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Using the coffee mug to try to cover the grin that just kept spreading across my face, I took a big swig. Not sure how she nailed it, but it was exactly the way I would’ve made a cup for myself.
“How did you know how I like it? This is delicious.” I took another sip before rubbing the towel over my head a few times to get my hair moving in the right direction.
“I’ve seen you make it for yourself a couple of times. Guess I just notice details,” she said with a shrug. “Do you have a busy day ahead?”
“I never really know what the day is going to have in store until we’re in the middle of it. The joys of being an executive’s assistant, I guess. Obviously I see what is already on the calendar for each day, but problems and shit always pop up,” I explained between sips.
“Oh, how can you deal with that? Just having to pivot on the fly like that. I’d have an anxiety attack on the hour,” she said and forced a laugh. “God”—she shuddered—“that freaks me out just thinking about it. I like a schedule I can count on. I like to know where I will be and when. If something pops up in the middle of my routine, I usually come to a full stop. All productivity stops there because it takes all my focus to redirect my energy.”
“I don’t think you give yourself enough credit.” I was very impressed with how real she was being with me. I powered down the last of the coffee and set the mug on the counter.
But I think my comment unnerved her, because she was very quiet after that. Agatha gave an uneasy smile and snatched the empty cup from where I set it and bustled to the kitchen to put it in the dishwasher.
About ten minutes later, I came through the living room on my way to the front door. “So what do you have planned for today?” I asked my gorgeous girl. I watched as she battled with her first inclination to get defensive but swallowed the reaction down like a bitter pill and refocused.
“Well, I’m finally satisfied with my résumé after working and reworking it a dozen times, so I plan on sending it to every place I can find that’s hiring. Maybe some that aren’t too.” She gave me a sassy little wink after that remark, and I grinned.
I was so proud that she was taking initiative in the job hunting but didn’t want to beat it into the ground and ruin the moment. Or hell, maybe even the entire morning with the way one wrong comment could send her straight to irate.
“Awesome. I can’t wait to hear about it later. Do you want me to pick up dinner on my way home for us?” I asked as I slung my bag over my shoulder.
“No, I’m thinking about cooking.” She giggled at my skeptical reaction and then added, “Hey! I have some hidden talents you don’t even know about yet. My sister isn’t the only cook in our house.”
“Well, I’ve tasted her cooking, and if you have a fraction of her talent, sign me up every night!” My excitement probably seemed over the top, but the less we spent on eating out, the better for our budget.
“Okay,” my lady said, pushing me with both her small hands on my hip. “Go or you’re going to be late. Have a great day.” Her normally strong, confident voice turned quiet as my own demeanor suddenly became serious.
I bent down to her height and kissed her chastely. We both lingered there, wanting to deepen the exchange, but we knew I really needed to leave. I groaned low in my throat, and she sighed so hard that her tits heaved up and down in that sexy little top she had on. My groan transformed to a whimper with that delightful view.
We both chuckled, and for me, it was because we were acting like a couple of newlyweds, and I couldn’t have asked for a better start to my day. I wanted a life like this more than anything else, but again refrained from beating up a subject we’d discussed before.
Holding out hope she’d come around to wanting the same things I did might have been a foolish thing to do, but at the moment, it was all I had to cling to.
“Have you heard a word I’ve said?” my boss asked impatiently, and I really couldn’t blame the guy. By lunch I had recomposed the same fucking email three times. Now, he was standing in front of my desk, snarling at me like an angry guard dog. Not that I blamed him, either. I rarely made mistakes, especially on a task so simple.
“Yes, I heard you. I’ve apologized and said I would redo it. I’m not sure what more I can say?” I replied, trying my very best to not lose my shit. I was having a terrible time concentrating after attempting to communicate with my wife and being left on read since I’d sent the first message three hours before. The calls I’d tried went straight to voicemail, and the subsequent text messages I’d sent after the first one sat bottlenecked behind the original.
It was taking every shred of willpower I had not to leave and go home and make sure she was okay. After that alien-green emesis episode I’d witnessed the day before, I had myself convinced she was lying facedown, drowning in her own vomit while I dealt with my perfectionist of a boss.
Of course, that thought led to the one that plagued me every time I left her alone.
Was she drinking behind my back? Hell, if she was willing to power down cough medicine to catch a buzz, where would she stop?
And then I’d snap out of it for a few minutes, long enough to convince myself I could trust her. Long enough to fill my own head with bullshit bits of proof we’d turned some imaginary corner and were headed for our happily ever after.
“Dude!” Elijah barked, and judging by the look on his face, it wasn’t his first attempt at calling me back to earth.
“Sorry,” I muttered. I couldn’t even look the man in the eye at that point. I was fucking up royally, and it was so out of character.
“Maybe you need to call it a day, my friend. I’m not sure what’s going on with you today, but clearly your head isn’t in the game. You never miss work, man. Take a mental health day and get your head on straight.”
“You wouldn’t mind? I can finish that email first—” I began to offer, but he held up a hand to stop me.
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll handle it. But is there anything I can do for you? I may be overstepping here, so just tell me to fuck off, but this has bombshell vibes all over it. Am I in the right neighborhood?”
“Yeah, and again, I’m sorry to let my personal life interfere with my work. I swear this won’t become a habit,” I insisted while shutting down my computer.
“She okay?”
