becky did her rounds, playing the professional part perfectly until she landed at his department. i mentioned the stickers on my car, and he practically tripped over himself to volunteer. "i'll do it. i can do it," he said, that "pick me" energy on full blast.
he finished with the stickers, but becky wasn't done. i told him i didn't know how the steering wheel came off, even though everyone said it was easy. next thing i know, i'm in the driver's seat and he's in the passenger side, leaning in way closer than he needed to be to show me.
the cabin felt tiny. we locked eyes, and for a second, the air just vanished. roxanne was right there, feeling the heat, but we didn't cross that line.
we finally got out of the car, the tension still thick enough to cut. that's when he dropped it. "how are you not married?" he asked. or maybe it was "why is your husband divorcing you?"
he was standing there in the light of the shop, finally realizing he was looking at a tiger, not just a coworker.
