Chapter Text
If there was one word that described Zoey Clarke, it was practical. Naturally, she’d heard a smattering of similarly defined words over the course of her life. Grounded. Level-headed. Pragmatic. But even her third grade teacher had noted in her report card, “Zoey is very bright and focused in class. She’s practical in her approach to problem-solving and eager to learn new subjects. However, she can seem shy and withdrawn and needs to work on building relationships with fellow students.”
If she was being honest with herself, those same words could describe her today, as an adult. She still liked to think of herself as bright, focused, practical, and eager to learn. But she never had been very good at connecting with other people. Perhaps that was why she was so good at her job. Computer code was a language that she understood. Interpersonal relationships, on the other hand? Remained a mystery to her.
Which wasn’t to say she was entirely antisocial. She was loyal in her friendships, few though they were. There was Mo, her best friend – and neighbor across the hall – and Eddie, Mo’s boyfriend. Eddie was what Mo referred to as the “strong, silent type,” and Zoey figured she’d known Eddie for three months before she’d heard a word out of him. However, when she got through his initial reserve, she’d quickly found him to be funny, charming, witty, and genuine, with a romantic streak a mile wide when it came to Mo. Seeing the two of them together, Zoey couldn’t imagine anyone ever making her best friend happier. In fact, the pair were currently incommunicado, Eddie having spirited Mo away to spend the holidays on a cruise with his family. Mo had been equal parts excited and terrified that their relationship was taking that next, crucial step, and Zoey hoped his nerves had subsided and they were having a wonderful time.
Last but not least in her affections, there was Tobin, who she’d met in first day orientation at SPRQ Point. His laid-back personality had initially set her on edge, and it had taken a couple of years for her to realize he used humor to hide a warm, generous heart. Over time, he’d become like a little brother to her, his presence so familiar she almost couldn’t remember what her life had been like without him in it. Eventually, Zoey had abandoned SPRQ Point to form a company of her own, recruiting Tobin to join her a few months later. Reality Bytes was her baby, and Zoey knew all they needed was a little luck, and she’d put their names on the map.
Which brought them to the issue at hand. “You’re the one who’s always saying we need to get our names out there. Well, this is your chance!” Tobin was arguing, thrusting a large envelope toward her. “Are you really going to turn this down?”
“Yes!” she replied, shying away from the envelope as though it were a venomous snake. “This isn’t what I meant!” Taking a step back, she gestured vaguely with one hand. “I meant we just need the right person to take an interest in our tech. I did not mean I wanted to participate in some ridiculous contest in front of, you know, other people.”
Tobin rolled his eyes at her. “You can’t hide behind your computer forever.”
“Oh yeah? Try me!” Grabbing the envelope out of his hand, she ran her finger along at the elaborate R seal pressed into the high-quality paper before turning and tossing it into the trash. “We aren’t doing this. I’m not doing this,” she declared with an air of finality that she hoped Tobin would take seriously. “Anyway, the contest starts on Friday. That’s nowhere near enough time.”
To her frustration, he didn’t seem ready to let it go. “We’d fly to New York on Thursday. Then you’d have three days to do some sightseeing or buy duty free Christmas gifts or something. I’m sure if we look hard enough, we could probably find some really boring lectures or seminars going on in New York that you could attend over the weekend. The actual contest isn’t until next week. That’s plenty of time!”
For just a second, she felt her resolve begin to waver. She did love a good seminar. But, no. Her aversion to making a public spectacle of herself outweighed her love for lectures and agendas and color coded notes. Barely. “I’m still not doing it,” she declared, turning back toward her desk.
She stopped in her tracks when she felt the weight of his hand on her shoulder, and she turned to see his eyes filled with concern. “I know this is a little out of your comfort zone, but…you’ve never been good with new people, but you used to at least try. You’d try new things, take chances every once in a while. Ever since you broke up with Simon, you’ve closed yourself off from the world. I’m worried about you, Zozo.”
“Don’t call me Zozo,” she protested weakly, though she knew he wouldn’t listen and, in all honesty, she didn’t mind the affectionate nickname. “Look it’s…it’s not that easy. Simon and I were together for three years. I thought we’d get—” she let her voice trail off, giving her head a firm shake. She had to stop thinking about Simon and the future together that had apparently had never been as clearly mapped out in his mind as it had been in hers. “Christmas was a special time for us, you know? It just isn’t that easy to put that in the past.”
His voice was gentle, his eyes kind, as he pressed, “I know, but it’s been almost a year. Maybe it’s time to move on.”
Her eyes dropped to her keyboard as pictures of the future she’d once thought she’d have paraded through her mind. “I can’t. Not yet.” Pressing his lips together, he gave his head a small, sad shake and turned away, leaving her to the ghosts of her unrealized dreams.
A few hours later, she juggled her cup of coffee in one hand and her takeout dinner in the other as she pushed the door to the café open with her hip, her thoughts turned to the To Do list she was already mentally preparing for the next day. She didn’t register the identity of the man on the other side of the door, reaching for the handle, until she almost barreled into him.
“Simon!” she gasped, jerking back with enough force to slosh some coffee onto her sleeve. She barely noticed, however, as she silently prayed that she looked more put-together than she felt. Part of her wished she could run a hand over her hair to make sure it was in place, but that would only betray her anxiety, so perhaps it was best that her hands were full.
For one moment that probably lasted only a couple of seconds but felt like an eternity, their eyes met, and her heart skipped a beat. Then he smiled, and she remembered why she’d fallen for him to begin with. God, he looked good, in his white turtleneck sweater and dove grey slacks. But, then, he’d always looked good.
“Zoey! Hey!” he said, reaching out to place a hand on her arm as he shifted the two of them to the side to get out of the doorway. “You know I was just thinking about you the other day. You look…wow. You look amazing. How’s your family?”
Zoey felt like a lovesick teenager as she blushed and smiled, basking in the warmth of his gaze. She wasn’t the superstitious type, never putting much stock into so-called “signs.” But maybe she’d been rash in casting them aside out of hand. Running into Simon like this – at Christmas, no less, when they’d shared so many wonderful holidays together – couldn’t just be a coincidence. Was the universe trying to send her some kind of sign that they belonged together?
“Babe, there you are! Sorry I’m late,” a woman called, jogging up behind him. “I can’t believe how bad traffic was getting out of work today!”
Simon turned at the lilting voice with its soft English accent, his smile widening. The woman who approached was stunning, and she didn’t need to run her hand down her hair to make sure it was in place. Zoey doubted it would dare mar her physical perfection by being otherwise. Heedless of her thoughts, Simon leaned in to press a kiss against the stranger’s lips. “Not a problem. I just got here myself,” he reassured her.
Lost in their own little world, Zoey might as well have not even been there, for all that they took notice of her. Just when she was wondering if she should discretely back away, the woman detached her lips from his and turned to face her with a polite smile. “Oh, I’m sorry. We’re being incredibly rude. I’m Jessica,” she introduced herself.
She was even more beautiful upon reflection than she’d seemed in that first, quick glimpse Zoey had gotten of her before Simon had blocked her face with his head and his lips and his tongue, and Zoey’s heart dropped to her stomach. Both gave a ferocious twist that left her feeling slightly nauseated when a gust of wind whipped around them, blowing her perfect hair into her even more perfect face, and Zoey saw the glint of a diamond band on her finger when she lifted her hand to brush her hair back again.
“I’m – I’m Zoey,” she introduced herself in turn, pressing the hand holding her coffee cup against her stomach.
She expected some sort of reaction from Jessica upon hearing the name of Simon’s ex, but from the blank look on her face, Zoey could tell that she’d never heard her name before. How was that even possible? They’d been together for three years and he didn’t find her significant enough of a footnote in the story of his life to mention her to his fiancée?
“Do the two of you work together?” Jessica asked politely.
“We used to,” Zoey offered, just as Simon explained, “No, uh, we used to date, actually.” She’d always thought their relationship was a bit more serious than that sounded, but what did she know? She’d also once thought she’d be the woman with Simon’s engagement ring on her finger, and look how that had turned out.
“Oh, I almost forgot. Your mom keeps texting me to ask what kind of dessert we want for Christmas dinner. If you don’t text her back soon, she’s probably going to send us home with six pies and I’ll never fit into my pants again!”
Trying to hide her aching heart, Zoey forced herself to smile and attempted to keep her tone light as she replied, “I doubt that!” Jessica could probably throw back ten pies and still look as flawless as she did now. Damn it.
As though her voice had reminded him of her presence, Simon turned back to face her as he looped one arm around Jessica’s waist. “So, uh, are you doing anything for Christmas?” he asked awkwardly.
“Who, me? Oh. Um. Yes, actually,” she lied. She normally spent Christmas with her mom, but she was flying to Chicago to spend the holiday with Zoey’s brother David and his wife Emily. Zoey had been invited as well, of course, but she’d demurred, reluctant to take that much time away from work. “I’m…going to be in New York. The Women in STEM Leadership Council holds an annual coding competition. It’s funded by the Richman family. Very exclusive. Invitation only. And I’ve been invited to participate! So, uh, you know, I should really get going. I have a lot of packing to do.” Backing away, she added, “It was nice to meet you, Jessica. See you around, Simon.” Somehow, she managed not to let her smile fall until she’d turned away, and her face was no longer in view.