Then I punched the intercom button on the desk phone with an index finger.
“Agnes?”I started.
“Leaving for Palm Springs early?”she finished.
I gritted my teeth.“How did you know?”
“Sunny texted me a few minutes ago that I could make early plans with Steve tonight if I wanted because I’d definitely be getting off early,”Agnes answered with a laugh.
Half glaring and half smiling, I snatched the jacket off the back of my chair. I was going to make Sunny pay for that one as well.
CHAPTER32
Sunny
And make me pay,he did, as soon as he walked in the door.
Actually, before.
A message arrived with the whistle I'd assigned to Cole's name shortly after Agnes called to thank me for covertly getting her time off for her husband Steve's birthday weekend.
"We haven't spent an entire weekend together in years!"she gushed."Honestly, Sunny, you're the best thing that ever happened to Mr. Benton—and to my relationship. I can't believe we're actually going to get three whole days to ourselves in Los Angeles!"
"You totally deserve it,"I gushed back."You've done so much for me. Trust, I'm way too happy to pay you back in any way I can."
"You don't know how much this means to me. As Steve and I get older, I'm beginning to realize that time together is more precious than any paycheck. Keeping Mr. Benton to regular hours and the occasional afternoon off? That's the kind of work-life balance I haven't been able to enjoy inyears."
No, I hadn't come with my own designer wardrobe, but suffice it to say that of all the women Cole had "contracted," I was definitely Agnes's favorite.
"I'm so happy he's marrying you. By the way, have you thought about dates yet now that the paperwork's all done? There are still a couple of days left in June at the Benton Chapel. And Steve and I have been eyeing some summer cruises."
"I'll have to get back to you on that,"I answered, my voice going a little weak. I ended the call with a guilty stomach. Part of the reason I had talked Cole into this two-day goodbye was because I knew she'd be returning to her previously grueling schedule come Monday, when our relationship contract expired.
But my guilt morphed into something else when I saw Cole's text.
THE HOUSE:On the plane. Consent Addendum Request: Impact Play.
This wasn't the first consent addendum I'd received since Cole coolly asked for my phone the morning after our big talk, then just as coolly passed it back with his personal contact info entered under THE HOUSE.
“This way, you don't have to go through Agnes to ask me for permission.”
Cole liked being asked for permission. He also liked sending his consent requests in writing.
However, this was the first consent addendum I'd had to look up.
My cheeks burned when I read the answer to the question I typed into Google. Then I started to type back another question.
THE HOUSE:Only green zones. For now.
Cole answered my question before I was even done typing.
Then another message appeared right after that.
THE HOUSE:You'll like it, and remember, we always have the safe word.
As I typed back. I couldn't help but laugh at Cole's one-of-a-kind tendency to command and reassure me at the same time.
Consent granted.
