As soon as she got out of the cab, Zoe was speeding towards the front doors of the reception of Addy's building. She has a good enough memory to know she needed to ask the front to let her in, and she was on the verge of tears. Hopefully, Ricardo feels bad for her. As she got to the front, there was Ricardo, and no one else was around to see this. She stood at the front of the desk. Ricardo must have recognised her because his facial expression went from happy to see her, to feeling bad for her; he could see she was upset. This has been one of many horrible dates.
"Hi Ricardo." She said softly, and he gave a small smile
"Hello, Miss Zoe, how can I help?" He asked sincerely, and she laughed quietly
"I would like to be let up to Addy's place, I don't have a key or any-
"I will give you a spare key; you just bring this back. She hasn't had a chance to get more of the copies." He moved to get the spare key out of the drawer and held it up. Zoe looked taken aback, she was mad, but she knew how important privacy is- 'why am I trying to be nice to her after she did this to me'? She thought as she was about to try to be decent. She took the spare key, smiling at Ricardo.
"Thank you, but why are you just letting me up?" She had to ask at least.
"I don't see a reason not to trust you, Miss Zoe." He said honestly. She again smiled at him and went to the elevator, remembering it was on the top floor, and she waited to get out.
Addy had no idea what was about to happen to her. She was in her office working on reports that were due the next day, that was needed tomorrow from her CEO, who was being a lot more touchy than usual. She was typing away at her laptop, unaware that she had completely ruined Zoe's night. And didn't know that Zoe was on her way to tell her. Addy did, however, hear her door being unlocked; her head shot up. Looking at her bat, she kept for downstairs, she slowly went to grab it, but soon heard-
"ADDISON!" Zoe's voice screaming for her, she got a fright and fell back into her chair, causing her work glasses to fall off her face. She picked them up and put them on the desk, and then was met face to face with an angry, teary-eyed Zoe. Her eyes went wide, still sitting in the office chair.
"How did you-
"Why did you do that?" Addy had actually forgotten that she set Zoe up on a horrible date with a horrible person; work made her forget.
"Do-
"ADDISON! Do not play coy! You know, I thought that maybe you were a halfway decent person by helping me out, but you are trying to get something out of this! I don't know if it is a laugh or sex with me, but I won't give you either! You set me up with the most rude and stupid person on this planet! Why did you do that?!" Zoe was trying so hard not to cry; she never gets this angry that she wants to cry. Addy was looking in her eyes, and she was trying not to laugh that her plan worked, but she could see she had done a really bad thing.
"Look, Becky isn't so bad-
"Addy, she called me chole and wouldn't let me talk. I hadn't even sat down, and she was already making me want to rip my ears off. Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why did you think SHE is the one?" Addy let out a breath and a small chuckle
"You both annoy me, so I thought, she is annoying and hey! So is she! Let them meet and BAM!"
"There was no BAM! This was one of the worst dates I've been on in a while, Addy, I said Take this seriously!"
"I am!"
"You are not! I can handle being overly touchy and being stood up, at least those girls remembered my name and let me talk! Even when I got stood up!" Zoe was starting to tear up more; she was mad.
Addy stared at her, and for some reason, the thought of someone being overly touchy with her made her skin burn. Guys in high school did that to Addy; she knows you don't just let it happen to be nice, you do it because you don't want to cause a fight.
Zoe eventually fell onto the floor; she was sniffing. Addy looked down at her. She felt bad; she hadn't made a girl cry before. Looking around for her tissues, Addy joined Zoe on the floor, crossing her legs, and she slid the box over to the girl's feet. Zoe saw the box and looked up at Addy. She was a soft crier, her face was red, and her eyes were puffy. Addy and she shared a glance before Zoe took a tissue and blew her nose. Addy licked her lips.
"I'm sorry."
"Are you?" Addy nodded
"I am…I am not looking for anything. Maybe I wanted a laugh and to somehow get you to see that being a brat will let this happen, but I don't think I should have done this. I know Becky is horrible, everyone calls her weird Becky at work, she is…strange and rude. I am sorry I put you through that." Addison was being genuine. Zoe still had tears rolling down her cheeks; she was just frustrated and mad, and maybe sad that this was probably the worst-
"What ice cream do you like?" Addy broke her chain of thoughts to ask a random question.
"What?"
"Ice cream? Do you like it?" Zoe nodded
"Who doesn't?" She replied
"What flavour?" Addy moved to get her phone, and she dialled a number. Zoe sniffed. She was confused.
"Ah, anything really, nothing mint though. Why?" She asked as she watched Addy phone someone. She stared at Zoe for a minute while the line ran. She pointed to her own nose, indicating that Zoe had something there. Zoe took a tissue and wiped.
"Why did you take so long to answer?" She asked the person over the phone.
"I saw Miss Zoe was sad when she walked in asking for you, call it, I am upset with you for making her cry. What you want?" Ricardo doesn't like a lot of people. The fact that he is taking her aide and most likely gave her the spare key means he thinks she is a good person, Addy sighed.
"I know, she is sitting here crying, and I am trying to make it better. Is there any ice cream in the kitchen? Mary normally leaves a lot there, don't ask me how I know." Zoe had no idea who she was talking to, and she was hoping it was not Blair.
"There is a bit. Are you going to give Miss Zoe ice cream?"
"Yes, I am, but I need to know what is there-
"Can I have some?" Addy rolled her eyes
"Yes, Ricardo, you can, but-
"Since when does Mary leave ice cream here? I have not seen her eat tubes?"
"What are you talking about-
"She never eats tubes of ice cream! There are 4 types here! I would really like some Miss Addy-
"You can have it after you tell me what there is."
"There are 4 tubes of ice cream."
"Ricardo, I know that, and it is tubs, not tubes. What is there?"
"Ice cream tubs, 4 types, brown, white, green and a white with brown?" Addy sighed, At least he answered my question somehow.' She looked at Zoe.
"Chocolate, vanilla or cookie dough." She asked Zoe, who was not crying, and she was trying not to laugh at how bad Richardo is with English.
"Cookie dough and chocolate," Zoe said softly. Addy nodded.
"Ricardo, can you send through the little door, the brown one and the white with brown? You can have the green if you want-
"Green is mint?" He asked, and she could hear him moving the ice cream to the secret door in the back. It only goes from her place to downstairs and vice versa.
"Yes-
"I love mint! And it is ice cream mint! Thank you, Miss Addy, the ice cream is now! Tell Miss Zoe I hope she enjoys." That was the last thing she heard before the phone went dead.
Addy stared at her phone, then back at Zoe. She was confused about how Ricardo acts sometimes. She didn't wait too long before she heard a ding in her kitchen, which meant the ice cream was here. Getting up, she went to retrieve the ice cream but stopped. She looked at the younger woman, who did not move to get up She bit her lip.
"What would you like? Half and half or just one?" Addy asked. She was trying really hard to make Zoe stop being so damn sad. Zoe looked up, her wet, glossy eyes made Addy look at her softly, 'she looks like a baby doe,' she thought.
"Half and half. Please." She asked, and Addy nodded and walked away to the dish. She got the biggest bowl and made sure there was a decent amount of each ice cream for Zoe, getting a spoon, then mixing it a bit, to make it look more a less like half and half.
She heard another sniff come from her office. Zoe was really sad, and Addy didn't mean for this. She just wanted a laugh, but she knows better than to use people for a laugh. Addy doesn't like being mean to people; she just does it without thinking most of the time. Walking back to her office, she handed the bowl to Zoe, who looked like she had stopped crying a bit. Addy sat down where she had been sitting once. She handed the ice cream, and Zoe nodded a thank you.
"I am sorry. I knew Becky was horrible; I shouldn't have put her on you." Addy said she was holding her legs to her chest, Zoe was busying mixing in the ice cream more, and she didn't really know what to say. She looked up.
"Well, you got me ice cream, I guess you're forgiven…" Addy stared at her
"I do want to genuinely help you with this, I just, I guess, did want a laugh, and I did it in the wrong way, and for that I am sorry." Zoe can see that Addy is quick to say sorry when she knows she is in the wrong or has done something wrong; she hasn't really met anyone like that.
"You really want to help me?" Zoe asked, eating her ice cream. Addison nodded.
"I do, I'm not bad at helping people find dates, most of my coworkers have asked me to help them, and now two of them or engaged and one is married. Maybe I should get to know you a little better, considering I met you on Saturday."
"Re-meet," Zoe stated
"We didn't really meet back in high school. I was in college when I got a call saying that my older sister was in a relationship with a 13-year-old girl, and I needed to see if this shit was true. I met Blair before I met you, and I just always assumed you were like her, not a slut but… dumb. So, I don't know you." Addy was being honest; she didn't know her, and Zoe didn't know her.
"I guess that makes sense." Addy can see that Zoe doesn't talk a lot like she normally does when she is down.
"We should get to know one another, like you said, you can tell me whatever, and I will tell you some stuff as well. It will actually help me in the long run. If I know what you like and don't like, I can find someone who is your equal and your opposite," Zoe looked confused, "Meaning, you must have common interests and things that you don't have in common. It is the best kind of relationship, not too much difference and not too much the same." Zoe nodded, she could see why she is a businesswoman or well, a COO, whatever that is, but she knew it was important, she knew how to really get a point out there well.
Zoe was nearly done with her ice cream. She and Addy were still sitting on the floor. They sat in silence for about an odd 10 minutes, Zoe looked up and only now saw that Addy didn't have ice cream.
"Didn't you want any?" Zoe asked Addy, breaking their silence.
"No, I don't eat it." Zoe looked shocked, and Addy looked confused
"Who doesn't eat ice cream? Are you lacteous intolerant?" Addy shook her head.
"No, it's fattening, and I don't really eat fatty foods."
"Ice cream doesn't count." Addy pulled a 'really' face.
"There is no good protein in it, and it is just sugar, which is fattening. I don't eat fatty stuff, or I will gain weight."
"What about when you were growing up? Did you just never eat ice cream when it was hot?" Zoe asked, Addy sighed, she didn't eat at all basically, when she was growing up.
"I was told it would make me fat, so I didn't eat it. There was a lot I didn't eat because I was told I would get fat. If you look in the pantry, there is not a single sweet or cookie, more fruit and health stuff. Oh, and coffee." Addy stated, Zoe was finished with her ice cream and set the bowl down. She couldn't imagine this; her parents let her eat whatever in small amounts. Addy saw the empty bowl and grabbed it before she was asked any more questions, but she asked one.
"Do you want to stay here or must I drive you home?" Addy asked, holding the bowl. Zoe didn't want to have to see Blair and explain what Addy did, and Zoe knew, the moment Blair saw Addy, she would have her head.
"Can I stay here?" Addy nodded
"You know where the spare bedroom is, and the clothes, and you can help yourself to more ice cream. I need to work more before I sleep. So, you can sit and relax in the living room till you want to sleep. I will just close my office door." Addy explained, Zoe nodded. Addy stood up, and so did Zoe. She was going to go change and eat more.
"I will make another date after I know more about you. Only then." Addy said as they walked out of the office.
"Thank you. And thank you for the ice cream, it made me feel better." Zoe smiled softly at the older woman. Addy nodded, still feeling a bit guilty about the younger woman's puffy red face. Addy walked to the kitchen and placed the bowl down. Zoe was moving to the doorway to take her shoes off, she got a text from Blair.
'Are you ok?'
'Yes, I came back to Addys, I might stay here, tried to move.'
She put her phone back in her pocket and moved to get more ice cream when she and Addy just bumped one another as Zoe turned the corner. Addy just grabbed her upper arms to steady herself and the younger woman.
"Sorry."
"No, it's fine, I walk too fast," Addy said, letting go of her arms. They stared at one another for a moment, then moved away from each other as Addy began walking back to her office. She stopped before closing the door.
"Night."
"Night." She replied, watching Addy close the door and continue working, she made her way to the kitchen to get a bit more ice cream. As she was done, her phone buzzed.
'What do you mean you are staying there?'
'Just that, I am staying here, the date was a lot, and I am tired.'
'Zoe.'
'I will talk to you tomorrow, Blair, I really am just tired, nothing major.'
'Zoe.'
"Goodnight, Blair.'