“Mine’s been good too. I’m looking forward to a weekend all by myself. I’m treating myself to a spa visit.”
“I like the sound of it.”
“Just me and a good book. What about you?”
“Ah, me and my charming husband. Might sneak in some reading.”
“If he can keep his hands off you long enough?”
“Something like that.”
“Damn, sister. I’m jealous.”
“Catch up again tomorrow? I still need to finalize a few things.”
“Sure.”
I’d planned my next hour to the last minute. What I didn’t plan for? My husband showing up in my doorway twenty minutes later.
“Hunter, what are you doing here?”
“You’ve overworked yourself the entire week. I’m not letting you do that today.”
“You’re not letting me?”
“No.”
“Think I need your permission?”
“Yes, you do, on our anniversary day. I’m taking my wife out to celebrate, and I won’t accept anything other than yes, right away as an answer.”
He was right, it was our two-month wedding anniversary.
My stomach did a somersault, especially when Hunter walked over to me, leaned over the desk, and gave me a kiss. My body hummed when Hunter pulled back, looking at me with warm eyes.
“Ready?”
I pushed him away playfully. “No, I’m not. You just burst into my office. I still had two emails....”
My voice faded at the glint in his eyes.
“Josie, you’ve been coming home late all week. I’ve missed you. No way am I letting you overwork yourself on Friday too.”
I melted. No one had come to whisk me away from my office before. I mean, I would have probably tossed something at them if they’d tried... but now... all I wanted was to let him whisk me away.
I bit my lip. “One email?”
“I swear I’m going to take you in my arms and carry you out for the entire office to see.”
“You’re extra broody today.”
“Thought you’d need the incentive.”
“When is the reservation?”
“An hour.”
“But that gives me no time to go home and get my ass out of this suit.”
“Josie, if you get your ass out, we’re gonna starve.”
“I meant to change, you perv.”
“And I just gave you an insight into what I plan to do. What can I say? I’m weak for you.”
I closed my laptop and smoothed my hands down my skirt. “Okay. Where are we going?”
“The Lightning.”
“Oooh... my favorite. Wait, are you trying to bribe me into something again?”
“No, I’m not.”
He didn’t meet my eye as he said it. What was he up to?
***
Hunter
I’d lied. Sort of. Bribing wasn’t what I had in mind, but it hadn’t been a coincidence that I’d booked a table at her favorite restaurant.
The second we were out of the building, her body language relaxed.
“You’re always so tense when you’re inside.”
“This building just has bad vibes. Everyone inside is so permanently stressed out.”
“You could work from home more often,” I suggested.
“Nah, I need people around me.”
“I could work from home on the same days. Keep you company. Clothing optional.”
She giggled. “Surefire way to make sure I get nothing done.”
“You’re saying I’m irresistible?”
“You know you are.”
I was counting on it. We ordered duck breast and red wine. She sipped from her glass, relaxing in the chair.
It was so easy to make her happy. I wanted to keep her smiling like this. I wanted to be the only one with the right to put that smile there.
“Two months?” she said happily. “Can’t believe this. Mom always told me that it took her three weeks of dating Dad to realize he had all the qualities of her ideal man.”
“Three weeks, that fast? What qualities should your ideal man have?”
“No clue. Haven’t thought about it like that. It’s a bit unfair to hold anyone to those expectations.”
“Humor me.”
“Okay. Let me think.” She tapped her finger on her chin, then held it up. “Needs to be a family man. Should be kind and have a sense of humor. Should like kids. Better, actually—should want kids. Artistic ability is a plus, because I have none whatsoever. Being a good dancer would be another plus.”
“I’d say I check a few of those criteria.”
“You do make me laugh. You give excellent foot rubs. And you bring me hot chocolate when I’m in the reading nook.”
“Sounds like I’m a catch.” I wasn’t the same man from a few months ago. Sharing my home and life with Josie had changed me in fundamental ways—how I saw life, what I wanted out of it. Now I looked forward to building a life with her, having kids.
“I can confirm that.” She looked at me funny. “You’re acting a little strange tonight.”
Fucking hell, I was. My palms were sweaty. I had to know if she could imagine sharing her life with me after this ended, or if all she wanted was to stay friends.
And now I was a coward. Why couldn’t I just bring myself to outright ask her? What if she said no? There’d be this barrier between us for the rest of the arrangement. Maybe she’d even want us to go back to being friends right away, so things wouldn’t get even more muddled.
I couldn’t even stand the thought of that. I kept touching my chest pocket. Right. Better to take the present out right now. I’d planned to wait until dessert, but at the rate I was going, I was clearly just going to give myself away.
“I got you something.”
“Ooooh... show me.”
I smiled, fueled by her enthusiasm, and reached for the small jewelry box. She covered her mouth when I brought it out.
“Hunter....”
I opened the lid, and she sighed. It was a tennis bracelet with twelve gemstones.
“I saw this when we went shopping the other day.”
I noticed her looking at this very item in the display.
“I know. Asked the vendor to save it for you.”
“Hunter... I love it.”
“Then let me put it on you.”
She sighed again when I closed the clasp, admiring it. In a low whisper, she said, “You didn’t have to spend so much for a fake anniversary.”
And that twisted a knife right in my gut. If this still felt fake to her... I realized on the spot that I couldn’t go on through the next years falling harder for this woman without knowing if there was a chance this felt as real to her as it did to me.
“This isn’t fake, baby. Not for me. Things changed during our honeymoon. Even before that. You’re the one for me, Josie. I love you, and I want to keep loving you for the rest of our lives.”
Josie straightened her back, but kept her head bent, still looking at that bracelet. It felt as if a million years passed before she looked up.
“Hunter... what are you saying? That you want us to stay married after the three years pass?”