he notices Jason's scowl and sighs "ok fine I am doing this because I want to apologise. Genuinely, I went too far, too early, next time-"
"There's not gonna be a next time" Jason says cutting Ray off, Ray plasters a smug grin on his face "of course if that's what you want." It was clear he didn't believe Jason at all. "It's not what I want it's what will happen." Jason says firmly, Ray cocks an eyebrow "it's not what you want?" He says skeptically, Jason blushes "th-that's not what I meant" his boss easily getting under his skin.

Ray lets Jason sit in his awkwardness, Ray was confident that he would soon be back in Lily he just needed to not apply too much pressure too soon. "Well ok then, consider this topic dropped. Permanently." Ray says gesturing to the door, Jason still refuses to say thanks to Ray but nods an approval as he leaves. "Well that went a lot better than I expected" Jason thinks as he heads back to his desk.

Upon returning to his desk he shoots his wife a quick message "work is ok, Ray hasn't told anyone... not sure what his game is but I don't trust him." He sends the message then gets back to the task of clearing the build up of work that had occurred as a result of his absence.