"Something wrong?" I asked.
He shook his head, looking down at me, his expression more serious than I'd ever seen it before. "Nothing's wrong. I just want you to know that, tonight, if you decide you don't want to finish what we started, I'm okay with it."
I studied his face. "Are you giving me a way out or giving yourself one?" I asked.
He sighed. "I don't need a way out, but I don't want you to feel pressured."
"I don't," I said.
"I just want you to be sure. I don't know if I can go back if we go down this road."
I rose up on my toes and kissed him. "I don't think I can either. Not now."
When I dropped back down on my heels, his eyes were warmer. "I'm still not going to hold you to it if you have a moment of sanity while you're at work tonight."
"I'm not going to change my mind," I stated. He wasn't the only one who could be stubborn.
"It's still okay if you do."
I sighed. "You are so stubborn."
"I've heard that a few times in my life," he teased.
"Well, you'll probably hear it a few more."
He laughed and released me. "You're going to be late for work."
I went over to the kitchen table and grabbed my phone and the lidded cup next to it. "Thanks for the drink," I said to him with a wink.
"You're welcome."
I grabbed my purse and keys from the hook by the door. "I'll see you later."
I pulled into the parking area behind Crave with four minutes to spare, so I took thirty seconds to send him a text.
Still haven't changed my mind.
I was inside and clocking in when his reply came through.
Tell me that after work.
I laughed to myself.
I decided then and there that I would send him the same text several times tonight before I got home.
As it would turn out, I would have ample opportunity. It seemed that my husband had called his sister and let her know that I needed to spend more time with my feet up and that it was doctor's orders.
That meant that every ninety minutes, Cam made me take a ten to fifteen-minute break. I had to go sit down in her office and put my feet up on the small coffee table in front of her couch or even lie down.
She'd tried to tell me I had to take these breaks every sixty minutes. When I said no, she said every seventy. I told her every two hours. After some haggling, we settled for every ninety minutes.
During my first forced break, I settled on her office sofa with my cell phone. While I was annoyed that he'd gone behind my back, I could admit that I needed the break. I had less nausea and more energy now that I was in my second trimester, but spending hours on my feet every day made my hips and lower back hurt more than usual.
As I sat down with a bottle of water, I texted J.J. again.
I'm annoyed with you.
His reply was nearly immediate. What did I do now?
I chuckled to myself and drank more water before I answered.
Your sister has decided I have to take a ten-minute break every ninety minutes. She tried for an hour first but I told her no, so we compromised.
I watched the three dots dancing beneath my message as he wrote back. They disappeared then came back.
Sorry not sorry.
I laughed and shook my head. "Just remember this," I muttered to myself. "Because I will get you back."
Ask my brothers about my payback.
This time there was no hesitation in his reply. I've already heard a lot about it.
Then don't be surprised when you get yours.
I could almost see him smiling to himself.
Acceptable risk. I'll take my punishment like a man. I want you to stay healthy.
Darn. I wanted to stay irritated with him but I couldn't. Not when he said something sweet.
I thought about what I wanted to say for a moment then grinned to myself.
Still haven't changed my mind.
I ignored my phone after that and got back to work, so I didn't see his reply until an hour and a half later on my next break, which was also my dinner break. Cam had pizza delivered via her husband, Brody. They were eating together in the kitchen and I brought my food back into her office. Partly to give them some private time, since I knew they didn't get a lot of it with Brody's daughter, Jacks, living with them full-time, and partly so I could text Cam's brother without feeling weird about it.
I laughed when I opened my messages and saw J.J.'s reply to my earlier text.
Is this part of my punishment? Because you're hurting me right now.
Still giggling to myself, I typed my reply. No, I need time to plan your punishment so it'll happen just when you least expect it.
He must have been waiting for my message because his response was immediate.
Are you eating?
I took my first bite of pizza and took a selfie with it.
His reply was a thumbs up.
I rolled my eyes. What are you doing?
He sent me a picture of his laptop set up on the kitchen table with files next to it.
I'm working too.
I couldn't resist being sassy so I sent a reply. Did you put your feet up?
Smart ass.
I laughed out loud. LANGUAGE!
Sorry not sorry. Finish your dinner and you can read me the riot act when you get home.
I sighed and took another bite of pizza. He was right. I needed to eat. I had a feeling I'd need my energy later. Which was why I couldn't resist one more message.
Still haven't changed my mind.
His reply made me laugh again. Tell me that when you get home and I'll believe it.
I will.
I put my phone down, finished my slice of pizza, drank my water, and got up to wash my hands. The store was closing in an hour and a half and I wanted to get out of here early for a change.
I had plans for tonight.
Two hours and fifteen minutes later, I walked through the kitchen door into my house. I could hear the low murmur of the TV in the living room but all the lights were out.
I tried to move silently through the kitchen but my house was old and the floors creaked.
Still, J.J. didn't appear.
I stopped in the living room doorway and saw him sprawled along the length of the couch, asleep.
While part of me was disappointed, it was also sweet to have a chance to watch him without being caught.
The air in the house was chilly due to the blasting air conditioner, so I crept back into my room and grabbed a throw from the reading chair I'd placed in one corner. J.J. was still sleeping, one hand thrown over his head and the other resting on his chest.
As gently as possible, I draped the throw over him and picked up the remote from the floor where it had fallen. I turned off the TV and the lamp on the side table next to him. Another small lamp burned on the table at the other end of the couch, but I left it on. It would keep him from tripping and falling if he woke up disoriented.
I wanted to brush his hair back from his face but I didn't want to rouse him.
I settled for a whispered, "Good night, Jay."
"Good night," he murmured back. Then, he shifted and his eyes opened. "Hey." He reached out and bracketed my wrist with his fingers, tugging me toward him. "C'mere."
He was half asleep so I wedged my hip against his on the sofa. He kept pulling at my wrist, trying to get me to lie down.