Maybe This Life Read Online Free

situated behind a desk.  “This is your desk.  You can get situated, and I’ll see you in my office in about fifteen minutes to go over your agenda.”
    “Okay, great.” Lena put her purse in her new desk drawer and hung her coat on the hook on the wall, before exploring her new work area.
    “Hey there. Lena, right?” A brown-haired man about Lena’s age approached her desk and held out his hand.
    Lena stood and shook his hand.  “Yes.”
    “I’m Gary.  I’m the other coordinator here.”  Gary turned when he heard footsteps.  “Oh, and this is Lindsey.  She’s Dan’s assistant.”
    “Hi, Lindsey.  I’m Lena.”
    Lindsey looked to be in her thirties, but the severe bun in her blonde hair could have been misleading.
    “Hey, you.  I’m so glad we have another girl in the office.  I hated being outnumbered.”  Yeah.  Lena was sure it was the bun.  When Lindsey spoke, she sounded much younger than thirty.  “Hey, Lena, you should come out with us on Friday nights.  Gary and I usually go with Betty from Engineering to watch Rick from Engineering play at The Tavern in town.”
    “Play?" Lena’s ears perked up at the mention of Rick’s name, if it was even the same Rick.
    “Oh sure.  Rick Murphy, the Engineering Manager plays guitar and keyboard, and every other instrument under the sun, while he sings.  He has a gig every Friday night.”  Lindsey spoke so quickly, it was hard to catch what she said.  Definitely younger than thirty , Lena thought.  Was she dating Rick?  Was Rick attracted to blond-haired girls?  Lena hoped not, since her own hair was as dark as night.  Wait a minute.  Lena mentally shook her thoughts free.  It may not have even been the same Rick and besides, Lena was marrying Vince at the end of the year.  “So,” Lindsey continued. “Ya think you might wanna join us?”
    “It sounds like fun.  Let me just check with my fiancé.”
    “Oh, you’re engaged?  That’s wonderful.  When?”
    “October,” Lena mumbled.
    “You don’t sound too excited.  If it were me, I’d be going crazy with excitement.”  Lindsey was waving her arms exuberantly as she spoke.
    “Lindsey,” Gary interrupted. “You talk too much.”
    Gary took the words right out of Lena’s mouth, but Lena liked Lindsey.  She looked forward to working with such an energetic person.  She’d make the workday fun, Lena thought.  But she couldn’t help but hope there was nothing between Lindsey and the same Rick that Lena was infatuated with. Suddenly, Lena’s desire for Rick, and the guilt it involved, manifested as a painful knot in the pit of her stomach.
    On the way home from work that evening, Lena felt that unusual pang in her heart – that sensation that swung somewhere between excitement and fear.  She was excited about her new job and new co-workers but feared that her attraction to Rick would escalate and Vince would find out.  Vince learning of her attraction to anyone or anything besides him would not be good.
    When Lena got home to her apartment, her younger sister by three years pulled into the parking lot. "Hey Leen, I saw you pulling in, so I figured I'd stop and see how your first day went."
    "Hey, Katrina." Leaning into the driver's side window, Lena’s blond-haired, blue-eyed sister greeted her.  "It was good.  I think I'm going to like it."
    "Yeah?  That's cool. Hey, Joe wants to know if we're still getting together to go down the shore next weekend?"
    "Oh, yeah.  Not this Saturday, right?"
    "No Lena, next.  Why, what's this Saturday?"
    "Oh, nothing...no, nothing at all.  Friday night, um, I may be going out," Lena stammered.
    "Whaddya mean?  Without Vince?"  Katrina seemed suspicious.
    "Oh, I, um..I don't...I don't know, I..didn't tell him yet.  So, where you off to?" Lena was quick to change the subject; her sister would definitely be able to see through to her feelings.
    "Don't change the subject.  Where you going Friday?" Katrina insisted.
    After