Validation

Earlier this week, I couldn't take it anymore. I walked into Natalie's office, shut the door and looked at her with crazy eyes.

"I, uh...kinda kissed somebody."
"Mm,hmm," she laughed. "God, that's cute!"
"Well...not 'kinda'" I continued.
"Not cute?" she asked.
"Maybe cute. Not 'kinda' kissed. Kissed."
She grinned. "Aaand, does his name begin with a 'C'?"
"I can't tell you," I said. "I shouldn't be kissing people at the office!"
"Well, it just sort of happened, right? It was...serendipity. It's not like you were all up with the hands and the hair and tongue and stuff...you weren't, were you?"
"NO!" I replied, "No hands, no hair, no...no!"
"Then it's fine," she said, "it's fun and it's fine and it has nothing to do with The Husband or with Casey's marriage. You guys are OK. It was just...serendipitous."
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I saw Casey yesterday afternoon, after my vow to retreat from him. He called out a greeting, so I stopped in his doorway for a moment and made small talk.
"By the way, I like your...dealio," he said, gesturing vaguely to his own neckline.
"Oh, um. Thanks," I blushed, unconsciously patting the area between my pendant and the camisole peeking from under my sweater. I realized that it was the first time he'd specifically come out and commented about anything I wore.

And later, when Natalie commented on how nice the new camisole/sweater combination looked, I told her that Casey had noticed it too. Or maybe he meant the pendant...

"Oh, I don't think so!" Natalie said firmly. "You've worn that necklace a lot before. Your jewelry is not what he was looking at."