Rachel let out a quiet breath, the faintest edge of envy in her voice. “Of course. I’ll get on it. And the hotel?”
“Top-rated. Somewhere special for her and her sister to relax.”
Rachel’s fingers hovered over the keyboard for a moment before she replied, voice light but with a subtle bite, “Consider it done. I’ll send you some options soon.”
Jake hung up and leaned back in his chair, unaware of the conflicted feelings brewing on the other end of the line. Maybe this was the start of fixing it. Maybe this was the gesture to remind her who they used to be before the distance, before the silence. Maybe it was too little. But it was all he had.
Rachel sat at her desk, scrolling through the concert website, eyes lingering on the Bleeding Halo’s page longer than necessary. The skin tight clothes she wore suddenly started felling tight, confining like a cage.
She tapped her nails against the keyboard, typing out ticket options for Jake. The best seats. Backstage passes. A luxury hotel nearby.
Why was he doing this for her? Rachel thought, biting her lip. Why wasn’t he doing this for us?
She clenched her jaw, the sting of jealousy sharp and unwelcome.
She whispered to herself “He just fucked me on his desk, I’m the one that just sucked his dick and swallowed his cum. He should be planning this get away for us to explore more” A shadow of something darker passed through Rachel’s mind:envy, frustration, and desire. She hated feeling sidelined. Hated feeling like the backup plan.
Still, she kept typing, professionalism masking the storm inside. She would play the perfect assistant. Help plan the perfect surprise. Watch it all unfold from behind the scenes.
Because deep down, Rachel knew the truth he would be back for more.
The next morning Jake was already gone by the time Kylee woke up.The sheets beside her were cool, the imprint of his body long faded. The house was quiet too quiet and for a moment she let herself pretend it was just another normal day.
She sat up, rubbed the sleep from her eyes, and stared at the clock. 6:57 a.m. Down the hall, she could hear the faint crackle of cartoons. One of the kids was up. Another long day had begun.
Jake got to the office and sat behind his desk, espresso in hand, already a full hour into his workday. His eyes flicked to the clock, then to his phone. He hadn’t texted Kylee. He didn’t know what to say that wouldn’t sound hollow. Instead, he tapped his intercom. “Rachel, can you come in for a second?”
Moments later, Rachel entered, eyes bright, lips glossed, hips swaying just slightly too much.
“Morning, Dr. Waterman,” she said with a sexy smile.
“I need you to cancel my 3 p.m. appointment today,” Jake said, keeping his voice even.
Rachel tilted her head. “Ooh… are we having another one of those... desk meetings?”
Jake didn’t smile.
His tone was clipped. Cold. Final.
“No. Those won’t be happening again.”
The air shifted.
Rachel blinked, her cheeks coloring slightly. “Understood,” she said, the flirtation draining from her voice. “I’ll take care of it.”
Jake gave a short nod and returned his focus to the tablet in front of him. He needed to fix what he broke.
Rachel closed the office door behind her, her heels clicking sharply against the tile as she returned to her desk. Her smile faded the moment she was out of his sight.
“No. Those won’t be happening again.” The words echoed in her head, colder each time.
She sat down a little too hard in her chair, her fingers tightening around the mouse. Her screen blinked back at her patient charts, calendar reminders, and hotel booking tabs still open from yesterday. Her jaw clenched as she pulled up his schedule. She cleared the 3 p.m. slot, just like he asked, but her thoughts were miles away. Was it because of her?
Kylee. The wife. The “perfect” mother of his children. The woman he was now trying to win back.
Rachel’s nails tapped the desk restlessly. She wasn’t stupid. She saw the guilt in his eyes yesterday. She heard the change in his voice. He was trying to be good again. But that didn’t mean she was going to make it easy. She sat back in her chair, crossing her legs slowly, thoughtfully, a spark of something sharper thanjealousy rising in her chest. He may have pulled away for now. But she wasn’t done with him yet.
Jake leaned back in his chair, the hum of the clinic fading behind the weight of what he was about to do. He stared at Kylee’s contact on his phone for a long moment, thumb hovering.
