don't fall in love with your boss, pt. 2

If you're returning from part 1, hello again. Welcome back. Thank you for continuing with me on this ridiculous story I unfortunately get (want? need?) to tell.

At the end of part 1, I left off explaining that my ex and I moved back home from Los Angeles. So. Diving back in.

We move home. Find a new apartment. My ex was able to get his old job back where he'd been working prior to our relocation, and I randomly stumbled into a job through a friend. It wasn't anything too exciting, but it was a job. So, we settled back into our hometown life. My ex was content and grateful to be surrounded by our tribe again. As was I. But. I was also feeling lost. Uprooted. Depressed? And verging on resentful. Whether I was aware of the latter or not.

Roughly a couple months go by, and my ex comes home from work with an unexpected message.

him: jay says to text him and come back to work at the store.

me: wait, what? really? *texts jay immediately*

(somehow it hadn't occurred to me to text jay before then. probably because i was so listless and melancholic yet pretending i wasn't.)

Text Jay. Reapply. Then quit my other job and returned to the store that same week. On my first day back, Jay and I were sent to remerchandise the exhibit store together, and immediately I was right back in it. It was like no time had even passed. He and I fell in stride with each other way too easily. He caught me up on his family and how he’d actually left the store and come back only a few weeks before I did. I filled him in on my year in LA and casually lied about why I had moved back home.

My relationship with Jay? Stronger than ever. The relationship with my ex? Fragile as hell.

He and I had been struggling for a long time at this point. And things were only getting worse. By the end of that summer, my ex and I separated. It was ultimately a mutual decision, what we knew we needed to do. But it was also very difficult and came with a lot of unrecognized grief.

And how did Jay play a part in all of that? He was nothing but supportive. Checked in on me when no one else could even sense I was sad. Tried to offer any advice from his experience. Sent me home and covered my shift once when I just couldn’t hold it together. And always made me laugh every chance he could. I cherished him deeply every day of that miserable summer.

Unfortunately, my part-time position wasn’t going to cover the bills any longer. Not when I needed to find a new place to live while also paying a car loan and other bills that had previously been split between two people.

Luckily, I was able to move in with my sister and her roommates in the spare room of their house. And shortly after, I landed a job at a bank downtown.

I reluctantly gave my notice at the store and started at the bank the following Monday.

That same Monday afternoon, I got a text from Jay saying "how dare you leave me alone with these people?" To which I replied, "Promote me and I'll come back." Ya know, cause money.

Shit you not, a month later he texts me again, "So about that promotion?"

Long story short. Turns out the store manager was high-key stealing tons of product under the table. It was a whole ordeal. Then Jay got promoted to store manager in their place. Then the assistant manager up and quit. So, then Jay needed a new assistant. Ding ding ding. It's me.

(anyone else intrigued at all by how the stars keep aligning like this? that he and i keep finding a path back to each other? raise your hand. just me? mkay keep reading.)

(also to clarify, i had to apply and go through two rounds of corporate interviews to get the assistant position. just so everyone knows my employment was above board. alright. moving on.)

That said. Two weekends in, unexpectedly my co-worker (we’ll call him Ethan) just didn't show up for his shift one Saturday. Weird. But. That's retail. So, I'm just like "bummer, i liked working with him," and then we hired a new person.

Fast forward approximately three months later. One day, Jay calls me into our tiny, tiny office and says “hey, we have a call with corporate today about ethan.” Naturally I’m like “about what?”

Well.

Turns out, Ethan quit and then filed a complaint to corporate claiming that Jay and I were involved in an “inappropriate relationship, probably an affair.” Jay was informed of this a couple months prior, was interviewed by HR about it, etc. And now they were following up with me.

me: why didn’t you tell me about this when it happened?!

jay: i just didn’t want you to worry...or be weirded out.

Mhm. So, we have the call with HR. I answer truthfully that Jay and I had never been involved in any regard other than professionally. (which is true but also felt like a lie.) HR agrees, saying they never believed we were but had to investigate the claim fully regardless. Glad they did, good workplace practice and all, but I still could not believe how Ethan actually did that. I mean, really? Confront me to my face next time.

Anyways.

The following week, while Jay and I were on our lunch break, I told him that my dad cracked up when I told him about the whole “affair” claim.

Jay: …you told your dad?

Me: yeah, it was so surprising i had to tell him.

Jay: *silence*

Me: did you not tell maria? (that’s what we’ll call his wife)

Jay: i could never tell her about that.

Me: ...but it's not true?

Jay: it just…doesn’t matter. i can’t tell her.

Me: oh. well okay.

Jay: did you tell daniel? (that’s what we’ll call my current partner)

Me: yeah, of course. why wouldn't i?

Jay: *silence*

Now, I feel like he should’ve been able to tell his wife of, at that time, 13 years. Knowing full well that it was a false accusation. But, he seemed very adamant that telling her was not an option. And everyone's relationships are different, so who am I to judge.

Me on the other hand, I told Daniel that very day. I came home all “you are not going to believe this.” To which Daniel replied, “i’m surprised more of your coworkers haven’t thought that, considering he’s very clearly in love with you.”

Daniel had only been around Jay and me once.