Your Friend,
Mike
74
Robin Alexander
Claire did her utmost best to hide her disappointment when she looked into the neighboring office where Mike sat grinning. She had assumed they were from Tristan and suddenly felt embarrassed and silly.
Claire buried herself in her work. Crew change was in effect, and she helped Lauren and Mike set up the numerous travel plans that came through their email in abundance. She gave Tristan a slight smile when she arrived and went back to work, determined to concentrate on something that did not revolve around the woman who sat in the office next to her.
Phones in the work area of the crew coordinators rang incessantly. They talked back and forth to one another as they lined up the boats for crew change. Claire thought it sounded a lot like the New York Stock Exchange. Occasionally, one of the coordinators would lose his temper with an obstinate crew member and yell out a string of curses at which the other coordinators would shout their agreement.
Claire watched in amazement at how the quiet dispatch center came alive. She struggled to keep up with the constant demand for rental cars, flights, and hotels. At 2 p.m., the center seemed to quiet again, and she was surprised when Tristan called her on her extension and asked her to lunch. She glanced through the glass partitions at Tristan, who stood with her purse draped over her shoulder, motioning for Claire to hurry up.
Within minutes, they were downstairs and climbing into Tristan’s truck, which felt like it was well over a hundred degrees inside.
“Whew, I had to get out of there for a little while. I leave the office for lunch whenever I can during crew change just to get away from those damn phones,” Tristan said as she pulled the truck onto the road.
They chose a popular restaurant close to the office and relaxed a bit as they waited for their food. Tristan seemed nervous, as though she had something on her mind and didn’t know how to convey what she was thinking. Tension formed a knot in Claire’s stomach as she wondered if Tristan were about to give her the
“let’s just be friends” speech.
“Claire, I was wondering if you would like to have dinner with me Saturday night?” Tristan slowly raised her eyes and looked at Claire shyly.
75
Murky Waters
Relief flooded every inch of Claire’s being when she heard Tristan ask her out. She was so thrilled that she didn’t immediately answer as she rejoiced in her head. Tristan became nervous again and started to fidget with her cigarettes as she waited impatiently for a reply.
“That sounds wonderful, Tristan. I’d love to have dinner with you. What did you ...?”
“Well, hello, strangers,” Mike said as he walked up to their table.
“I see that Tristan has brought you to the lunchtime hot spot.”
Mike’s words were friendly, but his eyes were cold when he regarded Tristan.
“Hi, Mike. Oh, and thank you for the flowers. With all the commotion this morning, I didn’t have time to thank you,” Claire responded cheerfully, trying to break some of the obvious tension rolling off Mike in waves. To add to the awkwardness of the moment, Mike seemed to be waiting to be asked to join them. And when Tristan showed no intention of extending an invitation, Claire thought it would have been improper if she did. Mike picked up on the hint and went off in search of his own table.
Tristan cleared her throat when he walked away. “That was awfully nice of Mike to send you flowers.” Though she tried to sound casual, Tristan could not hide the sarcasm in her voice.
“He’s just trying to make me feel welcome, I guess.”
“Are you sure that’s all he has in mind?” Tristan looked directly into her eyes.
“No, I’m not totally sure, but I can assure you I have no interest in him if that’s what you’re implying.”
“Sorry, Claire, I didn’t mean anything by that comment.”
“Yes, you did.” Claire returned Tristan’s gaze. “And I like it.
Does this little hint of jealousy mean you like me more than a friend?” Claire was surprised by her own boldness.
Tristan’s face turned a bright red. “I’m sorry that I have not done a very good job of showing you that I want more from you than just friendship. I know I have a lot of explaining to do, but please just be patient with me.”
Claire felt bad that Tristan seemed to be struggling so hard with their budding relationship. “Tristan, I’ll always be patient with you. There is no need to try to explain anything until you’re ready.
76
Robin Alexander
And when you do, just know that I will be here ready to listen and be here for you.”
Claire was on a high when she returned from lunch. She had something to look forward to Saturday night. She sat down in her chair and went over the ticketing screen to make sure everything had been issued when Lauren tapped lightly at her door.
“Claire, do you have a minute? I really need to talk to you privately.”
“Sure, come on in and close the door.” As Lauren took a seat, Claire pushed away from the desk and gave her undivided attention. “What’s on your mind, Lauren?”
Lauren looked around nervously. “It’s about Mike. Claire, I don’t think you realize how infatuated he is with you. He talks about you incessantly. It’s obvious to me that you don’t feel the same about him, but he has had the biggest crush on you since the last time we worked together. Let him down easy, Claire, and do it quickly before he starts planning an engagement party.”
Claire was floored. “I had no idea. I knew he seemed interested, but I never dreamed he thought of me that way.” She stopped short when Mike walked into the dispatch center.
When Lauren saw the expression on Claire’s face, she sunk down into her chair. “Oh, dear Lord, that’s him, isn’t it? Ask him to come in and make up something quick, so I don’t have to explain why I’m in here with you.”
Claire waved Mike in and asked him to close the door. “Please have a seat, Mike. I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank you both for the fine job you’ve been doing. Your help has made my transition go very smoothly. Tristan seems to be very pleased with us, and I owe it to your diligence and hard work. If there is anything I can do to make your jobs easier, please let me know.”
Claire silently applauded herself as her agents left her office; she’d been quick with that little speech, even though it was well deserved. She glanced over at Mike while he worked, and for a split second, she felt pity for him until Lauren’s words replayed in her mind. He has had the biggest crush on you since the last time we worked together. Pieces of the puzzle were coming together, and she felt the anger rise in the pit of her stomach, thinking that her tormentor had been right under her nose all along.
77
Murky Waters
The next morning, she decided to take the bull by the horns and talk to Mike. She felt safe talking to him in her office with Tristan on one side and a roomful of people on the other. She used her anger to instill the courage she would need to initiate the unpleasant conversation.
“Mike, the gesture of these lovely flowers was very kind of you, but I feel the need to be honest with you. I like you as a co-worker and a friend, but that’s as far as it can go with me. Most importantly, I am your boss, and a relationship above anything but friendship would be considered improper. And to be blunt, I’m not interested in exploring a personal relationship with you. I just wanted to bring this out in the open now, so there will be no miscommunication between us.” Claire paused as she noticed the color drain from Mike’s face.