That was all it was. Talking.
Somewhere after overnight trips and dinners where she spent more time venting to me than speaking to the men across the table, we ended up in New York.
It wasn’t unusual to share a suite. Hard to guard someone when you’re on different floors.
We ordered dinner. Talked. Midnight came without either of us noticing.
Then her hand was on my thigh. I didn’t pull her closer. But I didn’t push her away either.
Not even when she kissed me.
It took her hand moving lower for reality to slam into me. For me to realize what I was doing. Who I was risking.
I stopped it.
But the damage was already done.
What made it worse was that we had to stay the night in that suite. She went to her room. I went to mine.
Try explaining that to your wife.
Yes, honey. We made out, but we slept in different beds.
Somehow that almost sounds worse.
I drag a hand down my face and try to remember what the therapist said the day Jess walked out of our session.
Put yourself in her shoes.
How long would it take me to get over my wife kissing someone else… then spending the night in the same suite?
A long time.
Probably longer than I’d want to admit.
I exhale slowly and push back from the conference table. Sitting here on my ass isn’t helping.
I step back into my office.
Jess is standing by the window. She turns when I come in.
I clear my throat. “I’m sorry about that.”
Stepping toward the desk, I start dividing up the reports, giving myself something to do with my hands.
I don’t look up when I hear her move. Instead of taking the chair beside mine, she chooses the one across from the desk.
I’ll take what I can get.
I slide half the reports toward her. The employees have already written the secondary breakdowns. Our job is to make sure everything lines up. That the client isn’t being overcharged. Or undercharged.
It’s tedious work. Necessary but long.
She starts reading without a word. Nodding to myself, I start answering emails. Letting the silence lull me into getting some actual work done.
Around noon, Mackie appears with coffee.
I lean back in my chair after she leaves, my eyes drifting to the stack Jess has already finished.
