My colleague (Rob Jetten x Jesse Klaver)

Chapter 24

On Monday morning I'm sitting at my desk a little earlier than usual. I wanted some time to prepare for my speech today. 

Not having to meet either Thierry or Jesse in the parking lot was a nice coincidence...

As far as I'm concerned, Thierry and I are done for good. Now it's time for me to stand my ground on that decision. Jesse on the other hand... I have no idea where we stand, to be honest.

The doors start to close and I'm relieved mister pushing-me-over-barstools isn't in today, the bruises on his face would probably raise too much suspicion.

The relief is cut short by a brief flash of worry when the realization strikes that Thierry's not the only one absent today.

Jesse is also not here... 

I don't have long to contemplate what he could possibly be doing right now when an abrupt smash on the table crashes my thoughts. 

A piece of white paper with Sigrid's hand on top of it resides in the middle of my desk. I look up to her, her smile lighting up the entire chamber. It's infectious really, I don't know how she does it but I immediately feel a little bit better. 

I couldn't sleep last night, chewing on all of the thoughts which were running like hungry puppies through my mind. 

He has a wife, what else has he been hiding from me? Is he cheating on her? I mean, we haven't really done anything yet, but still... 

Thinking about it, he really hasn't done anything. I kissed him the first time, and I haven't been able to keep him out of my head since, even though he clearly rejected me at his house...

Oh my god, was his wife home that day?! 

The more I thought about it, the more I tried to piece together the parts of the night we were running from the police, wondering if I weren't really the one who initiated that kiss as well. I mean we were standing awfully close and the entire memory has become a bit of a blur. Could it have been entirely me all this time?

But that weren't even the most intriguing thoughts, the one which had me up all night was the one where I wondered whether or not everything was okay with him, and well... his wife. 

He left so instinctively, a look of genuine concern plastered on his face when he walked out of my door, once again. I couldn't get the image out of my head. 

Well, maybe I didn't want to, because that image was better than the one I could be picturing of him and his wife.

But Sigrid's presence and energy manage to distract me, in a good way.

'Team building weekend next week, sign up now!'

She demanded, wiggling her eyebrows. 

I laughed as I jotted down my name, I guess a weekend away with the D66 crew will do me some good. I saw a few words littering the page consisting of nature and green, which is always good. 

When I finish the last letter of my name, my eye catches something on the paper, that doesn't excite me at all. In fact, it throws me off. I look up to Sigrid with a confused look as she rips the paper from underneath my pen. 

'Wait, Si! I thought it was just D66?!'

'Hmm, nope, everyone in the chamber can sign up if they want to, inclusivity and all. It was actually chairman Arib's idea, something about us needing to put our personal differences aside to focus on politics only.'

Sounds like a good idea actually, but one I am most definitely not up for right now. The last thing I need is to spend a weekend sharing a dormitory with asshole number 1 and asshole number 2.