As the plane makes it descent into Denver, I’m anxious to get to Quinn. It’s dark as hell out, and I can’t wait to surprise her, to sneak into her apartment and slide into her bed. I just want to fuck her all night long.

“Flight attendants, please prepare for landing,” the pilot says over the intercom, and I close my eyes, loving how I’m always rewarded with the memories of her.

As the plane gets lower and lower to the ground, the pressure changes and I have to keep popping my ears. But something goes wrong; the pressure drops completely, and the oxygen bags fall from the ceiling. The passengers all begin to panic, screaming and trembling to get their masks on.

I gasp for air reaching for mine, but it’s too far away. Everything around me silences and I close my eyes falling from the sky…

…Sitting up in my bed, I’m out of breath. Fuck, it was just a dream. It was only a dream.

It’s 12:37, the time my flight would have departed for Denver, and I can’t deny that I’m a little pissed at myself for not going. Every night I’ve woken up at this same time missing Quinn. My brain sending myself a subliminal “fuck you.”

Sitting up, I rub my face and look out at the water; it’s smooth as glass. Thank God it’s Friday. I don’t think I can take another night of sleep like this. Quinn will be here by the end of the day.

Grabbing my phone, I’m tempted to text her, but don’t want to wake her.

Lying back down, I close my eyes, hoping I can fall asleep…but I can’t.

So I decide to go into the office and get a jump on my day. The sooner I’m done, the sooner she’ll be here.

After showering and dressing, I make the short commute into the office. It’s pitch dark out. I park and head in, the alarm that typically sounds when I enter through the front door is off.

That’s strange.

Flipping on a few lights, I look around but don’t spot anyone. Then I hear a woman’s voice and spot my father’s light on. Shit, is he still here? He was supposed to fly home, or so I thought.

Walking down the hall, I keep my feet light and stop, listening to them for a moment. They aren’t talking, and I have to look. Trust me; I don’t want to, but I have to know what’s going on and who he’s with.

I don’t think he’s dated anyone since my mom. Glancing in, he’s on the sofa in his office, the woman is straddling his lap as they are making out.

Jesus, this is gross.

I try and figure out who she is, and then I notice her sweater next to them and remember it from a meeting today. It’s one of our interns. Ah, fuck!

Quietly I back up before either of them spots me and head out of the building. Bile is in the back of my throat, seeing someone so young with my father. She’s half his age! What is she thinking and how did I not have any idea this was going on?

Getting in my car, I call Quinn. She answers half asleep, “Is everything okay?”

“Shit, I’m sorry. I forgot the time. Call me in the morning, when you’re up.”

“No, I want to hear your voice. What are you doing awake?”

“You don’t want to know.”

She pauses and then says, “Should I be worried?”

I chuckle and look out my windshield. “No, nothing to worry about, beautiful.”

“Come on; you can’t wake me up in the middle of the night and not tell me.”

Starting my car, I drive back home. “I couldn’t sleep, so I went into work and…I caught my dad with…” I trail off, not even able to speak the words.

“With?” she probes further.

“With one of our interns. She’s like half his age. I’m still trying to process it all. For fuck’s sake…how did I not know?”

“Because they didn’t want you to.”

“But he’s old enough to be her father; that’s just gross.”

“Remember what you told me when we met?”

“No.”

“You said, ‘Everyone fucks.’”

“Okay, that’s enough. This is my dad we’re talking about. Thank God I didn’t walk in on that.”

She laughs at me and asks me, “Why are you at work in the middle of the night anyway?”

“I couldn’t sleep. I was trying to get a head start since you’re coming tonight.”

“Mmmmhhh, I can’t wait,” she tells me. “But I think I might be getting sick.”

“What? No, don’t say that.”

“Trust me; I wish I wasn’t…but I don’t feel well at all.”

“Call in to work and hop an earlier flight. I’ll work from home today and take care of you.”

“That sounds really nice.”

“Then do it.”

“Can I ask you something, Merritt?”

“Of course.” Pulling back up to my house, I head around back and sit on the deck, enjoying the view.

“How are we going to make this work long-term? It seems we can’t bear to be apart and we’re not even together. That’s not going to get any easier.”

I think about her question, and I’m not sure how to answer her. I don’t know how we got wrapped up the way we did…but here we are. I don’t usually think that far ahead…I’m a live-in-the-moment kinda guy. But with Quinn, I feel like I have to think further and prepare for more than just looking forward to what the weekend holds.