Missing Pieces: Chapter 2

“Hey, Jevan. Zuka left'cha, huh?” Bill was the office know-it-all and resident gossipmonger. It would be around the office by the end of the afternoon, not that Jevan minded since people could see it for themselves if they were paying attention.

“Yea.” He gestured at the other man with his stump.

“At least it wasn't the foot this time, right?”

“Yea, Bill. At least it wasn't the foot.” Jevan patted him on the shoulder and went for coffee. He could use an extra cup today. He tried to pick the cup up in his opposite hand and chuckled at himself again, shaking his head as he picked it up in the dominant hand and went to his boss's office on the way to his cubicle. “Hey, Mike. Sorry I'm late. It took me a little longer today than I thought. I'll be on the ball tomorrow.”

The man looked up from his desk and flashed him a heavy look. “I'm sure it won't happen again,” he stated, turning back to the pages he was signing. With his typical early morning gruffness, he grumbled, “Get to work.”

Jevan dropped behind the desk on the little wheely chair and flipped open the first manila folder sitting happily in the center of his desk. It wasn't more than two minutes before Bill wandered in again, leaning in his doorway as he ate a filled stick.

“So how did it happen? Did you even know or did he just walk out with part of you? You had to have known he was leaving, right? And wouldn't you have protected against that?”

“Yea, no, I didn't know he was going to go this soon and I figure if someone is going to take parts of me, they're deserving of them, you know?”

“You know he's still in town, right? You could go and get it back again.”

Jevan looked up from the article he was reading and his brow furrowed. “I don't want to get them back from him before he's ready to give them up. Look, it's not a big deal to me, Bill. Just let it go.”

There was a twinkle in the other man's eye as a secret glinted merrily from their depths. “I'd never let someone take a piece of me like that. They don't own me. They don't have rights to a piece of me.”

Bill had never, in the years Jevan had worked for the company, had a relationship at all. “Bill, I have work that needs done and I'm a little short handed, pun intended, so if you could just let me get back to work, that'd be great.” Although he was smiling, something wasn't sitting well with Jevan and Bill was getting on his nerves when he normally didn't have that reaction to the other man.

“I know where he's staying.”

The way the statement hung made Jevan uncomfortable. “That's cool. Glad to know he's somewhere safe.” He turned back to the article and tried to read again.

“He's staying with me and the wife.”

Jevan didn't dignify that with a response. He really didn't care. Finally he offered, “That's cool, Bill.” He really didn't care where Zuka was or who he was with and Bill's insistence on bringing it up was annoying. If he'd just get to the point and get back to work, that would make Jevan's day that much easier.

“You can stop by sometime. See him. Get your arm back.”

“Okay. Yea, if Zuka gets done with it then I'll stop by and pick it up, but otherwise…” He let the statement hang and re-read the same six lines.

“You know, before he gives it to Mike.”

That drew a look and a raised eyebrow. Jevan's head tilted up to look at Bill. “Mike? What does Mike have to do with this?”

Bill looked like a cat with the sweetest cream. “They're together. Just as soon as Mike cleans out his place for him.”

Jevan snorted, amused, and shook his head. Mike couldn't have cleaned out a place for him before this? Sounds like Zuka's getting lead on. “Well, if he does he does.”

“Yea. Yea, I'm sure he'll let you know.” The comment was delivered with certain smugness and Jevan shook his head and decided to ignore as Bill left. That would explain why Mike had been so funny the last few weeks at work if he was fucking Zuka. It also explained Bill's attempts to get chummy with him. He always had to be the first to break the news and it always had to be at a perfectly opportune moment. Jevan was convinced that instead of dating, Bill had gossip.

With the forced information on where Zuka was, Jevan wasn't sure rather his ex wanted him to make a scene or not, but it just wasn't Jevan's style. He was more about letting it go until Zuka got bored with the drama so things didn't get out of control. He wasn't overly crazy that Bill knew anything or that he was poking his nose in where it really didn't belong, but that was Zuka's bag. Eventually people would stop asking about it and if they didn't, he could always direct them to Bill and let things keep circulating there if he couldn't squelch them because eventually rumors found themselves out.

Everyone always seemed to have a harder time dealing with him losing a part than Jevan himself did. People were always asking if he was okay and if he needed anything as though they would really give him anything if he asked for it. It wasn't like they would give up a limb to help him out. Then they would always talk about how horrible the other person was or they would tell him how he was missing out on such a good thing by letting them go. Truly, the worst part of a breakup was what other people put onto you. The actual splitting wasn't so bad. It always seemed to make a bigger difference to everyone else who was dating who and who had taken parts from whom, but Jevan thought it was best just to live and let live. Too bad not everyone else could do the same. It would make things a lot easier on them.

With the distraction finally gone, Jevan put himself back into his work. He had deadlines, after all. It wasn't much later when Mike poked his head inside the door.

“Hey, uh, I hear Bill talked to you.” Mike scratched at the back of his head and wouldn't meet Jevan's eyes.

“He said something about you making room for Zuka or something if that's what you're worried about.” He turned up from the notepad he was scribbling on and gestured with his good hand. “Honestly, man, I hope you and Zuka are better for each other than he and I was for each other because we just didn't fit right, you know?”

“Uh… yea. Um, listen. Jevan. I'm sorry for not… you know…”

“Telling me you were fucking my boyfriend? Yea. I probably would have been pissed if you did. Don't worry about it, okay? Zuka's gone, I'm missing an arm, and you have a pretty decent guy. It's all good.”

“You… you seem to be okay with it.”

“I am okay with it.” Jevan nodded and gave a smile. “I'm good with it. Good luck to you guys.” He meant it. Hopefully Mike understood.

“Hey. Thanks. Uh, I'll try and get him to give you the arm back, okay? Just… so there's sure to be no hard feelings.”

“Whatever you want to do, man. It's okay.”

Mike backed out, still looking a little confused. Sometimes people made their lives more complicated than they needed to be. Walking up to someone and telling them you like them didn't have to involve pulling off an arm and giving it to them, but he'd seen it done. Taking someone's boyfriend or girlfriend didn't automatically qualify you to take a part and give it back to them and it most certainly didn't mean you had to lose sleep over it when the other person ends up being cool with it. Some people Jevan just couldn't wrap his brain around. With a sigh, he turned back to his papers.

Mike poked his head back in again. “Hey, Jevan, would you maybe want to go and grab some lunch?”

Although if the guilt was going to get Jevan free lunch, he really wouldn't complain too much.