Page 52 of I Hope This Finds You Well

“That’s exactly it!” He chuckles. “I know what they want for me, but I don’t know if that’s whatIwant. Faking it just seemed... easier, while I figure it out.”

I bob my head in solidarity. He has no idea how deeply I can empathize.

“But I’m sorry to rope you in. I swear, it was such a small lie at first. I’d been telling my parents I was seeing someone for a while just to keep them off my back, and they kept insisting on a photo, and then they sent that picture of us winning the door prizes at the Christmas lunch...”

I press my lips together evenly. “Ah, right, the day I got my Supershops lunch bag. The zipper didn’t even work. I stuffed it in the freezer on five.”

He chuckles again, and although it’s soft, it fills the entire room. “Better than the monocular I got. Like, what kind of freaky person would want that? And why were they so certain that person works here?”

I can’t hold back my laugh, and Armin grins too, but it’s tinged with that weary, tense look he’s been wearing as of late. Another wave ofsympathy roils through my chest. “Honestly, it’s fine,” I say. “It’s none of my business. If we hadn’t run into each other at the bakery, I never would’ve known.” I try not to flinch at my own lie.

Armin keeps a steady gaze on me for a long moment, and I wonder if he can tell there’s more I’m not saying. Finally, he shifts to stare at the overflowing recycling bin and softly mutters, “It’s been tough lately. She’s had so much chemo, and it’s on me to help, since my dad can’t drive anymore...”

I pick up my uncopied paper from the printer and clutch it to my chest. “I’m sorry.”

His lips press tighter. “It’s looking more like we’ll have to shift to comfort care. I guess I just wanted her to have some peace of mind about me.” Under the fluorescent lighting, the bags under his eyes are stark. A wave of understanding seeps in:University Location—the U of C medical center.

“Hey, Armin. Yesterday, when I tried to warn you—you’ve been taking time off and stuff lately... Maybe you could say something about helping your mom to Gregory, so he knows, or even Rhonda—she might be a good ally?”

He groans under his breath and presses his hands to his temples. “Nah, Rhonda’s never going to be on my team. And this isn’t my mom’s first bout. Last time, Gregory knew; he even sponsored my Bike for Cancer.” Our eyes connect before Armin quickly averts his. The guilt of my indifference when he was looking for Bike for Cancer sponsors grates through me. Armin continues. “But you know how it is. I could tell he was annoyed about the extra PTO. And then things got better with my mom for a while, but now...” He sips his coffee and his Adam’s apple rolls. “With all the rumors going around about layoffs, I don’t want to risk it.”

My stomach burns. I look down at my feet. “What if you tell the new HR guy? He seems nice.”

He huffs. “Yeah, sure, HR people always act like they’re in your corner. But they’re just company spies. If I tell him what’s going on, he’ll probably just tell Gregory.”

Of course Armin’s right. Cliff might seem genuine, but Supershopshired him to advise about layoffs first and foremost. It’s impossible to really know how sympathetic he’d be when it comes down to it.

He shakes his head. “Corporations hate this kind of shit. They feed us all this sap about being a family, but at the end of the day productivity is all that matters. No one cares what’s going on in your life.”

“I understand.” And normally I’d completely agree with him. But my mind jumps to Rhonda, to her problems with her son. “You’d be surprised, though. Everyone has their own shit going on.”

He rubs his stubbly chin, the noise scratching through the room. “Anyway, thanks again for last night. It was so cool how you figured out the situation and knew what to say, more or less.” But his brow rises just so. “How did you do it? It was... You didn’t seem all that shocked.”

My skin tightens. I hold the paper even closer against my chest, and I can feel my grip wrinkling it. “I, uh, just kind of went along as it happened.” I try and fail to stop my eyes from shifting. “And, you know, I get how it is with parents.”

“Right...” Armin’s heavy gaze pins me in place. I stop breathing, certain he can smell the bullshit on me. He opens his mouth, then closes it, his lips thinning into a straight line. I stand very still.

Finally, he sucks in a breath and says, “Would it be crazy to ask you to pretend to be my fiancée one more time? Maybe a dinner or something? My mom won’t stop asking me, and it’d make her really happy.”

My head shake is so automatic and aggressive, it makes me dizzy. “Last night was honestly a fluke. I can’t pull that off again.”

“I could talk you through what to say!” he insists, eyes giant and pleading. “Or I’ll handle most of the talking, and you can enjoy a free meal. The hardest part would be pretending to like me for a bit,” he adds with a small, teasing smile.

No way. I try to imagine myself sitting in front of Armin’s parents for an entire evening, smiling and making small talk and digging myself even deeper into this bonkers hole I’ve fallen into. It’s a terrible idea; Armin must be truly desperate. But I’ve got plenty of my own to deal with as is.

“I’m sorry, Armin. I can’t. Even last night was too much angst for me. I’m stressed right now and really need to be focused on my job.”

His eyes glint at my words. “I could help you with that! I know you and Caitlin are kind of in a battle here. She’s pretty sure she’s going to crush you in the multi-unit meeting tomorrow. I could find out what she’s going to say and tell you.”

I shake my head. “No, I don’t think that’ll help me. I’m not planning on talking in the meeting.”

His eyes shift toward the doorway, then back to me. He takes a tiny step closer. “Okay then, between you and me, she asked me to confirm some really negative stuff about you at my HR meeting.” He shakes his head quickly, holding his palms up. “I wasn’t going to. That’s just not my style. But Icoulddeny everything,andI could say you’re the best colleague to work with—mention how you’ve been helping me with stuff. Mention that she’s been bullying you, even.”

My jaw almost unhinges. It’s almost too perfect, this deal. I should take it, I think. What’s one more lie at this point? Except I can’t stop thinking about Armin’s mom—her kind, frail smile. Lies aren’t all the same, and lying to a sick Persian aunty, on top of everything else, might finally be enough to make me explode. This was only supposed to be about keeping my job. I can’t let this get any bigger than the walls of this office.

“Sorry, but no. I can’t do the dinner.” I take a step around him and head toward the threshold.

He nods, his entire body deflating as he stares at his feet. “Worth a shot.”