A few hours later I knocked on Mia’s door and was met with silence that stretched longer than normal. “Mia?” I called.
Her voice was barely audible. “Come in.”
I pushed open the door and was taken aback by folders scattered everywhere. “Whoa, what happened?”
Mia didn’t look away from her computer. “I couldn’t find a file. I had to go back through everything I did last month, and I haven’t cleaned it up yet.” Her voice was gruff, like she hadbeen crying, but it was laced with anger and frustration that gave off a menacing aura.
Walking further into the room, I closed the door behind me with a click. “I’m sure you’ll get to it when you can,” I said as I perched on the arm of the chair opposite her desk. “Is everything all right?”
“It’s fine. I got a head start on things for next week, and you’ll have the reports by the end of the day on Monday.”
I sucked in a breath. “Mia, you know that's not what I meant. I know work is fine. You are a killer at your job. What’s going on? You have been distant and unlike yourself this week. Joanne and I have both noticed. We want to make sure you’re okay.”
She looked down at her fingers resting on the keyboard. “I’m sorry. I…I have issues going on at home. I won’t let it interfere with my performance.” She lowered her voice to the smallest whisper. “Please don’t fire me.”
My heart shattered for her even though I didn’t know what she was dealing with. No one ever knew what others were going through deep down, and I knew that feeling all too well. I recognized the isolating behavior and the change in demeanor among the host of other indications. Standing, I moved across the small room to stand as close as I could with the desk between us.
“Mia, I’m not going to fire you. I just said you are the best at your job. Now, I’m going from boss to friend, okay? I don’t know what’s going on, and you don’t have to tell me, but please know that I’m here for you. My door’s always open regardless of whether it's about work or not.” I flattened my palms on the hardwood next to her keyboard. “I’ve been through some shit, too. I may look put together, but we all struggle. It took a long time for me to get where I am and to be okay.”
A lone tear slid down her cheek as she slowly moved her hand to cover mine. “Thank you,” she whispered before pulling back.
I tapped the desk in quick succession before moving to the door. “All right, now let’s close out the day right. I have a date to prepare for and you have a fucking mess to clean up, ma’am.”
I looked back from the doorway, and her jaw had slackened. “Wait, a date? Raven!” she squealed, but with a wink I closed the door behind me.
“I wantto see your recording set up,” I said to Ryan over breakfast the next morning.
He paused mid-chew. “Why?” His face had turned from playful to perplexed at my question. I wondered what made him think I wouldn’t be interested in his craft.
We spent all night tangled in each other after I got home from the office, but we had done very little talking unless you counted all the coaxing each other to release. I was disappointed when he said he had to work and wouldn’t be able to spend Saturday with me, so I tossed around ideas and finally landed on the perfect solution. One screen would work, and since I’d gotten enough done through the week, I didn’t think I would fall too far behind.
I forked the last bite of my eggs into my mouth. Ryan decided to make a simple breakfast so he could leave quickly. “Reason number one is I want to see you work. For no other reason so I can drool from the sideline while I watch,” I said casually. The fork clinked against my plate as I got up and moved behind Ryan’s barstool.
I ran my hands over his shoulders and down his chest,dropping a kiss to his neck and bringing my lips close to his ear. “Reason number two is that since you have to go record and can’t play with me all day, I’m going to bring my laptop and come with you.”
He reached up to grab my wrists. “Better watch it, baby. Keep saying things like that and I might fall in love.”
I squealed in surprise as he whirled me around and into his lap. “Ryan! We’re going to break the chair!”
He nestled his face into my neck, and his breath warmed my skin. “I’ll buy you a new one,” he purred as he ghosted kisses along my collarbone.
My giggles bounced off the kitchen cabinets and filled the open space with an unfamiliar brightness, something the dull walls hadn’t seen before.
I kissed his cheek and set to clearing the dishes from the island. He didn’t get up to help, instead just watched me as I worked. I stole glances at him, blushing every time I looked up and saw him still staring. His face was a mask of stillness, concealing any thoughts that were playing in his mind. As I finished the task, his mouth curled into a grin as he rose from the stool and caught me by the waist, pressing a kiss to my forehead.
“I’d be honored if you came with me, babe.”
An hour later, we walked into Ryan’s minimal apartment in the suburbs, and I smirked as soon as I took in the small, but open galley-style space. I wasn’t surprised at the lack of decor as I looked around. Ryan was a typical bachelor in his twenties when it came to the furnishings. A tiny two-person table sat in the middle of the kitchen and beyond it, the living room boasted a couch, an end table, and a TV stand. I rolled my eyes at the monstrous gaming computer setup that took up the other half of the living room along the far wall.
I moved toward the desk, taking in every detail of theroom. “This is pretty impressive. I didn’t know you were this serious about gaming.” Running my fingers over the keys, I accidentally pressed one. The click was loud and caught me off guard. “Even a mechanical keyboard?”
Ryan glanced at me from where he dropped his keys on the ivory counter. “I’ve played most of my life. It was my escape when I was a kid. I had the best system, but when I moved here, I only had a basic PC. I bought that baby when my career took off. I haven’t really bought much else”—he gestured around the room—“as you can see.”
He leaned against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest, a position that sent currents of electricity through my body.
“You know there are people that can make the design choices for you if it's not something you want to deal with, right?” I joined him in the kitchen. “Most men don’t care, but you have the money now, so why not?”
He studied me for longer than usual before sighing and pulling open the fridge. “I don’t need nice things.”
