I was sitting in Oliver’s office giving him a breakdown of everything he had in his calendar for the rest of the month. I was about two minutes into my update when Oliver started coughing. It was a dry cough, but it concerned me, especially since Oliver dodged every question about his health.

“Do you want me to get you some water?”

He shook his head, “No. I’m fine. But you’re boring me.”

That comment caught me off guard. “What?”

“Let’s talk about you instead. How’s everything going with my son?”

“I… fine. I think.”

“You think?” He frowned and that made me very nervous. I didn’t want him concerned.

“I mean... I know everything’s going fine. It’s only been a few months. So, we’re definitely still newlyweds. You know, learning about each other… doing married people things.” I chuckled dryly feeling highly uncomfortable. Married people things? Could I be any less eloquent? I wanted to kick myself. He hadn’t asked me any direct questions about my marriage until then and I wasn’t sure how to respond.

“Great. I’m glad things are going well. And since you’re part of the family now, I guess you’ll be going to the charity ball with Jude this year.”

“The Friends of the Library Association Ball?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh, I didn’t know I was expected to attend.”

“Jude and I attend every year. His mother sat on the board for most of her adult life. She loved public libraries. The smell of the books. The quiet. And then as she got older she helped sponsor a lot of the English language programs for resettled refugees and she raised funds for library materials in public schools.”

“Those are great causes.”

“Oh yes, Ophelia was a lovely woman with a huge heart. Whenever there was need, she tried to take care of it. She tried to save everyone.”

“How did she pass if you don’t mind me asking?”

He crossed his legs and tapped his fingers together. “I love talking about her, it’s no bother. She died from complications related to Alzheimer’s. At the end she barely recognized me. I could handle it, but not Jude. It really tore him up. They were very close. While Jude and I never saw eye to eye on anything, Ophelia was so accepting, so interested in all his pursuits. She was the better parent, I’m sure.”

‘I’m sure you tried your best.”

He shook his head and his eyes grew sad. “I could have done a lot better. My best wasn’t good enough for Jude. He hates me.”

“That’s not true.” Although, I wasn’t sure if I was right or not.

“I try not to dwell on it. The past is the past. I can’t fix that. I’m just focusing on the future now. Speaking of which, have you two decided on how many kids you’ll have?”

I wanted to run screaming from the room, but I gathered my wits about me and said, “We haven’t discussed children yet.”

“I hope you’ll have at least two. I regret that Jude is an only child. I wish he had someone else to help him make the tough choices especially now given my condition.”

I waited for him to continue, but when he didn’t I knew that was the end of the conversation. He promptly changed the subject like I knew he would. He’d avoided talking about his health and Jude knew even less than I did.

When we were done I prepared to leave, about to call a taxi when Oliver stopped me.

“What are you doing? Are you still taking taxis? I thought Jude would have gotten you a car. You’re family now, just take one of my cars.”

“I can’t do that.”

“I insist.”

“Oliver, you’re way too generous.”

“Again, you’re my family now. And no family member of mine is going to have to rely on a taxi driver to get her to and from home. Now come with me and tell me which car you want.”

I followed him to the garage and realized that he had three different cars lined up. One was an SUV and two were classic European cars. I didn’t feel comfortable driving any of them down the street. They were too pretentious for my taste. I said this to Oliver who waved away my concerns.

“Take the SUV. You’ll fit right in. Americans love SUVs… such a weird fascination,” he said, almost to himself.

I figured it was better than the fancy European antiques so I grabbed the keys and jumped in. It was an Escalade and I giggled as I backed out.

“This car is really popular with rappers!” Oliver happily informed me.

I laughed and drove to Jude’s. He was leaning against his practical sedan waiting for me. When I pulled up he laughed.

“Dad gave you a car I see.”

“I didn’t ask him for it,” I said, feeling guilty.

“Whatever. I just feel bad that I didn’t think of it first.”

I climbed out of the SUV and into Jude’s car. Jude held the door open for me and I thought not for the first time how respectful he was. And considerate. It was hard to rationalize the man I knew now with the man I’d met what felt like ages ago.

“So what’s the surprise... where are we going?”

“You'll see.”

I sat back enjoying the ride. He surprised me by singing along to a few songs that I associated with teenage girls.

“Come on, sing along. You know you want to.”

I shook my head. “You’re doing great. I wouldn’t want to interrupt the master.”

He started singing falsetto and I giggled. His happiness was contagious and I found myself singing along despite my original protests. It reminded me of days long gone when I would sing with my aunt and cousin on our road trips to northern Florida to camp.

I was still singing loudly and off-key when I noticed that he was no longer singing. It was just me. We were sitting at a stoplight and he was staring at me.

“You’re pretty cute when you’re not uptight and cranky.”

“So you think I'm cute?”

“Maybe… just a little. You’re mostly just cranky.”

“Oh, Jude. You’re too kind.”

He reached out and surprised me by stroking the side of my face. “Thanks for doing this, Lacey. I know this hasn’t been easy—”

“Well you are going to pay me.”

“Even so, you’re sacrificing a lot to make this work and I just want you to know I appreciate it. I appreciate you. I don’t take what you’re doing for me for granted.”

I realized then that his hand was still on my face and I found myself leaning towards him. He leaned in towards me and a loud honk sounded from behind us.

“Green light,” I said softly, my lips almost touching his. He smiled regretfully and pulled off.

I stared out my window to avoid his eyes. We had one too many close calls for my comfort. Just the other night we’d fallen asleep on the couch together and I’d woken up cuddled in his arms. I’d forced myself to sneak away and go to my own room when instead I’d wanted to stay in his arms. I was concerned. This marriage was supposed to be a fake, yet it was the realest relationship I’d ever been in.

“You ready?”

I’d been so deep in thought that I hadn’t noticed we’d reached our destination. I looked around and frowned. We were in front of a dark gray building in a questionable part of town.

“Care to tell me where we are now?”

“Come on and I’ll show you.”

We walked in and I felt a little weirded out. The building was eerily quiet.

“Um... you aren’t planning to kill me. Are you?”

“I don’t think so. Should I be?”

“Haha. Not funny.”

He pushed through a pair of double doors and then I saw a sign that said Ophelia’s Angels. Before I could ask about it, I noticed what was going on in front of me.

The building was packed from front to back with boxes, boxes I quickly realized were full of food.

Workers were sorting food. Packers were packaging boxes. Others were shouting orders. It was a busy, well-oiled machine.

“What’s Ophelia’s Angels? Some sort of packaging firm?”

“Something like that. We collect donations from around the city, clothes, food, etcetera, and ship them out to seniors in the community.”

“We?”

“Yes, Ophelia’s Angels is—”

“Named after your mother. This is your organization?”

Jude nodded. “Yeah, I started it when she first started getting sick.”

“Did she know about it?”

He shook his head. “She passed away so quickly, we were still getting off the ground when she died.”

I found myself taking his hand. “I’m sure she would have been proud of you.”

He nodded. “So now you know my secret, tell me about your family.”

I dropped his hand and moved away. “You already know I was raised by my aunt.”

“What happened to your parents?”

I sighed, knowing that I couldn’t continue dodging his questions. “I never knew my mother. I was raised by my father, but I don’t remember him either because he died when I wasn’t even one.”

“I'm so sorry.”

“It’s okay. I had a great childhood. My aunt treated me like a daughter and my cousin Leslie was a blast. My aunt was very loving. It’s just that I grew up on the wrong side of the tracks per se. I was bused into the richer neighborhoods for school and the kids there never let me forget that I was the poor kid, only there because of a scholarship. They made it clear that I didn’t fit in there.”

“Rich kids are the worst. You weren’t missing much.”

I guffawed. “Says a rich kid.”

He held up his hands. “Actually, my dad disowned me years ago.”

“What? You’re kidding.”

He shook his head. “I wish I were. But he cut me off when I was twenty.”

“So how are you funding this operation?”

“Mom left me some property and I saved some money from when I played pro-ball, but I wanted to expand outside of the city to other states, even internationally eventually. Right now, I don’t have the funds to make that happen, but one day...”

I nodded in understanding. “That’s why your inheritance is such a big deal to you.”

He nodded. “I’m not some spoiled rich boy. I mean, I was. But life has a way of throwing things at you, pulling the rug from under you that makes you stop and pay attention.”

“Don’t I know it! I woke up naked next to a stranger in Vegas who I thought was a billionaire but turns out is a broke CEO of a nonprofit.”

“Disappointed?”

“Not even a little. You’re an enigma, Mr. Foster.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment given other things I’m sure you’ve called me behind my back.”

“You misjudge me. I only talk badly about you when you’re within earshot. What’s the fun of trash talking you when you can’t hear me?”

I smiled broadly as he laughed. “You’re a woman of integrity, Lacey.”

He took my hand, surprising me.

“What are you doing?”

“I want to introduce you to my crew, you know since you’re my wife and all.”

I felt honored for some reason, but I told myself not to give into the feeling. Our marriage was a farce; he was only doing his due diligence.

I was lost in thought and was surprised when he pulled me into a conference room where a meeting was underway. There were about six people sitting around a long oval conference table engaged in animated conversation that abruptly stopped when they noticed me.

I saw a few grins and appraising looks and was suddenly self-conscious. I reached up to make sure my hair wasn’t a complete mess and smiled brightly at the group in front of me.

“Everyone, this is Lacey, my wife.”

“So the rumors are true? I thought you’d dreamed it all,” said a young dark-skinned man with a light Caribbean accent. He wore glasses and a dress shirt with a tie. He was dressed more for a corporate environment instead of a casual day at the office like the others who wore jeans and plain t-shirts.

“Lacey, meet Aidan. He’s my VP. And apparently he thinks I’m delusional and made you up.”

Aidan smiled wide and said with a shrug, “It wouldn’t be the first time. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

I wasn’t sure if I should have offered my hand or just nod, so I returned his smile and waved my fingers at him. God, I was awkward.

I then nervously did the same with the others who went around introducing themselves and explaining who they were in the operation. And then Jude surprised me by saying, “Alright Lacey, so I’ll let you get acquainted. Aidan, can you join me in my office?”

And as soon as they disappeared the others sat there in silence staring at me.

“Sooo….” said one of them whose name I couldn’t remember. “You’re Jude’s wife…”

I nodded and nervously looked down at my ring. “Yep. I guess I am.” I felt so stupid. I guess? Gosh, what was wrong with me? I was about to cast doubt in everyone’s mind that our marriage was real.

“I mean, yep. I’m Mrs. Jude Foster,” I laughed nervously and sank into a chair. “Soooo….” I said changing the subject “What’s Jude like as a boss? Tell me all the dirt.”

“He’s cheap. He hasn’t bought us lunch in weeks.”

The rest of them began to laugh and I realized it was a joke. I awkwardly laughed with them.

“But seriously, Jude’s a great boss. This is by far the best team I’ve been on and hey, he’s really nice to look at, not that you haven’t noticed.”

I laughed, finally loosening up. “I guess he’s okay looking,” I said with a casual shrug.

We sat around joking and getting better acquainted. Jude peaked his head around the corner.

“Want to help out with the operation today?”

I nodded enthusiastically. The next thing I knew, I was packing boxes with Jerry and helping Anna with a few social media tasks.

Before I knew it, five o’clock had rolled around and I was exhausted.

“You can tell you guys are newlyweds,” Anna said with a laugh.

“Oh really? How’s that?”

“He doesn’t stop looking at you. I caught him a few times staring at you and he always looks the other way and pretends to be doing something else. It’s really cute.”

I blushed, unsure what to say. I’d thought it was my imagination, but I could feel his eyes on me most of the day. And a few times when I thought he wasn’t looking, I’d found myself staring at him. I felt like I’d seen a whole new side to him. I saw how much he cared about the cause and the people he helped. I admired him. He hadn’t just withdrawn when his mother was dying, he’d done something to help others. I found myself proud of him and feeling so much respect for the man he was.

I waited for him in his office while he said goodbye to his staff.

He came back in and exhaustedly collapsed into his chair.

I leaned my elbow against the desk and put my chin in my hand. “Tired?”

“I’m beat,” he said rubbing his forehead.

“Got a headache?”

He shook his head. “I think I have the beginnings of one, though. It was just a busier day than usual for a slow day—”

My eyebrows shot up. “A slow day? This is the busiest company I’ve ever worked at.”

“So did you enjoy your time here?”

“It was great. Anna, Jerry, even no-nonsense Aidan is growing on me.”

“They’re a great group and they seemed to really like you.”

“You’re being nice.”

“I’m not. I enjoy being around you, most people do.”

I narrowed my eyes and said playfully, “You just want me around for free labor.” I was admittedly trying to lighten the mood with humor. I hadn’t expected the compliment. It had made feel special. No emotions, Lacey. Remember your rules.

“I want you around for a lot more than that,” he said quietly and his tone wasn’t playful anymore.

“Well there are like a billion dollars at stake, so yeah there’s that too.”

He ignored my comment and said softly, “Come here, Lacey.”

“No, I think I’ll stay on this side of the desk.”

“Okay then.” He stood up and came over to me.

He stood in front of me and crooked his finger. I shook my head. I felt if I stayed seated I could control myself.

Apparently, Jude had other plans.

In one smooth motion, he picked me up and placed me on the edge of the desk. He started kissing my neck and I moaned when his lips finally met mine. He slid his hands between my legs, raising my dress up so that the skirt was around my hips. He parted my thighs, spreading them wide, and stood between them, alternating between rubbing my heated sex and kissing my face, my eyes, my cheeks.

He pushed me back onto the desk and freed my breasts from the constraints of my dress and bra.

His warm mouth pulled at my nipples and I grabbed his face, trying to keep him there.

“Oh god, Jude,” I groaned as he roughly sucked my nipple, alternating between one breast and the other.

I felt his hand between my legs and gasped as he moved my panties to the side and dipped a finger into me, stroking me, making me crave him like I’d never craved him before.

I shimmied a little to get my skirt further up and parted my legs wantonly, turned on by the thought of forbidden office sex, coupled with the eagerness that Jude displayed, as if he couldn’t wait to be inside me.

He reached into his pocket, put on a condom, and rid me of my panties, sliding into my wetness in one pleasurable stroke. I brought my hips up to meet his thrusts, burying the heels of my feet into his bare buttocks with every thrust.

Comically, the desk below me rocked loudly each time he pushed into me. But I didn’t care. I could feel my insides squeezing around him and I knew I was about to come, but I wanted to enjoy it a little bit more. I wanted to enjoy the feel of Jude buried inside me just a little longer.

“Don’t stop, Jude, please don’t stop,” I managed to moan.

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” he said, before kissing me again and pushing me over the edge as he slowly pulled out of me and then with incredible slowness, pushed himself deep into my waiting wetness, inch by inch.

The pleasure was so intense that I held my breath. I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think. And then I started to come. My body shook all over as he buried his head in the crook of my neck.

“Oh God, Lacey. You feel so good,” he said, and I could feel him coming too. My sex squeezed his, determined to memorize the feel of him.

He thrust into me one last time and my hips drove upwards as I came again.

“Jude!” I shouted as my head hurt from the force of my orgasm.

And then we were spent, holding each other. He slowly pulled out of me and I made an involuntary groan, saddened as I missed his warmth.

He extended his hand and pulled me up from the desk. He pulled up his pants and helped me arrange my clothes.

I was afraid to look in his eyes, but I knew I had to say something. We were quickly crossing the point of no return and one of us had to do something about it.

I opened my mouth to speak when he stopped everything I had to say by kissing me thoroughly on the mouth.

He then pulled back slowly and placed a finger against my lips, quieting my next words.

“Let’s go home,” he said, taking my hand in his and ushering me through the door.