I feel Zach’s head on my chest as I slowly wake up. His arm around my waist comforts me—I haven’t woken up to this in a couple of months. I’m even happy to reach up and brush his hair out of my face and smooth it down. I lift my head and kiss the back of his head, so happy that I get to wake up with him this morning.

I reluctantly pull myself away from him and get dressed in a bright-yellow shift with nothing on underneath it. I quietly go to the kitchen to make breakfast. I’m putting the plates on a tray when he walks into the kitchen, making a beeline for me. “I just made—”

His lips slam onto mine, his tongue moving directly into my mouth stopping my speech.

I feel his hands move up my sides until he reaches my breasts. His thumbs skim the sides and around until he reaches my nipples. He figures out that I don’t have a bra on, and moans into my mouth as he flicks my pebbled peaks. I arch toward his hands and hang on to his arms for dear life as he bends me back over the counter and grabs a handful in each hand. One of his hands, leave my breast and reaches the bottom of my billowy dress, pulling it up over my hips to my waist.

He dips his fingers inside my folds, and I moan low in my throat and into his mouth, which is plundering mine now. He lifts me onto the counter, pulls down his pants, and enters me in one hard thrust, his mouth never leaving mine. He slowly pulls out and thrusts into me again, hard. He continues to thrust, his pace getting faster and faster. Before I know it, he’s pounding into me, and I feel every part of him.

With every movement, he’s rubbing my clit and I’m climbing higher and higher, winding tighter and tighter. I throw back my head and scream as I tumble over the edge when my climax hits me, making me clench and squeeze around him. He grunts and slams into me one more time, emptying himself inside me.

I lay my head on his shoulder. “Wow. Good morning.”

He pulls out of me and puts his arms around me. “Good morning. Did I hurt you?”

“So good. I was going to bring you breakfast in bed.” I point at the cold breakfast on the counter beside us.

He chuckles. “I like what we did better. Let’s clean this up and get dressed. We can have brunch before I go into work today.”

I pout. “I thought we would have the day together.”

“Sorry, sweetie. I moved the start time later today because I want to spend a little time with you, but you know this project is taking all my time. Do you want to come to work with me today?”

I shake my head. “I’ll figure out something to do. Let’s get dressed so we can have that brunch.”

We clean the kitchen and go upstairs to get in the shower. We have some fun shower sex and get dressed. We find a brunch place and spend an enjoyable couple of hours with each other before he has to go to work. I call Anita, and we spend the day shopping, then having dinner and going to a movie. The rest of my evening is spent in front of the television until I fall asleep.

***Zach

I really needed the time with Rigby this morning. I’ve missed her so much. She doesn’t bother me at work, and we’ve been connecting in short phone calls throughout the day. The project will be over in a couple of months, so we can get back to normal. She’s been a real trooper, and I’ll definitely have to take her on a long weekend or buy her a really nice gift when this is done.

I finally have my office to myself again. We’ve been so busy that I’d forgotten to request a work station for Catherine. After she walked in on Rigs and me, the order went to the top of my list. It’s taken them a few weeks, but when I walk in today, all her things are moved out of my office and into her new workspace.

Everyone trickles in, and I give them their assignments for the day. I also let them know that as soon as they are finished, they are free to go home. We need an easy day. I may make tomorrow one as well.

Catherine walks into my office and looks around. “Where are my things?”

“They found you a work station. All your things have been moved there,” I tell her.

“Have I done anything wrong? I’m really sorry for walking in on you and your wife a few weeks ago.”

“Everyone is supposed to have their own desks, but sometimes it takes a few weeks to get one when the demand is high. They’ve been working overtime to accommodate everyone, and yours was ready yesterday evening and they moved your things early this morning.”

Enrique walks into the office. I hand them both their assignments for the day, and I have Enrique show Catherine to her work station.

They leave and I get to work. As the day goes on, the team files in and out asking questions and turning in what they have finished. I look up and it’s almost one a.m. I’m starving. I’ll have to find a place to eat before I go home.

I gather my things and walk out of my office, closing and locking the door behind me. I’m walking around the desks to the elevator when I see a light shining at one of the desks. I was sure that everyone was done and had gone home. I approach, and Catherine is poring over a report, looking confused.

“Are you okay?”

She looks up, startled. “I’m sorry—for some reason I’m not understanding this.”

“Why didn’t you come to me earlier?” I put down my things and pull up a chair beside her, sitting down in it.

“I thought I could figure it out. I’m sorry.” She’s almost in tears.

“No problem. What don’t you understand?” She starts going over the paper with me, and I go over what needs to be done step by step. We’ve spent another couple of hours on it by the time we’re done, and my stomach lets out a growl.

She giggles. “It sounds like someone is hungry.”

I nod. “I have to stop by a twenty-four-hour drive-thru on the way home. I’m going to be so tired tomorrow.” I stand up, moving the chair back to where I got it from, and gather my things.

“Since we’re here and home is there, why don’t we just go someplace to sit down and eat and then we can come back and get an early start tomorrow? I know a place not too far from here, and it’s open twenty-four hours.”

I look around the office. Its three a.m., and by the time I get food and then go home, I’ll only be there long enough to get dressed and come right back in. “Okay. Let’s go.”

“Do you mind if I ride with you? We should only take one car if we’re going together,” she suggests.

I shrug. “Sure.” I send a quick text to Rigs while Catherine gathers her purse and jacket. We ride down in the elevator together and walk to my car. I pull out of the parking garage, and she directs me to the restaurant. It’s a little diner sitting on a corner. After I park, we walk inside and are seated immediately, because of course there’s no one in there.

They serve us, and the food is actually pretty good. I make small talk with Catherine, and she tells me about her family.

“How did you meet your wife?” she asks.

“We’ve known each other since we were five years old. We’re each other’s best friend,” I tell her.

“That is so sweet. When did you know that you wanted to marry her?”

“After we were already married,” I say.

“That’s interesting. Care to share the story?”

I recount the events that led to our marriage and what happened afterward. “After we found out we were married, I knew it wasn’t a mistake. That was the moment when I knew that marriage was our natural next step. The only mistake we made that night was being so drunk that we couldn’t remember what happened.”

“That is a great story. I bet that since you know each other so well, it was an easy transition,” she says.

“For any newly married couple, there’s always an adjustment. We’ve had a few difficulties, like changing our thought processes from best friends who love each other to married people who are in love with each other.” I lean forward on my elbows. “Also, living arrangements, checking in with each other, and a few other things. But we know and love each other, so we always work it out.”

“That’s so sweet. I’m so happy for you two.” She reaches over and puts her hand on my forearm. I lean back, breaking the contact.

I look up at the old television in the corner and see that one of my favorite sci-fi movies is on. I sit back and enjoy the last thirty minutes of the movie while I finish my food. When the final credits roll, I look at Catherine, who has an amused expression on her face.

“What?”

“You got absorbed in that old sci-fi movie really fast. Those are a little cheesy, aren’t they?”

“That’s what I love about them. When I was about six years old, my uncle took me to a scary movie. Afterward, I couldn’t sleep for about a week. My father tried and tried to explain to me that it wasn’t real, but I didn’t believe him. Finally, he picked me up one day and took me to this old movie house that showed old sci-fi movies.” I smile at the memory. “He explained to me during the movie that it wasn’t real. He pointed out every string holding up the spaceships. He pointed out the art in the background, and everything else that wasn’t real in the movie. When it was over, he explained to me about how movies are made, and that right now they were just a whole lot better at it than they were back then.”

I take a sip of my drink and lean back in my seat again. “Not only did I fall in love with those movies, it gave me a great memory with my father. Whenever we get together, we sit and watch a marathon of those films. Don’t repeat that to anyone. It’s something I like to keep to myself. The only people who know are my parents and my wife.”

“Did you tell your wife about it?” she asks.

“No. She was there the whole time. She even went to the movie with us. It just didn’t have the same effect on her as it did on me.”

The waitress brings over the check, and I pay it. We slide out of the booth and leave.

When we get back, I go into my office and lock the door behind me. Looking at my watch, I notice that I have three hours until I have to go back to work. I set the alarm on my phone and plug it in. I lie on the couch and close my eyes, needing the brief respite that sleep will give me before starting again.