Meet Cute

-Erin-

Pulling into her assigned parking stall, Erin Carr winces, her tongue feeling thick and clumsy in her mouth. She wishes she could just take the rest of the day off, but an adult woman should be able to tough it out and get right back to work. Even if her lower jaw is both numb from the shot the dentist gave her before filling her cavity and also somehow painful.

“Fucking hell,” Erin says as she puts the car into park and angles the rearview mirror. The left side of her face is puffy from the dental work, and her mouth is crooked and feels stuffed with cotton. Ah well, she can just get to her office and close the door until the novocaine wears off and she can talk without looking and sounding like Long Jill Silver.

Her phone makes a distinct chirp, the chime of a harp, and the ringtone makes Erin gasp in surprise and a shameful excitment. Feeling like an idiot, she pulls her phone out of her purse, cursing the novocaine - what if he wants to talk!? - and then takes a breath. No you dumb bitch, do not instantly read the message like a **** loser! Be strong!

Sitting there for a dozen heartbeats, Erin is slowly wondering if she can be strong this time. Then, the chime sounds again. And again. With shaky hands, Erin unlocks her phone and sees the 3 unread messages from ‘Phillip<3<3’ and can’t help but frown at the name. When is she going to grow up and change his contact info? This is exactly what her friends keep telling her, to let it go already. Plenty of boys out there, no need to pine for the first cute guy who said yes to her in college, the first boy who let her take his virginity. She should absolutely change that display name.

… but what if he wants to give her another chance?

Knowing that nothing is so dumb yet inevitable as futile hope, Erin opens the messaging app to see what Phillip has to say to her now.

Phillip<3<3: Hello Erin.
Phillip<3<3: erin?
Phillip<3<3: are you there?

Erin: yes! Sorry, was just busy!

‘Should I put a smiley face?’ she frets, staring at her phone. Part of her is annoyed that Phillip said hello then immediately demanded to know if she was there, while he would ignore his phone for hours at a time when they dated. Most of her though, heart in her throat, wonders if he’ll take her back.

Phillip<3<3: Oh yeah, probably just wrapped up in your work again

Well, how the hell is she supposed to answer that? It’s 11:30 in the morning on a Monday, of course she’d be at work? What is with these little comments he always makes about her working? He never complained when she bought him jewelry or nice clothes, hell she basically funded his social life when he would go out with all his pretty friends to the clubs and so on. But before she can decide whether to reply to that little dig, he’s typing again.

Phillip<3<3: sorry, not texting you to pick a fight about your work. It just reminded me of how much you’d ignore me because you always had to stay late for your precious career!

Erin moans aloud in frustration. What the heck does that mean? Phillip got a useless degree in some soft science and then worked part time as a waiter in a chain restaurant that catered to businesswomen. Erin hadn’t loved that he kept that job, but she wasn’t going to be a cavewoman and demand he work somewhere she approved of. So then, of course, he’d be groped and harrassed by drunk women for tips all day and complain to her about it all night, then say he was too tired or disgusted with women to want to even consider Erin’s halting advances.

Erin: I said I was sorry, I actually just got to work. Had a dentists appointment. What can I do for you ?

Phillip<3<3: I just wanted to know if you were going to be at the condo tonight

Erin: uh, yes, of course! Did you want to come over? We can talk about stuff. Whatever

Phillip<3<3: I was hoping to pick up some of my clothes I left there

Erin: sure thing! No problem, I know what you mean, there was a box of your stuff left, it’s all still packed away
Erin: just anytime you want, you can come pick it up. I can order supper if you like? Maybe you can stick around for a drink, we can chat?

Phillip<3<3: Erin, I’m seeing someone. I wanted to break this to you gently, but I guess you should know now.

It felt like the breakup again, somehow. You’d think 3 weeks after Phillip had stormed out of her condo and her life, she’d be feeling better now. Her eyes stung, but Erin, for all that she felt she was a modern woman and in touch with her feelings in ways her mothers generation would never imagine, refused to give in to her tears. A woman has to be strong sometimes, leave the histrionics to the guys.

Erin: Ah I see. Thanks for telling me you met someone new

Phillip<3<3: We’ve been dating a week or so, may as well tell you. After our breakup, I bumped into Cindy and she was very supportive of me and really listened, you know. So one thing led to another.

Almost in disbelief, Erin stares at her phone. Cindy? Her old college roomate Cindy? The gal who always thought Phillip was a pretty airhead, sexy but dim? The Cindy who told Erin that fetching young things like Phillip were meant to be arm candy, ‘bedded not wedded’, and that asking one to move in with you after college was a giant mistake? That Cindy??

Erin: Are you fucking kidding me?

Sitting at her computer, watching it boot up, Erin told herself she was relieved in a way. Almost happy. I mean, what better way to get over an ex than realizing the slut had shacked up with your dear old friend barely a week after he left you? Yeah, a good cleansing anger was just what the breakup doctor ordered!

With a sigh, she calmed down. Erin hated that getting dumped had her saying dumb shit, even to herself, and mentally calling Phillip a ‘slut’ for rebounding was toxic female behavior. She should be better than that, especially as part of the new generation that didn’t think men existed solely to raise the kids and be nice to look at. But… still. Fuck that backstabbing asshole fake-ass friend Cindy, and to hell with Phillip too! Just because he was so hot, with his tall skinny frame and classic masculine facial features, that didn’t give him the right to act like he was the victim here!

The next hour went quickly, Erin replying to emails and catching up on what she missed in the morning. The group Slack channel had some random, cryptic lines that Erin recognized as the not-so-subtle code used by some of the others to talk about things they maybe shouldn’t at work. Even with Kathleen being fairly indifferent, Chelsea and Sam especially knew better than to just openly horndog about some random guy in tight pants walking by the office. Well, it was still pretty open, but at least they weren’t completely vulgar about it.

Reading the group chat again, Erin rolled her eyes. The usual suspects were clearly talking about the new receptionist and how ‘barely legal’ he looked. Chelsea quipped that he was ‘farm to table fresh’ and naturally Sam couldn’t help but reply with a series of eye emojis. At least the other women were barely classy enough to not be totally disgusting about it. Erin knew that was about as modern and sensitive as any group of roughly middle-aged professional women were likely to be while in a private setting.

Experimentally working her jaw, Erin decided the novocaine was worn off and she was no longer in danger of biting her own tongue off or drooling on herself. As she stood up to go grab a drink from the break room, Erin felt the sour bile of her conversation with Phillip rising. It had clarified things for her, as painful as it had been. Knowing he was shacked up already with her playgirl former dormmate cured Erin of any lingering hopes that somehow she might get him back at least! The two of them were welcome to each other!

The surge of confidence and cleansing anger sustained Erin as she walked down to the break room on the first floor. As usual, Sam and Chelsea were relaxing, having their lunch together and loudly talking. Chelsea being married meant she lived vicariously through the younger Sam’s many sexual escapades, and the two were of a similar mindset when it came to gender politics and relationships. They would call themselves “traditional” or “old fashioned”, but Erin felt it was just the convenient framing women used to justify their bad behavior and iffy attitudes toward men. Whatever, they were coworkers, not best buds, and Erin had stopped arguing politics at work long ago.

“Ah, Erin, hey girlie!” Sam called out. She was sitting with her legs spread comfortably, and her silk top was casually undone enough to show plenty of bra. None of the male clerks ate in the break room, all seeming to prefer to eat at their desks, and Erin did not doubt that Sam’s constant need to be “comfortable” was a reason why. Valeria was at another table, reading a newspaper and Ashley stood at the microwave, frowning at the 90 second delay to her lunch.

“Hey,” Erin replied, “remind me to stop skipping my dentist appointments, that cavity sucked!”

The other women chuckled, and Chelsea spun in her chair. Chewing whatever lunch her hubby had packed for her, she nodded at the youngest accountant, “You see the new boy yet? I think Sam already marked him, she rubbed her tits all over him at least!”

Sam laughed loudly, ignoring Ashley’s frown at the impolite talk. “I did no such thing! But hey, new boy in town, if he needs a sophisticated woman to show him how life in the big city works I guess I can spare a weekend.”

As Erin debated saying something about Sam’s loud and tasteless talk, and getting into yet another argument about it, Ashley turned from the microwave. The grey haired veteran was certainly no believer in men’s rights, but her personal code of conduct was strict and placed great importance on propriety. “That young man is barely an adult, and he should be protected from that sort of nonsense. In my day a boy was a virgin until his honeymoon and, ideally, had his first real kiss at his wedding too!”

Holding up her hands, Sam gave her standard insincere semi-apology, “Just joking Ash! And don’t worry, the boy is dressed like he just fell off the turnip truck, those farm boys are always very concerned about being pure for their eventual wives.” Unable to help herself, Sam winked at Chelsea and mock whispered, “… until the 3rd glass of wine, anyway!”

They both burst out laughing, and even Valeria smiled. Huffing, Ashley went back to staring at the microwave. Erin grabbed a drink from the small vending machine by the counter, suppressing a sigh. Some women were just lost causes, and Erin saw no reason to bang her head against the wall of Sam’s “just joking!” brand of sexism. ‘At least they didn’t do it in front of the men who worked here, unlike some places,’ Erin thought to herself, unconvinced.

Heading back around the long hallway toward the stairs, Erin looked at the reception desk but saw it empty. She was about to wonder where Derrick, or the new guy, were when she heard a male voice mutter something from the copy room.

Walking into the doorway with a polite smile, Erin was about to say hello when she saw him. His hair was shaggy and rather androngenous, which was a rather popular new style among the younger men who grew up in more masculinist environments. With his youthful face and baggy clothes though, Erin suspected it was just a sign of a man who grew up playing down his masculine charms, which certainly made sense if he grew up in a small town with, shall we say, more conservative women.

Right now, he was staring down at the display of the big copier, frowning rather cutely. As Erin raised her hand to politely knock on the door frame to let him know she was there, he said, “Of fudge, I think I messed up the faxing part again! Do you need to dial first, or scan first? It’s so different from how I learned!”

Priding herself on knowing how the office equipment worked, Erin took a step towards him and cheerfully said, “You can actually do it either way! It’s not totally obvious from the menu though, here…” Standing next to him, Erin quickly tapped a few buttons, before looking up at the young man.

His eyes were wide, almost panicked, and he all but trembled. “Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry Ma’am! I thought you were Derrick!”

“Ahh,” Erin replied. Huh, standing so close to him, she could see he had really pretty eyes, kind of hazel, with dark eyelashes that went well with his delicate facial features. “No worries, I’m Erin, I work upstairs?” The youngster took a step back, blushing and looking away. Damn it Erin, why didn’t you realize that a strange woman just marching up right next to him like that, practically touching shoulders, would be alarming if not frightening to most men?

“Sorry to crowd you like that,” Erin tried a polite and encouraging smile as she took a step back herself, “just trying to help. Like I said, I’m Erin Carr, pleased to meet you. The email about you coming on board here said your name was Aiden, correct?” Holding out her hand, she waited.

Still blushing, he nodded. “It was nothing! Just startled Ma’am!” Tentatively, he reached out and took her hand, and she gave him one firm shake before letting go and stepping back. No need to be one of those gross women who turned every touch with a man into a quick grope, even if they were just giving you change at the coffee shop. He seemed relieved, and his shy smile grew stronger.

“Well, if I’m going to call you Aiden I insist you call me Erin, I think I’m only a few years older than you are! We’re a pretty informal office in some ways, just save the Ma’ams for the clients. Uh, and the bosslady Kathleen, maybe!” Giving him a wink to make sure he knew she wasn’t being totally serious, Erin felt glad he seemed to be over his alarm and discomfort. He really did seem, well, provincial, in his baggy clothes and long sleeves. Goddess only knew what kind of repressed, conservative small town he grew up in.

“I will, Erin.” He blushed a tiny bit, and she felt a thrill at how this cute young man was looking at her. Shit, she needed to stop thinking with her vag, this was a coworker and a very young one to boot! Not every interaction between women and men had to be romantic or sexual in nature! The breakup with Phillip was just messing with her, she was a better woman than this, dammit.

One last welcoming smile, and Erin started to leave, “Look forward to working with you, Aiden. Talk to you later!”

As she got to the stairs, she realized she was still smiling broadly. With a self deprecating chuckle, she shook her head and went about her day.