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[Jun. 16th, 2016|06:33 pm] |
Mr Falcon entered the building through the main entrance mid-morning. Unusual for him, the time and manner of coming to work. It wasn't often that the mere mortals in the foyer would catch a glimpse of the gods residing on the executive level. But this was definitely Mr Falcon, striding across the polished floor towards the private lift. He didn't have to wait, didn't have to look where he was going, trusting the path in front of him to be absolutely obstacle-free. The ADJUTANT made sure that the lift doors opened for Max at the perfect time and closed behind him timed just as perfectly.
Browsing through this morning's news and e-mails, Max didn't pay much attention to the ride up to his office, didn't bother looking if he was on the right floor when the doors opened because this lift didn't stop until he had reached his destination.
Not today, though. Today, it stopped to let somebody else enter: Giulietta. Max suppressed the frown before it could crease his forehead. Of course she had access to this lift, had had it even before the Christmas party. He managed a tight smile and a polite 'morning' before he returned his attention to his phone, determined to not engage the redhead in any way.
Of course she had other ideas.
The lift was stopped in mid-rise and he heard her say his name. Funny how she didn't sound irritated or annoyed at him at all. He would say she sounded normal, perhaps a little uncertain? When he didn't immediately react, she said his name again, and this time there definitely was uncertainty in her tone.
"Yes?" he replied, without looking up.
Giulietta wasn't used to this Max - the busy one, the silent one, the one who didn't look at her and didn't talk to her. They had barely talked at all since the Christmas party. Maximilian Falcon, who always, always found an excuse to spout nonsense at her, had barely acknowledged her existence, let alone gone out of his way to speak to her since that party.
In the beginning, she hadn't noticed. Then she had noticed and not minded so much. Now, she was more than a little insulted and upset. They used to be lovers, they could still be friends, could they not?
"Max, could you leave your phone for a minute and look at me?" "I'm rather busy, Giulietta." "Busy?" "Yes." "One. Minute. Max."
There it was. The old familiar irritation. And now Max did let his frown appear, as he looked up from his phone to look at the face of the woman he used to love - still loved, would love until the day he died - but didn't like very much lately.
"Well?" "Are we okay?" "What do you mean?" "Don't play dumb, Max. You know what I mean. Dmitri and I... I know you're close friends and since you and I used to... I just wanted to know if you and I are okay? You've been... distant lately."
'Distant'. But that was what she'd always wanted, wasn't it? For him to leave her alone. For him to stop chasing after her. For him to stop annoying her. Well, he had. And now she was complaining?
The easy way would be to say that of course they were okay, and that he was happy for the lovey-dovey couple. As he looked at her, however, studied that beautiful face, he didn't feel like lying.
"No, Giulietta, we are not okay." Max sounded calm. There was no anger or malice in his voice. "I have loved you since the first time I laid eyes on you, I was in love with you, and you knew it, and you used me for it, and that was fine by me. But this? You and Dmitri? This hurt. So no. We're not okay, and I'm not going to pretend that we are still friends because we never really were friends to begin with. Now, if you would be so kind as to get the lift moving again, I've got work to do."
She didn't say anything for the rest of the ride but Max knew he'd hurt her, could feel it radiating off of her.
Good. |
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