HEART-TO-HEARTS AND PIZZA

“I’ve had it broken more times than I can count,” Callie admitted. It was the first time she’d said it out loud, though she often thought about it.

“Was it a guy?” James continued to interrogate.

Again, Callie gave a humorless smile. The question was so innocent, it sounded like it came from a child. “Sometimes the worst heartbreaks don’t have anything to do with romance, buddy,” Callie muttered. But James didn’t seem to follow her meaning, so she gave a more straight response. “But yes, there have been some guys.”

“But you got over them,” he pointed out. It wasn’t a question. And Callie understood why he’d come to such an assumption. She’d gotten very good at pretending that she had everything put together, so most people assumed she was fine.

“Some took longer than others,” Callie revealed, trying not to dwell on those past heartbreaks. “But once you realize they weren’t the right ones, it’s a lot easier.”

Callie was relieved when the pizza arrived. The smell alone distracted James so that he dropped the conversation they were having. Before she could say anything, he already reached for a slice and took a huge bite. How he managed not to burn himself on the freshly baked pizza was beyond Callie.

They ate in companionable silence, both enjoying the cheesy goodness that was melting in their mouths. As the time passed and the pizza disappeared, Callie could tell James was sobering up. But he also looked tired and sleepy, and Callie was certain his mind and his heart needed to rest. “Time to go home,” she announced after settling the bill. A glance at her watch told her it was already three in the morning.

She didn’t know where the hours went. But she often didn’t, even when she was just working.

“I can just get a cab from here,” James murmured softly, not meeting her eyes.

He seemed more resigned now that the food had soaked up all the alcohol in his system. Callie figured he was feeling a little embarrassed at everything that happened, but she honestly would rather have him safe and uncomfortable than riding around in a taxi cab when he wasn’t feeling like his usual self.

“It’s fine. I can drop you off, James. Don’t worry about it,” Callie reassured him.

James didn’t bother to disagree, probably too tired to come up with an argument. They silently walked back to the car, and he gave Callie his address. She wasn’t surprised to find out that James was actually neighbors with her grandmother. She easily found her way to his house - another large mansion behind a large gate that appeared to be guarded by even more security.

Who was this person?

She realized she didn’t really know much about James, save for the fact that he had his heart broken and his proposal ruined. But she also felt like he was a decent guy, from the little time that they spent together. The rest of it probably didn’t matter all that much.

James didn’t ask her to drive him all the way to the front door. She parked just in front of the gate, and James finally turned to look at her. “Thanks for dropping me off.”

“Like I said, it’s not a problem. My place isn’t that far from here, anyway,” Callie tried to reassure him. He didn’t need to feel embarrassed on top of the heartbreak.

James managed a small smile, even though his blue eyes still looked exhausted. “Tonight didn’t exactly go as planned, but I’m glad I met you, Ms. Everett.”

“Well, it certainly wasn’t boring, Mr. Hudson,” Callie agreed, returning his smile.

“I guess I’ll see you around?” James bid, opening his door.

Callie gave a small shrug, making no promises. “We’ll see,” was all she replied with.

Satisfied with her vague response, James finally stepped out of the vehicle and walked over to the gate. Callie watched as he disappeared inside, only looking back once as the gates shut behind him. When he was out of sight, Callie put the car in reverse and made a turn, heading out of the neighborhood and to her own apartment.

As she drove off, the smell of alcohol and pizza still lingered in her car, and she wondered how long it would take to get rid of it. She decided to visit a car wash the next day.

Callie got home tired and slept off, she woke up the next day feeling like she was the one suffering from a hangover. she realized she slept without having a bath. As she was about to have her bath, she remembered the smell of alcohol and pizza lingering in her car.

Callie drove straight to a car wash to get the car clean from the smell and pizza leftovers.

The cleaning took less time and she drove straight to work, she was driving too fast that she almost had an accident. She slowed down a bit but noticed the cars in front weren't moving fast because of the traffic.

Three hours of sleep was not enough to help her recover from everything that happened yesterday. She was tempted to call in sick, but her phone was buzzing with urgent messages and reminders about her meetings.