Just a coworker

The moment between Jenny's question and the doctor's answer felt like an eternity. Filling the space around them with complete silence. But to her surprise the doctor answered with equal directness, "Yes, I am." Jenny looked up and saw his serious expression. Now that she had determined his intentions and that he wasn't joking around, she looked a bit troubled as she did what she had to do. "Well, then I am afraid I have to decline. Did you forget how I got this job in the first place? I am already engaged. I was introduced to this job by my father-in-law who knows the owner of this home." The doctor let out a sigh, "Engaged, hmm? Well, that sucks."

Awkwardly Jenny replied, "Yeah, sorry about that. I really thought you knew." Then she let out a sigh as well. "Now I have to find another job and just when I found such a well paying job that I actually enjoyed." The doctor looked up with a surprised expression. "Huh, why? We can still be friends right? There is no need for you to quit over something like this." Jenny shook her head. "I just had a very bad experience with staying friends with someone who had feelings for me and I can't put my fiance through that again. Maybe if you hadn't asked me out it would have been an option, but now I am afraid even being colleagues is too much." The doctor appeared shocked that Jenny would quit just because he had asked her on a date. "Did these past months mean nothing to you that you can quit just like that?" Jenny put on an emotionless face as she cruelly answered, "Sorry, it might have meant a lot to you, but to me you were just a coworker." After that she grabbed her things and walked away without looking back even once. Leaving the hurt and confused man behind.

Looking forlorn the young doctor thought over his actions, regretting every moment and every word. Even though he had told himself not to act rashly. Even though he told himself that acting rashly hardly ever worked out. In the end his stupid mouth ran off with his boasted self confidence and he got himself in a mess he couldn't get out of. Why did he have to throw his own advice out of the window and act on an impulse like a love struck teenager? If only he had asked her first if she had a boyfriend, if only he had paid attention when they were informing them about her, then they could have at least been friends. They could have been colleagues. He could have joked back and forth with her like always. He could have at least seen her, if only for a few hours each workday. Now he would lose the one connection he had with her. He sighed again as he talked to himself. "Maybe this is for the best...This way I can forget about her faster...Yeah, it is for the best...but it still hurts like hell though." Another sigh followed and he let the chair fall back further as he changed his view to the ceiling. Not wanting to work anymore at the moment.

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Meanwhile Jenny had stepped out of the entrance and was thinking over her actions as well. The out of character behavior was not shown randomly by her. The reason for her harsh words were that she couldn't risk him having even the slightest bit of hope, so she needed to be as clear as possible. Even if that meant being cruel. Being too kind had brought her nothing but trouble before and she wasn't going to repeat that mistake again. Especially considering that she couldn't quit right away. She had a notice period of a month. Meaning she still had to work with him for four more weeks. 'Ugh, how am I going to get through those weeks?! It is going to be so awkward...' She thought to herself as she walked to the car parked out front. When she saw Jason leaning against the car, waiting for her in the cold. His breath being visible in the crisp evening air and his bright smile, that appeared the instant he saw her.

Seeing this, the guilt she felt for her treatment of the doctor faded away instantly. Thinking, 'Yes, I did the right thing. I'll get through those weeks somehow and walk away without regrets afterwards. He looks at me with such earnest eyes. He has such faith in me. He should be my number one priority. Jobs come and go, but there is only one Jason.' Having cleared her mind she returned his smile and waved at him as she rushed over to him and threw herself in his arms. With a chuckle Jason put his arms around her and ruffled the back of her hair. "What's wrong? You are never this affectionate out of the blue." Jenny looked up at Jason with a pouty glare. "What do you mean I am 'never this affectionate'? You are making me sound like such an unappreciative fiance." Jason kept a straight face as he said, "Yes. You only discovered this now?" He even sighed as he saw Jenny's clearly confused face. "Well, now that you know, you can work on it." He pinched her nose as he added, "Don't think that not knowing means you deserve no blame. I think I have suffered enough from your ungiving nature." Jenny appeared shocked as she gasped at Jason's words. Seeing a hint of a smile on his face, she changed her expression to an evil smirk. "Well in that case, let me shower you with love right now!"