Free Away From the Spotlight by Tamara Carlisle Page B

eat?  You don’t look like you’re going t o get any work done right now.”
    I let go and looked at his face, full of concern.  Seeing that, I couldn’t help but reply, “Okay, but I’m not hungry.  I’ll ju st sit with you while you eat.”
    “We’ll see about that.”
    We headed over to a nearby sports bar and restaurant, and climbed into one of the gold leather booths along the window facing the street.  John was facing me, and watching me .
    The nice thing about John was that he didn’t feel like he had to fill up every pause in a conversation.  Had I been here with Max or Da niel , they would have talked nonstop.  I was glad that I didn’t have to concentrate on keeping up a conversation at that moment and it was probably better that I wasn’t alone in my office either .
    When John realized that I wouldn ’t pick up my menu, he finally said, “Come on, you have to eat something.”
    “No, it ’ ll just make me sick.”
    The waitress came and John ordered himself a club sandwich and some hot tea for me .
    “At least drink that.  Something warm and comforti ng might make you feel better.”
    “I appreciate that you ’ re trying to make me feel better, but I just don’t think that’s possible right now.  I really liked him, John, a nd it’s been a long time since I felt that way.  I know it’s not the same because you’ve been together so long, but imagine if you found out that A shley was seeing someone else.”
    “I know.  I’m sorry. ”  John then changed the subject, “ But, you know, my relationship with Ashley isn’t so perfect .  W e have our problems.”
    “Could’ve foole d me.”
    Ordinarily, I would have continued with this conversation, but I didn’t have the energy.
    After a few minutes, John said unconvincingly, “ Maybe it’s not what you think.”
    “ Will’s lied to me about everything.  At this point, I don’t know that I would believe a word he said. If I see him or talk to him again, I’ll just feel worse afterward and it won’t change anything.” I felt hopeless.
    John’s food was served as well as my tea.  The hot tea was st rong and even diluting it with milk didn’t help.  Since it made my stomach hurt even more , I grabbed a piece of bread out of the basket at the table.
    “ See, I knew I’d get you to eat something.” John looked pleased with himself.
    “Hmm m ,” I responded aut omatically.
    John reached across the table , grabbed my hand and let go quickly.  “I know something that will take your mind of f things.  I’ve got Dodger s ’ tickets tonight.  I was planning on bring ing Ashley, Da n , and Max .  I know that Ashley is n’t really wild about coming so I ’ ll see if she ’ ll bow out .  W hy don’t you come with us instead?  Dodger Dog s and beer should be just what the d octor ordered. ”
    I didn’t take much convincing .  I realized that I did n’ t want to be alone with my thoughts t hat n ight and I definitely didn’t want to be around when Will called.
    At the game , th e guys did manage to take my mind off things for the most part.  John appeared to have prepped Max and Da niel and so they were trying to be goofier than usual to raise my spirits .  John and Max flanked me in our seats i n the loge level just beyond first base.  Da niel left on a mission for beers and Dodger Dog s .  At one point, when I appeared to be staring off into space sadly, John grabbed my hand and squeezed it.  He didn’t let go.  When Max saw this, he put his arm around me and squeezed me as well, but he let go fairly quickly.
    W hen Da niel returned, he passed out the Dodger Dog s and beers.  It was then that I realized that John was still holding my hand.  I let go to grab my beer and likely blushed a little.  John didn’t look at me.
    After Da niel sat down, I thought I heard him say to Max , “What does John think he’s doing ?”
    Unlike most times that I had gone to games where we left early to beat the