Writing

ELLE AND SHANE

Elle was brushing her hair but it was in a way where she wasn’t focused on it. Aimlessly, really. Her mind was somewhere else. She was about to see someone that she hadn’t seen in 3 years. 

Shane. 

Her heart jumped at the mere thought of his name. Would he still look the same? Would he have facial hair? No facial hair? Would he be bald? Would he be fat? Would he be married? Her heart fell. She had always had feelings for him, from the very moment that they met. Even when she went to London 3 years ago, those feelings never went away. She would think of him when she wasn’t busy with work or something would remind her of him. She sometimes thought that she would see him on the street. He always had a place in her heart.

Everyone seemed to want them together but they didn’t see it. At least Elle always played it off like she didn’t. People would always ask her “Why aren’t you and Shane dating?” And she would just smile and shake her head and say “We’re just friends. We just work together”. However, a part of her would always be left wondering. Why didn’t they date? There were moments where she thought about what it would look like. There were moments where she thought that maybe he felt the same way. She would catch him staring at her from across the room. Or he’d ask her why she was still single. She thought that maybe he asked as a friend. But could it have been something more? 

No, she thought to herself. That couldn’t happen.

That idea was completely shot to death at her going away party at the office. It was the week before she was set to go to London. She got the promotion that she had always wanted and she was going to be a writing fellow at the top school in London. There were drinks and loud music and she got a little tipsy. Rowan, her close friend at the office, knew about her feelings towards Shane. She convinced Elle to tell him everything, especially because she was leaving. So with a little liquid courage, she went to find him. And she found him alright.

He was hooking up with the intern in one of the open offices and Elle walked in on it.

“Elle!” he shouted as he ran after her. Walking away, Elle clenched her fists.

“Please, Shane, don’t! I’m tipsy and I’m fighting the urge to punch you in the face!” He grabbed her arm gently. His shirt was disheveled and his face was still slightly flushed. Elle looked at him, tears forming.

“I’m sorry. This is your party. I’m an asshole,” Shane said.

“No, you see Shane, I’m the asshole. I’m the asshole for thinking that I could come find you and tell you that I’ve been in love with you for the past 3 years and that somehow you’d feel the same,” Elle said, tears streaming down her face.

“What?” he asked.

“Yeah, it doesn’t matter now cause I got my answer,” she chuckled, pulling her arm away as she shook her head.

“Elle, wait!” But she was already walking back to the party.

She didn’t answer any texts or phone calls from him after that. Shane did, however,send her an email when she moved. And she’s never deleted it to this day.

He wrote:

Hey Elle, 

Since you won’t answer my texts or calls, I figured that email would be the best and last option. I really want to apologize for what I did with the intern at your party. I was a little drunk because I was sad that you were leaving me. I was going to miss you. I do miss you Elle. You’re my best friend. How am I going to make it without you? Who else am I going to crack jokes with about Johnson wearing pants that are too tight? Who am I going to have late night sushi runs with and watching The Office? I can’t do that with anyone but you, Elle. You’re my person. If you can find it in your heart to forgive me, I will be forever indebted to you.

Bears, Beets, Battlestar Galactica.

Your boy (I still hope), 

Shane

That was their favorite Office joke. And so she responded,

Identity theft is not a joke Jim 🙂

And they began to speak again, but after a year or so, Elle noticed a break in their communication. And then, all of a sudden, they haven’t spoken in about 2 years. This was the first time that she was going to see him and she hoped that he would still be the same Shane but a little different. Maybe they could really talk about what happened that night. 

Maybe. 

Elle put some lip gloss on and checked herself over. Rowan walked into the bathroom and gasped.

“Girl, you look hot!” Elle laughed.

“Stop it. But thank you.” Rowan walked over to the mirror, grabbed Elle’s lip gloss, and put some on.

“You think Shane’s gonna be there?” Rowan asked, wiping the corners of her lips. Elle’s heart skipped.

“I hadn’t really thought about it,” she adjusted her necklace, her hands suddenly feeling warm. 

“Liar. The minute that you put that dress on, you were coming for your man,” Rowan wiggled her eyebrows at Elle’ restriction in the mirror. Elle slapped her arm playfully.

“Shut up! Don’t think that I didn’t notice you wearing that little number for you know who.” Rowan stuck her tongue out.

“Whatever,” Rowan looked herself over. “Let’s go get drunk”. Rowan crossed arms with Elle. At that, Elle threw her head back and laughed.

They arrived at the hotel lobby, took their coats off, and began to walk around. Everyone was so happy to see Elle but the one person that she was waiting for hadn’t shown up yet.

She was standing by the bar as she ordered her favorite drink. Rowan and Luke from IT were casually flirting and Elle smiled to herself. She looked up at the TV screens and saw that they were playing a re-run of The Office. Their favorite re-run. Her heart raced and she wished that Shane was there to enjoy this.

“Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica,” Elle said along with Jim. She was about to say the next line when a voice spoke up next to her.

“Identity theft is not a joke, Jim!” Her heart jumped immediately. She turned to see the person next to her and her eyes lit up.

“Shane!” she said in almost a whisper. 

He smiled. 

Her heart fluttered.

“Hey, Elle”.

He looked great with a beard.