Chapter Nine

"You really should go now," she tried to persuade him again and even though she'd said it a couple of times already during the last half an hour, he still wouldn't listen.

They were enjoying their morning coffees together in her kitchen and it just felt so cosy sitting there close to each other, sharing their thoughts, sharing smiles, sharing kisses. They both knew this was probably their last calm hour for a long time and neither of them really wanted it to be over, but at least she tried. Shortly they were about to enter reality, after spending a few days living in their own world, in her house, spending each night in each other's arms.

That morning their duties called again and even though she'd tried to prepare herself for this, it still felt hard to face it. She wouldn't admit it, but she actually feared what that day would bring, the first day they would have to put this very fragile relationship to the test. In an hour they had to show up at their firm again, where they were supposed to be nothing more but business partners, who shouldn't allow themselves to be guided by their passion and their personal feelings for each other.

Last night they'd talked about the necessity of finding the balance between their professional and personal relationship, but she wasn't sure it would be so easy to do so. They'd agreed to keep their affair in secret for the sake of their firm, but she had doubts as to how long their sort of double life could go on before one would have to suffer from the other. Especially because it was no question which one they would choose had they been forced to do so. She liked having him in her life and she wouldn't have traded those last few days for anything, but she had never placed a man before her firm and she probably never would.

Of course choosing the firm also meant choosing him in a different sense and as she looked into his eyes, she started to wonder that maybe her previous decisions to stick to her firm had in any way been influenced by the unvoiced wish that she hadn't wanted to part from him either. Sticking to her firm, her life's work, their life's work had always meant staying together with him and they had always been so good together.

"I have to face a whole day without your kisses, I need something to hold on to," he replied, literally sweeping her off her feet again as he pulled her closer for another kiss.

"Go," she ordered after their lips parted, "I'll see you in an hour," she placed a short kiss on his lips and pulled away from him.

"I already miss you," he replied, leaning towards her for a last kiss, before he finally obeyed her command.

o-o-o

The seat next to her was still empty as she started talking about the second agenda already, with dozens of eyes focusing on her. The first staff meeting of the year, the start of something new and Will Gardner was late. She probably should have waited for him to arrive, but she didn't feel like making an exception, punctuality was a virtue she believed in and she was actually a little angry at him for letting her down right at the start.

But her anger only lasted until he finally entered the door. She even forgot her line of thoughts for a while as she locked eyes with him, until he arrived on her side and took the empty seat next to her.

And right then he made the second mistake, he actually leaned towards her ear to whisper something to her. She needed all her self control not to give away how this normal, but intimate gesture affected her. He basically told her about the business related thing that had held him from coming earlier and she nodded in response before communicating his apology towards the coworkers in the room then tried to find back to her original line of thoughts.

A few minutes later she gave him the opportunity to take over and as he started to speak she took her pen and scribbled down a line on her pad.

We have to talk.