Chris and Hazel

'Hey Charlotte!' she said answering the phone.

'Honey, how was your date?' she asked excited.

'Char, how about I tell you when I reach home?' she asked continuing to work.

'Oh, are you working?' Charlotte asked.

'Yes'

'Ok then, I will come over today. Since it's the weekend maybe we can hang out' Charlotte suggested.

'Yeah okk sounds great' Hazel said and disconnected the call.

'I have got to finish this today or I will have to work tomorrow too' Hazel said to herself searching for her drive.

'Hazel' a voice called, she noticed Jessica standing in front of her desk.

'Mr. Finch asks for you' she said looking at her.

'I will be right there Jessica' Hazel said still searching for her drive.

'Okk' Jessica nodded and went back to her desk.

'Maybe I will come back and look for it' she said getting off her desk.

'Mr. Finch?' She called out opening his office's door.

'Ms. White, come on in' he said looking at her.

'This is for you' he said pushing an envelope towards her.

'What is it?' she asked taking the envelope in her hands.

'Open it'

She nodded and opened the envelope to find two passes….no not just passes it was couple passes for a romantic dinner tonight.

"Does he want to take me on a date with him? Get over yourself man, you are married" she thought to herself looking at him.

'It's for you and that guy' he explained looking at her nonplussed expression.

'That guy? Oh you mean Ryan?' she asked tilting her head a little.

'...Yeah yes that one. Mr. Anderson, right?' he replied giving her an unreadable look.

'Thank you for your concern Mr. Finch, but I am afraid that I will have to decline the offer' she said politely.

'It's just like compensation Ms. White, it was kinda my fault for ruining your date yesterday' he clarified.

'But it was because I wanted to you guys to accompany us. Your kids are adorable only a person like you could say no to those faces' she said rolling her eyes at him.

'Excuse me?' Chris asked in disbelief looking at Hazel's behavior.

From his voice, Hazel knew that she went too far with her eye rolling.

'I meant you didn't have to feel bad Mr. Finch' she said smiling apologetically.

'Well you do realize that you roll your eyes a lot, right?' Chris asked smiling lightly.

'Well...' Hazel struggled to reply.

'Anyway Ms. White please accept these passes' he requested.

'Sorry Mr. Finch. I will take your leave' she said turning away.

Before she could leave she turned around towards him and said;

'Maybe you can go with your wife' she suggested and literally ran out.

'Yeah right!' Chris said shaking his head in resentment.

'What's up with boss?' Ava asked as Hazel returned to her desk.

'He bought some couple passes for dinner and asked me and Ryan to go' she replied.

'So?'

'So what? I declined' Hazel answered.

'But why?'

'Because it wasn't his fault plus those passes looked expensive' Hazel replied turning towards her system.

'You are so dumb' Ava yelled looking at Hazel.

'Keep it down! You are shouting' Hazel said looking around worried that someone might hear them.

'Let them know how much of a fool you were' Ava said glaring at her.

'Haze, answer me honestly. The reason behind you not accepting his gesture wasn't because you still like him right?' Ava questioned getting serious.

'No, I too enjoyed when the kids were around. I moved on Ava, he's married and I am not an idiot to still think of him, ok?' Hazel replied firmly.

'I am sorry Haze. I shouldn't have asked that question' Ava apologized and turned towards her desk.

It was really hard on Hazel. She has been struggling for years now. Everyone around her thinks that she is unhappy only since Chris' return but the truth is that she was unhappy long before that, in fact Chris' return was the remedy she needed to move on in life. Though she excelled in all other fields she needed improvement in the field of love.

When Ed bluntly told her the truth before, it helped her wake up from a story that had no ending. She realized that she was walking down the path that led nowhere. That day she cried a lot, she poured everything out. She decided that it was a waste to hold on any longer but she also knew that Chris was the only one she could love like that. She didn't want to make anything weird she decided to go with the flow by letting go of her past though she wasn't going to earn back the lost years she didn't regret it a bit because it was her choice to love him. But now everyday she thinks the same thing before going to bed;

"If only that conversation never happened, things would have been different"

'Hazel?' Ava called out and Hazel pulled herself away from her thoughts.

'It's almost 7 p.m. shall we leave?' Ava asked looking at Hazel.

'Ava, I still didn't finish my work. It's better to work late than to work on weekend, right? I will finish it and come, you go home and Charlotte will be coming and she doesn't have a key so it will be better if you leave first' she said.

'Ok, but try to come home fast' Ava said leaving her desk.

Hazel nodded and resumed her work.

'Stupid Hazel! You started dreaming again and now see? You have to work late. It is all because of Chris, I was at peace and then he appeared suddenly and now it's like I am in hell'

'Ms. White, you are thinking out loud' a voice answered behind her.

Hazel froze in place; she didn't want to turn around. She wished to just disappear from there because she knew Chris was standing behind her and he heard everything.

Chris walked towards her and stood in front of her.

'Did I do something wrong Ms. White?' he asked looking at her.

'Mr. Fi…n….ch?' she stammered getting off her chair.

'Yes Ms. White?'

"Hazel you are fired" she confirmed.

'Working late again?' he asked

'Yes' she replied quickly slightly relieved that he let that go.

'Ok, I will be here too so just let me know when you are leaving' he said turning around to leave.

'Thank god!' she sighed in relief.

'One more thing' he said turning back. She looked up at him waiting for him to continue.

'Next time you rebuke me aloud do make sure that no one is around cause I have a reputation to maintain here' he said with a smile.

'I am really sorry Mr. Finch' she apologized sincerely.

'I don't blame you Hazel, I know I am the grumpy one around' he said and walked towards his office.

'Well that didn't go as expected. I still have my job' she said resuming her work.

Chris entered his office and called Jessica.

'Mr. Finch?' she answered the call.

'Ms. Quinn, are our office staffs getting a lot of work recently?'

'Mr. Finch, I am sorry but I don't get what you are asking?'

'Is Ms. White receiving a lot of work?'

'Oh you mean Hazel? No Mr. Finch no one is having any work burdens. Is there any problem?' Jessica questioned.

'No Nothing like that' he replied and disconnected the call.

'Then why did she scold me like that' he wondered returning to his desk.

'Mr. Finch?' Hazel called out entering his office.

Chris woke up with a start.

'Were you sleeping?' she asked walking towards his desk.

'No…no' he revolted getting up.

'I thought you had work' she said looking at his tired face.

'I did, I was just taking a power nap' he lied looking away.

'Are you done with your work?' he asked.

'Yes' she replied looking at the time, it was fifteen minutes to 10:30 p.m.

'I am done too, let's go' he said walking towards the door.

As Chris left the room, hazel followed him wondering;

"He wasn't waiting for me, right? Well no way, it was possibly a coincidence"

As they both reached the parking lot Chris stopped Hazel;

'How are you gonna go home?' he asked.

'Well I will book a cab' she said looking at her phone swiping through apps.

'I will drop you, get in' he said.

'That's ok Mr. Finch. I will go by taxi' she said searching for cabs around.

'Get in, I will drop you' he said unlocking his car.

Hazel knew it wasn't a request, she quietly walked towards his car because she knew he wasn't gonna listen and she didn't have the strength to argue.

'Don't you have a car?' he asked as she got into the car.

'No, there's only one parking spot for our apartment and Ava has her car and so I left mine at my parent's' she replied as he drove.

As he kept driving it suddenly clicked to Hazel that Chris doesn't know the way to her apartment.

"But he has been driving for some time and yet he hasn't asked me for the direction. Maybe I will just watch how he asks me" she thought smiling to herself.

'We are here' he said stopping the car.

Hazel looked outside, it wasn't her apartment but it did seem familiar.

'Mr. Finch, this isn't my apartment' she said looking at him holding back a laugh.

'Oh! It isn't?' he asked.

'Nope' she replied.

'I know that Hazel. Your apartment is on the opposite side. I took a different route that's why you couldn't recognize the route' he replied.

Hazel looked in the opposite direction, he was right. But how did he know?

'Mr. Finch, how…' she started.

'It's already late Ms. White. Good night' he said interrupting her.

'But…'

'Bye Hazel' he said starting his car. Hazel knew that he didn't want to answer her question and so she quietly nodded and got down from the car.

'Good night Mr. Finch' she said and walked towards her apartment. Chris waited till she entered her block and drove back.

'Its 11'o clock Haze, you worked this late?' Charlotte asked opening the door for Hazel.

'It was an important project' she replied entering.

'Oh no' hazel screamed suddenly.

'What's wrong? I forgot my drive at my desk' she said panicking.

'So what? We'll get in on Monday' Ava said coming towards them.

'But it has all the important information for our upcoming project' Hazel replied worried.

'Then we will go and get it tomorrow, just stop worrying' Ava consoled her.

'Yeah, we will go collect your drive and then go to the amusement park together' Charlotte said.

'We are going to an amusement park tomorrow?' Hazel asked looking at the two.

'Yeah' they replied in unison.

'But I told Ryan we can go out this weekend' Hazel told them.

'Just cancel or reschedule. It's been ages since we all hung out together' Charlotte protested.

'OK ok fine. Maybe he can come too?' Hazel asked.

'But...I don't think it's a good idea. It's strictly for friends' Charlotte said

'Ryan is my friend' she replied.

'Really?' they asked smiling wickedly.

'I just asked ok. Fine I am not inviting him' Hazel said looking at them.

'Ha...ha don't cry honey, both of you can go somewhere else later plus if you come with us there will no privacy too' Ava said teasing Hazel.

'Shut up! It's nothing like that' Hazel objected blushing a little as the other two continued to laugh.