There's a reason HR comes up with rules. There's a reason why people say 'don't date your coworkers', and there is a reason why HR comes up with rules.

Unfortunately, you and Dodge had never been ones for advice. Or rules. Which is exactly how you ended up marrying ketchup bottles down the counter from him as he refilled the soda fountain's ice, three months after your breakup.

Neither of you had a claim on Dot's. Sure, you'd been there longer, but only by a few months, and his mom worked there too. Combine that with the limited job opportunities in Carp, and you get yourself stuck closing with your ex.

It could've been fine, but the breakup wasn't particularly smooth and Dodge always had a penchant for being the most stubborn man in town. So it was silence during shifts like this, tasks divided up by whoever gets to it first. Whatever takes the least conversation, despite your still wanting to be friends.

You understood why he was particularly cold today, he'd seen you on a date two weeks ago. Given, it was a first date that didn't end in any sparks, and in a town as small as this you were already sure he knew it didn't go anywhere. Still, you'd gone on a date.

If you were honest, you missed Dodge, and the loneliness was slowly killing you. If he wasn't going to talk to you, you figured you had to move on. Even if it hadn't gone well.

And all you can think about as you deal with the ketchup is how much you miss him. He wasn't as rough as his exterior, and you had known that once. You'd experienced it firsthand.

So maybe when you noticed he'd finished with the ice, it was your reminiscing that caused you to slip up. "Baby, could you grab the ketchup from table nine?"

Before you even realized what came out of your mouth, table nine's ketchup was sliding down the counter into your hand, and you were hearing Dodge speak to you directly for the first time in a week. "Don't call me baby again."