Cold Air Hellos and Goodbyes – Chapter Five
NOTES: So sorry it took me so long to punch this one out, guys! I had finals this past week and was incredibly busy. But thank you so much for the reviews and comments. I took someone's advice and disposed of David in this chapter, except not in the way you'd think. Also, this chapter is a little different in that it's half Harry's perspective and half Karen's. Just thought I'd change it up a bit.
THANKS: To the reviewing public! ;) Please, review even more! I love hearing what you guys think.
Harry stepped into the office the next day brimming with optimism. Finally he could be content in the knowledge that he had done something right with Karen. He turned his swivel chair around to face his computer screen and sat on it, beginning to type up a company memo. Just then, there was a soft knock on the door and a soft "hello". Harry turned around to see Mia, smiling and holding up a cup of coffee.
"Your favourite from the shop downtown. I was there and... I just thought I'd surprise you." She smiled again and set it on his desk.
"That's very nice of you Mia, but I... well, I already had three coffees, so..." he picked up the cup and pushed it towards her, trying desperately not to make eye contact.
"What's with you lately, Harry?" she asked coyly, walking closer to him. He could smell the exotic tinge of her perfume mingling with the strong scent of coffee. "Ever since Christmas you've barely looked at me. You know, I still wear that necklace you bought me almost every night."
He cleared his throat as she put her hand on his shoulder, staring at him. "That's... nice, Mia, but really... that necklace was a mistake."
She frowned, taking her hand away. "A mistake?"
"Yes," he said softly, letting out a breath of air. "I... I love my wife."
She smirked, turning towards the door. "Harry," she said, and he looked up, "I always get what I want." She turned and walked out of the office, leaving him dumbfounded and still smelling her in the room.
Sarah walked in, her arms full of papers, and lowered herself onto his office chair with a sigh. "Gosh, what is with the work load this week, boss? You'd think we're actually doing something important the way you've got us running around..." she trailed off, noticing he wasn't listening. "Harry?"
"Oh, sorry Sarah," he said, sitting down beside her. "I was just a little... out of it."
"Wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that Mia just walked out of your office, would it?" She looked at him closely.
He sighed, running a hand over his face. "I told her that I loved my wife and she said that she always gets what she wants. Which is, you know, terribly inconvenient." Sarah's face softened and she put a hand over his.
"Just don't do anything stupid, Harry. If you really love your wife, it won't be hard."
Karen chopped up the rest of the celery and tossed it in the soup pan, making a face when the phone rang just as she had begun to wash her hands. "Hello?" she said as soon as she picked it up, cradling it between her neck and shoulder.
"Karen?" Harry's voice boomed through the receiver. "It's me, Harry. How are you?"
"Fine..." she said, beginning to set the table. "Is something wrong?" She wondered why he was calling her from work but didn't dare to ask.
"No, nothing wrong, just... wanted to see how you were doing, is all." He cleared his throat and she could hear him moving around, most likely pacing. She smirked.
"How was work?" she asked.
"Oh, fine, uneventful," he answered, clearing his throat. "I'm just leaving, actually, so I'll be home in time for dinner." There was a long, stretched-out pause which made Karen very uncomfortable, and then, "What were you up to today?"
The chatting continued on like that for about ten minutes, in fact they talked until he got in the door of the house and grinned at her. She said, "Bye, darling," into the receiver and he flipped his cell closed. She stood by the stairs, holding the phone and a serving spoon, and he stood in the doorway holding his bag and the cell, both of them grinning at each other. She walked up to him first, taking off his coat for him and hugging him tightly, holding on a little longer than she normally would have.
"I transferred Mia today," he said bluntly, and watched as the shock registered on her face. "She came into my office and said something, and I realized the only way I'd really be rid of her is to transfer her, so she works downstairs now. Joe is her boss."
She widened her eyes and hung up his coat, staring at him all the time. "Wow. Wouldn't it have been easier just to tell her off?"
"I tried that," he said, sounding defeated, "but she kept giving my cryptic remarks about how she always gets what she wants. So I took the coward's way out and disposed of her."
"Ah, the old mafia way," she replied, and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Well, I'm glad you did, anyway. Of course, you do realize this means you're admitting she was a distraction."
He sighed and looked over at her with mock frustration. "Is there any way to make you women happy?" She punched him lightly in the arm. "What's for dinner?"
Karen was working the exercise bike in the gym like a maniac, spurred on by the way her leg muscles felt ready to collapse. She knew if she stopped she'd never start again, so she found a rhythm in the music and kept to it while the sweat poured down her face, stopping at her chin.
David walked up, his eyes on her and smiling, and put a hand on the handlebar of the bike. "Wow, Karen, you're motivated this afternoon," he exclaimed.
She smiled lightly but kept going, barely looking at him. Her timer beeped after about thirty seconds and she stopped, breathing loudly and wincing as she climbed off. "So, how are you today, David?" she asked.
"Great, great," he answered, handing her a towel. "Listen, Karen, I was wondering... did you want to go out to dinner with me sometime?"
She stared up at him, shocked. Sexy David was asking her out on a date? She felt like she was in the twilight zone. "David, I'm sorry, but I'm married," she answered, wiping herself down and starting to walk away.
"Oh come on, Karen, I've seen the way you look at me." Their eyes met and in his she saw something she knew instantly she didn't like. "I won't tell if you won't." He put a hand on her arm and grinned at her.
She pushed it away, disgusted. "David, I love my husband, and if I gave you the wrong impression about us, then I'm sorry." She left him standing there with a bemused expression on his face and walked up to the main entrance to get her bag. Standing in the doorway was a shocked-looking Harry, holding flowers and staring straight at her.
"Hello, Karen," he said simply, and by the way he spoke she knew instantly he'd heard the entire exchange.
"Harry..." She took the flowers from him and kissed him, hard, and right on the lips. "Let's go."
They walked to car hand in hand, and Harry thought to himself that he'd never been more thankful to have Karen as his wife.
Note: Okay, they're almost there, but I'm having fun with this story so I'm going to keep dragging it out. If this chapter seemed off to you, I'm sorry, it's just that I didn't have a lot of time to write it.
