I snuck out of Sean’s apartment shortly after six this morning. I took a long, hot shower, ate a bowl of cereal for breakfast, and then got ready for the day.
I needed the time to find my bearings again after last night.
I’ve had lovers in the past, but not one of them made me feel all the things I felt when I was in bed with Sean. I felt beautiful and cherished, but mostly I felt alive.
My life has been buried under a mountain of worry for so long that I forgot how it feels to let go and enjoy myself.
That doesn’t mean I can lose sight of my goals, but it does mean that I have something to look forward to. Spending time with Sean is just what I need right now, and I hope it doesn’t end anytime soon.
“Champ!” Sean calls my nickname from somewhere to my right.
I glance over to see him wearing a dark gray suit, a light blue button-down shirt, and a striped blue tie. He’s leaning a shoulder against the glass façade of the building next door.
“Hey,” I say as I wait for him to join me.
He pushes away from the building to take a few measured steps toward me. “You look lovely today, Calliope.”
I look down at the black skirt and pink blouse I’m wearing. Both were recent finds at the vintage store that I love. The blouse still had the original tag when I purchased it for less than five dollars.
“You look great too for someone who barely slept.”
He steps closer to lean toward me. His voice lowers. “If having you in my bed means little sleep for me, I can live with that.”
I glance up and into his eyes. Words escape me, so I offer him a soft smile.
He gestures past me toward the street. “Time to hit the road.”
I turn to approach the waiting car. “Good morning, Jurgen.”
“Good morning, Callie,” he greets me the way he always does. “You’re looking well this early a.m., Mr. Wells.”
“I’m feeling better than I have in a hell of a long time, Jurgen.”
After what we did last night, hearing those words from Sean warms me from the inside out.
I settle onto the back seat of the car. Sean does the same, but he glides closer to me than he ever has before.
When I look into his face, a smile is playing on his lips.
“What?” I ask playfully. “You look like you have a secret.”
“I’ve figured out a secret,” he says. “It’s the secret to happiness.”
Expecting him to tell me that it has something to do with sex, I ask the obvious question. “What’s the secret to happiness?”
His gaze trails over my face. “I’m looking at her.”
For the first time in what feels like forever, hope blooms inside of me. Maybe, just maybe, there is a chance for me to be happy too.
* * *
Delora comes chargingtoward where I’m sitting at a conference table with Justin and Rory. We’ve been buoying ideas around about the potential new ad campaign.
Not only did Delora assign all of us the task of getting everything in order for the presentation she’ll be making to Sean and Declan, but she also wants us to craft a list of innovative ways to market the subscription model.
She had already jotted down online marketing and a new billboard in Times Square, but she suggested that we think outside the traditional box, so that’s what all three of us have been focused on this morning.
“Hey, Delora.” Justin waves at her as she steps into the conference room. “You’re running late today.”