The past week was agony. Every day dragged on, Josie’s absence creating a black hole in our lives that we couldn’t fill. Oma was quiet all week, cooking up a storm and having to end up freezing a lot because nobody had much of an appetite.
The only light in an otherwise depressing week was Rhett. He worked from home. He didn’t leave my side. And he slept on the couch each night, refusing to leave. Not that anyone would have made him. He dragged us through the week, helping us keep our shit together in between working and making calls.
On Friday, I answered his phone because he was in the shower. It was Lexie, who he had been in regular contact with all week. When she heard me answer she screeched down the line, making me drop the phone.
“Emmi? Hello? Emmi. Can you hear me?” She was yelling loud enough I could hear her without putting the receiver to my ear.
“I’m here, Lexie. Geesh, what is going on? Everything all right at the office?”
“Are you kidding me? She asks me if everything is alright at the office. Unbelievable.”
Not sure what that was supposed to mean. Rhett was still working as much as ever, having set up his office on our kitchen table. Surely they would survive with him working from home for a week.
“What do you mean? What’s happened?”
“What I mean is that the unthinkable happened. Rhett is not here. It’s been nearly five days. And he hasn’t shown up at the office once.”
I knew this since he had been with me the whole time. Cassandra wasn’t in the office and the little work I had this week, I could also do from my laptop wherever I wanted. She didn’t mind as long as she didn’t end up in Economy class again.
“I know. What is your point?”
“He hasn’t been here all week, is what my point is.”
Geesh, I wasn’t getting anywhere with crazy pants screaming down the line. Super assistant Lexie was frazzled. I got way too much joy out of that one.
“What’s the big deal?” I asked, liking this entire conversation more than I should.
“He hasn’t taken a single day off since he took over the company.”
“Not even to go on vacation?”
“Definitely not. He also works on the weekends.”
Right. Well, I had no response to that.
Lexie huffed. “I see it is all starting to sink in.”
It certainly was.
“Don’t screw it up,” Lexie told me in her best assistant voice. “And tell him that he has a meeting with Stokes this afternoon at three. I couldn’t postpone it again, not if he wants the deal.”
“I’ll let him know.”
“You do that.” She hung up, leaving me impatiently sitting on the couch.
But why was I waiting? Oma was at the market, Freddie was in school and I had a mission to complete. I noticed with satisfaction that the water was still running. The door was unlocked, and I walked inside the bathroom without hesitation because for once in my life I was sure this was meant to be. We were meant to be.
I took off my clothes, choking myself in my haste to get rid of them. Rhett hadn’t noticed me coming in, so when I opened the door to the shower, he turned around in surprise. Until he saw my undressed state and his face transformed into a different kind of surprised.
“Emmi?”
I didn’t answer. Instead, I stepped forward and put my hands on his chest. His arms automatically went around me, and I plastered my front to his. His chest was slick, soap still clinging to him. He didn’t need an invitation to lower his head and touch his lips to mine.
“You doing okay?” he asked, his hands roaming up my sides and up further, brushing my nipples.
I sighed in delight and did my own explorations of his body. “Couldn’t be better.”
That was the last thing that was spoken for a while. We kissed again, this time anything but soft, our teeth clashing.
