I woke up with a smile on my face, for the first time, in a long time. The night before had been magical and I don’t think I’d came like that before, maybe ever. The more I tried to deal with all of the feelings I had for her, the harder it became.

The smile on my face ceased to exist when I realized that she had taken off. I don’t know when I’d finally fallen to sleep. I thought she’d been asleep in my arms, maybe she wasn’t. Maybe she’d woken up in the middle of the night, but then, why would she leave? I was swimming in a brilliant sky, all of my needs fulfilled, and she’d taken off.

I took my phone out to call her, knowing deep down that all I wanted to do was talk to her, but knowing also that it wasn’t right. I shouldn’t be calling her that quickly. It was a big rule and one that I’d never had trouble keeping up with. I wanted to hear her voice, talk her into coming back over, but I knew that it wasn’t the right time, it was almost five in the morning.

Getting ready for work, I didn’t even realize it was Saturday until I got outside and saw that there was no driver outside waiting for me. Since he was never late, it made me pull out my phone, sure that the clocks inside were wrong. I was wrong, by a whole day.

So, I called Evony after about an hour. It felt like one of the longest hours of my life and she let it go to voicemail, every time. I thought about going to her house, but I knew better. What was I doing? If a woman acted the way that I was, I would run away as fast as I could. Why did I want to act this way now?

It wasn't at all what I expected, and my mind was trying to figure out what was going on in her head and why was it different this time? Last time, she had woken up just fine next to me and now she was gone. Most of the time I wouldn't care, but of course this time I did. The only time I had a woman run out in me like this and I didn't want her to go.

---

Evony ignore me the rest of the weekend and the only calls I got were from Mark. I finally answered it, because I had nothing else to do. He wanted to have drinks and I figured why not? Evony was ignoring me, so why not go get a drink with Mark? I knew that it was probably going to be bad news. Every time I went out with him it was bad news lately, but I didn't care. I just wanted to get everything out of my head.

It was a bar that I didn't know that he suggested and there were topless women running around on the stage. Usually I had no problem with this sort of scenery, because I've been here so many times before. I had taken many clients out to nude bars to calm everyone down. It was a good way to have a relaxing meal.

For some reason, all this time I didn't want to be there. The scenery wasn't at all what I was looking for and Mark probably wasn't the best company. He was loud and obnoxious and of course, he wanted to talk about the one thing that I didn't want to talk about. He wanted to talk about Evony.

“I just don't see why you aren’t trying to get with her. She’s hot as hell. This isn’t like you.”

“Because we work together Mark. You are our boss. You should be trying to talk me out of something like that. What are you thinking?”

“I'm thinking that she's hot, beautiful and I want to get to know her a little better, but not if it is stepping on your toes. I think there is more between the two of you than you’re letting on.”

I knew that much, but I didn't understand why he was asking me about her. Did he understand that I didn't want to say anything? That she was off limits to this sort of conversations?

“Just know that she is taken Mark.”

“By you?”

He kept pushing the situation and I think at some point, he had just made me. He kept bringing it up over and over again and I finally broke. There was no reason to keep this away from everyone. I just came out with it. It’s what I should have done when he first asked me about her. It was a mistake that I had a feeling I was going to regret.

“Yes, she is mine Mark.”

“Was she the other night when we went out to have dinner? You know when you showed up and you weren’t supposed to?”

I had already said too much, because I knew that Evony wouldn’t want me to say anything. She certainly wasn't a kiss and tell kind of person and considering how important it was to her, I knew that she wouldn't appreciate me telling Mark, above all people. But it was only way that I was going to get Mark to back off of her. That was why I tried to get her to come clean a while ago. It would have made this all easier.

“No, it is a recent thing.”

Mark smiled and I didn't like where his mind was going. He didn't have to say anything, and I didn't have to ask because I knew him too well.

“So, are you ready to share her yet? Did you get a few good ones in?”

“This is different, Mark. I am not sharing her, because she’s not mine like that.”

“Why is she any different? I mean, I get that she's hot now, but what makes her different?”

The answer was on the tip of my tongue and I told myself not to say anything. I would be stupid to say anything, but no matter how much self-talk I had, I could hear myself saying it like I was standing outside of my body. I wanted to stop the words coming out of my mouth, but that seemed impossible.

“Because she is special Mark. She hasn't been with a lot of guys. She isn't just going to climb into bed with you.”

“You seem to forget that I'm handsome and rich.”

“You're not that handsome.”

“And you're not that rich, Hail.”

“She is different I'm telling you. She doesn't think about stuff like that and it will do you no good to even try. You’re just wasting your time.”

I was doing my best to try to get him out of thinking about her like that, but it was hard. I could tell just from the way he was smiling at me. His mind was moving a mile a minute and that was all because of what I had stupidly said. I couldn’t let him get to her. I don’t know if I was afraid he would succeed, after I had awakened her. But I liked to think that it was more about keeping her safe, knowing what kind of man Mark was.

“Well, you know that I like a challenge Hail. A woman like that, is sleeping around. I can promise you that. No matter how she got you to think she is otherwise, all women are the same. You just have to find their price.”

I didn't know what to say to him, but just to tell him that he didn't know what he was talking about. I wanted to think that she was mine, but how could I claim her when I couldn't even say it out loud? Not even to a guy like Mark. I knew where his mind was and still, I said nothing of the real truth.

“Back off Mark. I am serious about this. We are good friends, we go way back and you're my boss, but leave her alone. I've never asked for anything like this before, but this time is different. She’s different.”

He agreed rather reluctantly, but he was still thinking about it. I didn't even want him to think about it. I was able to keep the darkest secret of hers to myself, but when he started talking about her like she was just another girl, he really didn't understand. If he knew it, I knew then he would understand, but that would also make her even more enticing. I know how deeply innocence could cut into him, because it had done the same to me. It was any man’s kryptonite, especially when it was a man like me and Mark, that could have anything we wanted. With that in mind, nothing was off limits.

I left dinner a little more stressed out then when I started. I tried to call Evony again, somehow worried that Mark would try to make a move. Maybe I had been too adamant, and it just peaked his interest just a little too much. Mark’s mind did work in strange ways. If anything else, it gave me the excuse I needed to see Evony. It felt like an excuse anyways and I made my way over to her house, hoping to catch her for just a little while. We had to talk or I was going to drive myself insane.

I'm knocked on the door several times, before I concluded that she wasn't there. My mind went into straight free-fall and all I could think about was Mark calling her and trying to set something up. Would she call me to be there for her this time? I didn't think so.