You’ve Got Mail

EverydaySuzywrotea love-sicknotetoAaronbutdeletedit

ratherthanembarrassherself– butdidshedeleteyesterday’s?

BYJENNIFERMOORE ILLUSTRATION:MICHAELDELUCCHI

CHILLOUT|FICTION

T

ODAY ’Stheday, Suzy
promised herself, re­
applyinghercherrylip­
glossandtidyingherhair
inthemirror.Everyday
shewrotea newemailto
AaronintheITdepart­
ment,andeverydayshe
deletedit.Themessagesrangedfrom
light­heartedinvitationsforanafter­
workdrinktodesperatedeclarationsof
passion,dependingonhermood.
Andtoday’smood?Todayshewasfeel­
ingbrave.Todayshe’dwritehima proper,
sensiblemessage– keepingit niceand
casualtoavoidembarrassment– and
shewouldn’tdeleteit.Todayshe’dpress
“send”.
Suzygaveherselfonelastspritzof
cherryblossomperfumeforluckand
headedintotheoffice.
“Yourmomrangwhileyouweregone,”
saidJesswhenshegotbacktoherdesk.
“Justtoremindyouyourgrandma’s
goinginforheroperationtomorrowif
youwanttosenda card.”
“Thanks,”saidSuzy,blushingasshe
spottedAaronmakinghiswaythrough
theofficetowardsthem.
Jessfollowedhergaze.“Whydon’tyou

justaskhimout?”

“Who?I don’tknowwhatyoumean.”

Suzy’scheeksgrewevenhotter.Wasit

thatobvious?

Jesslaughed.“Well,lastweeka certain

someonefromITmentionedheliked

cherries,andthisweekyousmelllikea

one­womancherryfarm.Andyougothe

samecolourasoneeverytimehewalks

intotheoffice.Seriously,justaskhim.

What’stheworstthatcanhappen?”

Hemightlaughinmyface,thought

Suzy,quakinginsideattheverythought.

No,hernewfoundbraverydidn’tstretch

thatfar.Atleastif sheputit inanemail

shewouldn’thavetolookathimwhen

heturnedherdown.Atleastshe’dbe

sparedthathumiliation.

Sheconcentratedhardonherin­tray

as Aaron approached, her cheeks at full

radioactive level now.

He stopped and sniffed the air. “Mmm,

smells like cherries. Nice.”

“Ah, Aaron,” piped up Jess from her side

of the desk. “Just the man we wanted to

see. We were just talking about you.”

Suzy froze. What was she playing at?

“Suzy’s been having problems with her

automated replies since we moved over

to the new operating system yesterday,”

Jess went on. “Perhaps you could check

it for her while you’re here?”

No! thought Suzy. No, no, no.

Aaron checked his watch. “Sure,” he

said, smiling. “It shouldn’t take long.”

“Ask him,” Jess mouthed as he went to

fetch a spare chair. “Go on.”

Suzy took a deep breath, savouring his

closeness as he settled at her keyboard.

“You still have some unsent mail from

when the server was down yesterday af­

ternoon. Let me just get rid of that first.”

Suzy barely heard him. She barely no­

ticed the envelope icon change as her out­

box emptied. She was too busy watching

his tanned fingers on the mouse, imagin­

ing the two of them strolling hand in hand

along the promenade after work.

“Right,” said Aaron, tapping away on her

keyboard. “That should be working okay

now. I’ll email you when I get back, just to

make sure. If that’s everything.. .?”

Jess was still mouthing furiously at her

from across the desk, “Go on! What are

you waiting for?”

But Suzy’s courage had trickled away

to nothing again. There’d be no pressing

“send” on that drinks invite email today

either, she realised as she watched him

walk away. She’d been kidding herself.

A

ND that’s when it hit her.

The email!

No! she thought, sudden

panic rising in her chest.

Please tell me I haven’t...

But she had. She checked

her “Sent” folder, and there it was – a

message to Aaron Roke – subject: Fancy

a Drink? – sent five minutes ago. The dai­

ly outpouring of her feelings for him,

composed over yesterday’s afternoon

coffee break, must have been waiting un­

sent in her folder after the server went

down. And now it was gone. She’d just sat

there and watched Aaron send it to him­

self! Suzy gave a low groan of horror.

“What’s wrong?” asked Jess, looking up

in surprise.

“Er. Nothing,” she stammered. Maybe

it wasn’t as bad as she feared. Maybe yes­

terday had been a sensible day. She took

a deep breath and opened the message:

Dear Aaron,

Would you be free for a drink some­

time after work? I could do with some

more help on my database reports – per­

haps we could discuss them over a glass

of wine?

It doesn’t have to be wine, of course. Or

database reports. If I’m honest I just

62 | 29 AUGUST 2019 you.co.za