I decide to take the stairs today, even though my body is sore from the long run I went on this morning. My feet stomp up to the twenty-fourth floor as I take the stairs two at a time. There isn’t a person in the office that doesn’t know that I’m in a bad mood. I can’t hide it, but more importantly, I don’t want to try. I am in a lousy mood, dammit.

It’s rare that I have to approach a woman. It’s rarer still that after a night together, she isn’t continuously calling me. Now I have Laura, who I’m pursuing all the way to the altar, and she’s ignoring me and not returning my calls. It’s infuriating and damn if it doesn’t turn me on a little bit. Okay, a lot.

My phone rings after the eighteenth floor, and I pause to answer it. “Sam, what’s up?” I extend one leg out a few steps higher and lean in for a deep stretch.

“Hey, are you okay?” Sam sounds concerned.

“What? Yeah, I’m fine, why?”

“Well, I’ve had a few phone calls this morning about how a certain Mr. Brideau’s been in a foul mood. The first one, I dismissed, but the next two, I couldn’t. What’s going on?”

“I just have a lot going on,” I tell him as I switch legs. “There’s some stuff I need to tell you but it will manifest later this week. So until I know more details, I’d rather not share anything.” I wasn’t planning on sharing that much with Sam yet, but I have to tell him something. After me, he’ll be the first to know if Laura agrees to marry me.

Sam never cared for Bella’s mother and tried to warn me several times. I’d wanted a family unit so badly that I’d ignored his words and jumped into a marriage that wasn’t meant to be.

I’ll have to tell him everything, of course. He knows there aren’t any feelings between Laura and me, but I don’t know what his reaction will be when I tell him I’m marrying Laura.

“Well, we all have a lot on our plates,” Sam agrees. “If there’s anything I can do to help, let me know. I’ll do my best.”

“Yeah, sure. Hey, have you seen Laura up there by any chance?” If he wants to help, I’ll let him help.

“Laura? No, she had some work that she had Riley drop off this morning, but she hasn’t been in the past couple of days because she requested some time off. I think she needs it because she’s been working some crazy hours. Even still, she’s working remotely which is amazing. I love her dedication.”

I stifle the urge to tell him about the proposal. I want to be sure where Laura and I stand with one another first. The sooner Laura gives me a response, the sooner I can tell him that we’re going to be married. It feels strange to keep something like this from Sam, but I don’t want to butterfly effect anything before it begins.

“Yeah, she’s a valuable employee,” I say vaguely. “When is she supposed to come back? Tomorrow?”

“Yes, she said she’ll be in tomorrow. I’m looking forward to it. I miss seeing her face around the office.”

I have a flash of her curled around me in her sleep, and I’m forced to agree with him. “She is beautiful.”

“That’s an understatement,” Sam scoffs.

Before he can talk about her anymore, I excuse myself from the call. “Okay, well I’m almost back to the office so I’ll see you soon.” I hang up and begin sprinting the rest of the flights up to my office. The adrenaline courses through me, and I feel like my heart is going to explode out of my chest. I pause at the twenty-second floor on a whim. Who better to ask about Laura than Riley?

Ignoring all the raised eyebrows at my visit, I head straight to the department where she works. I find her on the phone in her office. She holds up two fingers, and I nod, taking a seat across from her.

I look around the neatly decorated office. My eyes sweep over a line of framed photos taking up space over her wide filing cabinet. One snags my attention, and I raise up to get a better look. It’s a photo from college. Riley has her arm draped around an even younger-looking Laura.

Laura is all smiles, looking impossibly innocent. But even then, I can see a flash of defiance in her eye that makes me smile.

It seems as if the two have always been close, and I stop to wonder how much Riley knows already. I don’t want to be the one to tell her, but I do need to know whatever I can about how Laura is doing. If she says Laura isn’t doing well, then I’ll know she’s avoiding me for a reason and doesn’t want anything to do with me.

“Hey Mr. B! What brings you down here? Looking for a place to hide?” Riley teases.

“No, not right now. But that’s not a bad idea. I might take you up on that offer another time.”

“You got it. They got me all tucked away in this corner—it has to be good for something.” She chuckles. “What can I help you with?”

“Well first, it’s not about work. I had a question about Laura.”

Riley releases a huff of air. “I knew this was coming. I didn’t think it would take you this long, to be honest.”

“You did? I mean, how much do you know?”

“What do you mean? I was there! Isn’t that why you’re asking me?”

I freeze. “There? Where?” I know Laura had mentioned in passing that Riley was going to come to her house.

“I’m sorry, I should have stayed to talk to you. But given what happened, I was too embarrassed.”

“I can’t believe—I didn’t see you.” I am wholly unprepared for this revelation.

“I’m surprised you didn’t! Why else would you be here? Anyway, you looked like you were in a bit of rush anyway, so I didn’t want to keep you.”

I scratch my jaw while I ponder her words. I’m pretty sure I was more than thorough with Laura. But how long could I take anyway? It was her first time. But I can’t very well argue my case while I’m standing here.

“Wait,” Riley holds her hand up. “What are you talking about? Didn’t you see me that night?”

“I didn’t see you,” I say, still confused.

“You did. Were you drinking that night? Is that why you don’t remember?”

I don’t say anything for a moment. “The bar! Yes, I did see you!” I feel like an idiot. Riley is still thinking about the night I met Laura. “Yes, I did see you,” I repeat. “I was thinking about something else.”

Riley squints at me, waiting for me to continue. “So, what did you want to know about Laura?” She eyes the frame in my hand, and I see a hungry glint in her eye. Damn it all. Why didn’t I go back to the office when I had the chance?

“Oh, I hadn’t seen her in a couple of days so I was wondering where she was,” I finish lamely.

Riley isn’t buying what I’m selling, and I don’t blame her. It sounds stupid even to my own ears. “She hasn’t been feeling well. Did you try calling her?” Riley asks me politely.

“I did, but I haven’t had luck reaching her.” I try not to let my wounded pride show.

“Well, if you need me to, I can certainly watch Bella for a couple of hours.”

Bella.

“Yes, that would be great. Sam is taking off early today to take her to a bouncy castle, but maybe you can watch her tomorrow if Laura doesn’t come in.”

“I wouldn’t mind, Mr. B. Bella’s a doll. I’m not sure if I have the magic touch Laura does, though.” She laughs.

I brief Riley on how to approach Bella when she gets in a mood and leave her office shortly afterward. She has a point, though. Laura and Bella seem to understand each other in a way that makes everyone else feel like an outsider in their world. It makes me more determined to make sure Laura accepts the proposal.

Running up the rest of the stairs, I get back to the office. If I dedicate myself to a few hours of work and block out all thoughts of Laura, I might be able to make this day productive yet.

* * *

Tossing my briefcase onto the passenger seat, I get behind the wheel. So much for making the day productive. I got enough done to satisfy the clients I met with, but not enough for my own liking. As hard as I try to keep from thinking about Laura, I can’t help but remember little things about her.

The way the wisps of hair come to curl around her face at the end of the day, despite her attempts to keep the strands pulled back in a tight bun. The little dimples on her face when she smiles. The way her eyes light up when she sees Bella. The way her eyes become glazed over after I bring her to an orgasm. I groan at this last one and jerk the wheel at each turn.

At the last minute, I make a U-turn and head to Laura’s place. I can’t spend another night wondering. I need to know now.

I speed to her place and hope she’s home. Normally, I’m never this impulsive. Everything in my life is usually planned and plotted to a tee. But Laura is different, and my reaction to her is as well. I think about calling her to let her know I’m coming but I think it’s best to catch her off-guard. If I tell her in advance, she’ll compose her responses, and I can’t handle that right now.

I arrive at her place and draw a blank. I have no idea how to start the conversation. I could beat around the bush but I don’t have the energy for that. I’d rather get right to the point.

I knock on her door and wait. She opens the door a crack, and her eyebrows shoot up. “Maxwell?”

“You shouldn’t look so surprised. I surprised you last time too,” I joke.

“Yeah, you did.” I see a mix of emotions on her face as she opens the door wider to let me in.

“I didn’t see you at work, and I wanted to get an idea of where we stand right now.” I sit on her couch and look at her expectantly.

She’s wearing a lavender tank top and shorts, with a matching robe on top. She draws the front closed in front of her and shivers. “Well,” she says, clearing her throat and looking uncomfortable. She perches on the seat next to me and continues. “I had a lot of time to reflect on your offer and look at the benefits for both of us.” She stops and looks behind her. Without a word, she hurries to her bedroom and comes back a moment later with papers in her hand. “Here.” She thrusts them forward to me before resuming her perch on the couch.

I take them from her and flip to the last page. She’s signed the paper. I can barely contain my excitement. I look back at her. “And you’re sure about this?”

“Yes,” she says. She’s wringing her hands in her lap.

“Absolutely sure? I mean, this is basically a business arrangement. No entanglements, no promises beyond what’s written here.”

“Yes, agreed.” She tucks her hair behind her ear and looks me in the eye. “No other expectations.”

“Do you have any questions for me or the lawyer?”

“What happens after the two years? I mean, with Bella?”

I’ve thought about this myself several times over the past week, and I don’t know the answer. “I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it,” I say. I see her robe slip, and the curve of her inner thigh is exposed. It’s lightly tanned and looks so tempting. It’s ironic that we’ve both agreed to the marriage and even had sex, but haven’t crossed the threshold of being comfortable with each other yet. When I look up, I see her watching me.

“So, any other questions?” I ask. My fingers are itching to touch her leg, to stroke my way up to the heat that I know is building. She shifts her hips back as if sensing my thoughts.

“The compensation at the end of the contract is a lump sum? Or installments?”

“First, the debts are paid directly, and then you get the lump sum.” I’m disappointed that she doesn’t ask me anything about our sexual relationship. I wonder if it’s a means to an end for her. It didn’t seem that way last week, though.

“Okay, well, if you have any questions, call me anytime. I’ll move forward with the process and arrange for a license. I want it taken care of as soon as possible since we leave soon.”

“Wait, what about my apartment?” Laura looks around in confusion at her small one bedroom.

“Can you give them a notice? I’ll have movers come and move what you want, and you can donate the rest of it,” I tell her.

She bites her lip. “Yeah, okay.”

“There’s a lot to be done; let’s prioritize and go from there. License and marriage come first. I can have the apartment taken care of while we’re gone; that’s not a big deal.”

“Right.” Laura crosses her arms and nods.

My phone rings, and I know immediately that it’s Sam. He has Bella and needs to drop her off. “Okay. I have to go get Bella, but I’ll let you know what I need from you by tomorrow, and we can move forward with everything.”

I take the call as I’m leaving and turn back in time to see how much the robe has exposed now. I want nothing more than to hang up and haul her to bed to seal the deal, but I have to be patient.