Written for the about_time battleship competition (go Team Bill!). It is a prequel of sorts for Written in the Stars. I used US spelling due to the setting.
Laura stopped her pacing only when she heard the door to the reception area open and shut.
She peeked out her office door.
"Billy!" she hissed, grabbing a handful of her young assistant's sleeve and dragging him into the room.
"What did you find out from Dee over lunch?" she demanded immediately.
"Well, you're right. She did agree he's acting odd." He cleared his throat. "She's walked into his office a few times and he's quickly hung up the telephone. He changed the password on his email account, and hasn't yet told her the new one."
Laura squinted over at Billy. "He's stopped sharing his schedule with me," she acknowledged softly. "He told me he keeps forgetting to ask Dee to sort it out."
Billy rocked back and forth in front of her desk.
She stretched her neck back to look into his face. "There's something more, isn't there?" she prompted.
"He's made some payments through the work account. He reimbursed Dee with cash and asked her to 'clear out the records'."
Someone punched Laura in the guts.
"But all this doesn't prove anything." Billy's tone wasn't very convincing.
"What companies were the payments made to?"
"A boutique on 5th Avenue."
"5th Avenue?" she repeated faintly.
"And..."
Laura lowered herself into her chair with a defeated sigh. "And?"
"Purchases from Rose and Blooms."
"Flowers? I see."
She swung her chair around and stared out at the view. She remembered the day she and Bill had leased this office building. They'd been searching for months for the right place, and they'd both been so excited to finally find everything they wanted. Just like she thought she'd finally found everything she wanted in Bill.
"Thank you, Billy," she said, effectively dismissing him.
"There could be any number of explanations-"
"Yes." Funny how she couldn't think of one other than the obvious right at this moment.
"I can't believe that Mr Adama would be-"
"Thank you, Billy," she cut him off. "I think I'd like to be alone for a while."
She refused to cry even after she heard the soft click of her door as Billy exited. She had never told Bill she loved him. She'd thought that would save her from a broken heart. It seemed she was wrong.
*
How Laura got through the rest of the day, she didn't know. She vainly attempted to concentrate solely on business. Bill's absence from the office, at least, was a blessing. He had traveled to Boston this morning where he was working on gaining them a new contract. Or at least that's what he claimed he was doing.
His odd behavior had started about six weeks ago. She thought back, trying to piece together what had happened which could have been the catalyst for him to keep secrets from her. Or whom he may have met around that time...
They'd just signed the contract to begin construction on two new high rise buildings for the TLZ Corporation. He hadn't wanted to take the job. He didn't trust the owner, Tom Zarek, and had insisted their lawyer check over the contract with a fine-tooth comb.
After finally settling the details and signing on the dotted line, they'd been invited to a reception at TLZ's Lower Manhattan office block. The first three floors had been turned into grand ballrooms, decorated with golden helium balloons, faux chandeliers, silver champagne buckets and huge baskets of flowers. Waiters glided unobtrusively amongst the formally dressed guests offering drinks and canapes, while a different band played on each level beside specially laid parquetry floors for dancing.
Bill had looked spiffy in his suit. She wore a shimmering jade dress with a low neckline and long split in its skirt. Zarek had appreciated the amount of skin she was exposing, she remembered. She'd felt Bill stiffen beside her when Zarek had asked her to dance with him. He had controlled himself enough to not protest when their new client had led her to the dancefloor and held her just that bit too close, but she had felt his eyes following them around the whole time.
She would even go as far as admitting to herself that she'd quite enjoyed Bill's jealousy. He'd taken her to bed that night like a man possessed. She'd liked that outcome very, very much.
However, she didn't think she'd had any dealings with Zarek ever since that would elicit any suspicions from anyone. Billy was always in tow when she had to meet with Zarek or any of the other TLZ representatives.
And all the while it seemed she was the one who should have been suspicious.
She certainly couldn't remember Bill meeting another woman at that party. Nor could she think of any business meetings he had acted differently afterwards since. Perhaps there was an old flame who'd popped back into his life? God forbid, his ex-wife?
A week ago, Saul had accidentally let it slip that Bill wasn't attending his weekly poker nights since that party. But where was he going instead?
And last night...Last night he'd arrived home bathed with the scent of another woman's perfume. He'd quickly changed out of his clothes and showered, but she could still smell the cloying floral scent on his skin.
She'd sat up long after he went to bed, the television program she'd claimed she wanted to watch flickering patterns across the darkened room as she turned her options over in her mind again and again.
She'd have to move out. It was his house. Even though she'd been there nearly twelve months, not one piece of furniture was hers and all her personal belongings were still in storage.
The telephone buzzing on her desk brought her out of her morose thoughts. She looked at its screen and sniffed when she recognized the number.
"Hey," he greeted her huskily as soon as she answered. "Miss you."
"It's only been a few hours," she said crisply.
He chuckled and rattled on about what he'd managed to do today in Boston. She listened half-heartedly.
She loved this business. She was proud of what they'd achieved. They'd gone into partnership three years ago, before she'd ever imagined she'd become romantically involved with Bill. She'd resisted her attraction to him for so long for this very reason; for what could happen if one of them should want to end their personal relationship. Mixing business and pleasure was a bad idea. She'd found out that long before she'd ever met Bill. Why had she let him get so close?
"Laura? Are you there?"
She gulped. "Yes, yes. Sorry, I was..." What? Thinking about how we are going to break up?
He just chuckled again. "I'll let you go. I bet you're trying to do three other things while we're talking."
She frowned at the phone. He sounded so cheerful. Not at all like the secretive man she'd been living with the past few weeks.
"Okay," she agreed slowly.
"I'll see you tonight."
"Tonight? I thought you were staying over."
"Don't tell me you've forgotten the campaign dinner? After all your insisting we'd have to go and support Adar even though the guy's the biggest moron I know."
"Oh." She had forgotten.
"I'll be late though; by the time I get back to the city. We said we'd meet there, remember?"
"Yes. Okay."
"Laura?"
She needed to cut him off. "I'll see you then."
She was hanging up the phone when an icon reminding her of tonight's event blinked across her laptop's screen. His diary usually showed in the left hand corner of the screen. But now there were no appointments displayed. Instead there was simply the word 'unavailable'.
*
Laura checked the time. It was almost ten. Dinner had been eaten and still there was no sign of Bill.
"Ms Roslin?"
She looked up. It was Tom Zarek. Apparently the multi-millionaire was one of Richard's backers.
"I was wondering if I could have the pleasure of a dance?" he asked with a wide grin that showed off his perfect white teeth.
She felt as much like dancing tonight as flying to the moon. She had no choice, however. She still cared enough about the business to ensure she was polite to their clients.
With a faint nod, she let him lead her to the dancefloor. The swing band was playing a slower tune and without really thinking she let him draw her close.
"You look lovely tonight." She felt his eyes travel uncomfortably over the curves that the cut of her dress accentuated. "That's a nice color on you."
She'd chosen the deep dark red with Bill in mind. He'd jokingly told her she looked beautiful after a workout one day.
"What, all red in the face?" she'd laughed.
"Red must suit you," he'd said with a cheeky grin.
She'd seen this dress and wondered if that was true. With her pale skin and green eyes it wasn't a color she had ever thought to wear before, but trying it on in the boutique a few months ago she'd realized Bill had been right. It suited her more than she would have ever imagined. She had hidden her purchase from him, hoping to surprise him when she wore it for the first time in his company.
"Laura?"
She blinked up at her dance partner. She'd been a million miles away.
"Sorry?"
Zarek eyes settled on her decolletage. "I said you look incredibly sexy tonight."
"I..." She stared up at his eyes, noticing the distinct lack of wrinkles around them. In fact, his entire face was stretched back and smooth. Botox, she wondered? Or complete plastic surgery? It was so unlike Bill's weathered features.
"I notice you have no goon squad tonight," he said.
"Goon squad?"
"Adama. The last time we danced, he glowered from his chair the entire time. And yet he never bothered to ask you to dance himself."
"No."
"Gave me a good measure of hope that the rumors about you and him were incorrect."
She frowned. "Rumors?"
"That you and he are more than just business partners. Because if that's not true, I am hoping you'll let me ask you out to dinner."
She thought of Zarek's party again. Surely she had spent enough time by Bill's side that it would be obvious they were more than friends. She had spoken with several acquaintances that night... Could that be the problem? Bill was having some sort of mid-life crisis and she wasn't showing him enough attention?
She bit down on her bottom lip. "Bill doesn't know how to dance," she explained.
"I do," Zarek murmured, dragging his body closer to hers so that she felt how aroused he'd become from their dance.
She stepped back quickly. "You're not-"
She broke off. He wasn't what? He was certainly attractive. He was rich and successful; and according to her research, single.
She snorted. But she wasn't. She was married to Bill. Not legally, of course, but morally and spiritually she was. She needed to stand by Bill. She needed to try and understand whatever it was that was worrying him, and making him act out of character.
"It's not a woman," she said aloud.
"Sorry?" Zarek asked, confused.
She was an idiot. One thing Bill would always be is loyal. He'd be loyal to the company, and loyal to her. She was stupid to even slightly suspect otherwise. Billy had known it too. He'd tried to start a conversation about how there had to be another explanation to Bill's behavior before she'd left the office this afternoon.
She suddenly wondered why she had been so ready to accuse Bill of crimes she knew in her heart he could never be guilty of. Was it some sort of belated guilt about her own past with Richard rearing its head? She had cheated with someone else's man, and therefore she deserved someone else to cheat with her man?
"I hope you don't mind if I cut in, Zarek?" a deep familiar voice rumbled behind her.
She spun around, tears gathering in her eyes immediately at the sight of her lover; her man; her husband.
She had no idea what Zarek's response was or how long it took for him to leave them alone. She was too wrapped up in drinking in Bill's appearance. She thought he'd looked spiffy a few weeks ago, but tonight... Tonight she thought he was the most handsome man she'd ever seen. He was wearing a new suit. It was perfectly tailored for his broad chest and muscular arms. The suit jacket and waistcoat material were a shiny black, which meant the snowy white shirt beneath contrasted starkly and accentuated Bill's own beautiful olive complexion. She reached out and fingered the black bowtie. It was begging for her to loosen it and...
"Missed you," he murmured.
She whimpered and patted his chest reassuringly.
"Me too."
She felt more tears sliding down her cheeks. She was still wrong. Her reaction to Bill's behavior had nothing to do with Richard. It was something else entirely.
"Love you," she whispered with sincerity. Confessions were good for the soul, so they said.
He pulled her into his embrace and kissed the dampness from her eyes.
"About time."
She snorted and leaned into his chest.
"Bill, what's going on? You've been acting so mysterious and-"
He chuckled. She drew back and quirked an eyebrow. "Who the hell have you bought flowers for?" she demanded. "And who wears that awful perfume?"
"The flowers were corsages. Madame Elosha insists on all the men in her classes bringing one each week. It's all part of the romance, she says."
"Classes? It's this Madame Elosha who wears a bottle of perfume during each class?"
"No. That would be a Miss Franks, with whom I was partnered with at this week's lesson." He grimaced. "I swear I can still smell whatever awful fragrance she pours all over her now."
"Partnered? What sort of lessons?"
He grinned and held out his arm. "Would you like to dance, Ms Roslin?"
She hesitated.
"I can dance," he reassured her.
She flushed. "You've been taking dance lessons?" she asked, breathless.
"Zarek's party tipped me over the edge," he explained. "I was tired of watching this lovely woman I know waltz around with other men."
"Why didn't you just tell me?"
"I wanted to make it a surprise."
She laughed happily and fell into his arms.
With a laugh, he lifted her a little and swept her in a circle around the room. After a few minutes, the tempo of the music slowed and they linked their legs, barely moving. Their bodies, already familiar with one another, molded together perfectly and their moves became much more sensual.
Her hands hooked around the back of his neck and she played with the curls resting on his starched collar. She leaned back and ran her fingers over the wrinkles and grooves that lined his face. They were smooth, but he was so real; her real man.
"You can dance," she teased.
She giggled when, like Zarek, she felt Bill's arousal. Instead of stepping back, she brushed against it suggestively.
"You can dance," she sighed contentedly.
His arms tightened. "You love me," he noted with wonder.
She smiled. Yes, she did.