After spending the most amazing evening and night with Paul when she woke up the next morning and felt his hard chest beneath her head she snuggled just that little big closer and held him just that little bit tighter because she knew that she wouldn't be able to do this for the rest of the day.

Paul was wide awake when he felt Stephanie squeeze him, "Good morning beautiful."

Lifting her head she smiled sheepishly at him, "Hi, I didn't realise you were awake."

"I've been up for a while, I was just enjoying holding you." Paul never did outright admit to Stephanie how hard he was finding the separation between them, he didn't feel that it would help at all as she was already bitter and angry about it so he just kept it to himself, "I guess you have to leave soon?"

Rolling over she looked at the clock and frowned, "Unfortunately so. I can't decide whether to shower now and then leave or leave and then shower when I get back to my room."

He wanted to be helpful but it was impossible without it coming out wrong so he just stayed neutral, "It is up to you and whatever you will find easier."

Sitting up she clutched the sheet to her chest, "I should probably get dressed and go back to mine and shower there, I think there is less chance of me bumping in to somebody that way."

That was one thing they hadn't thought about this morning and that was getting caught but neither of them would change it as they needed the time they had together last night, "I guess you are right, I hope you don't get caught as a really selfish part of me really wants to do this again tonight."

Sliding out of bed she began gathering her clothes and getting dressed again, "Even if I get caught I will bluff my way out of it and we will do it again, we won't be stupid enough for me to get caught walking out of your room so they won't be able to prove anything."

Pulling on his track pants Paul sat on the edge of his bed and watched her get dressed, "I'm pretty sure you can make anything look sexy."

Rolling her eyes she shook her head as she pulled her shirt on and went searching for her phone feeling relieved when she easily found it before she put her shoes on, "So I guess this is me. I will see you at the arena later, I know we can't spend too much time together but we can spend some time together and they can all go and do the other."

Standing up as she made her way to the door he pressed a quick kiss to her lips, "Yes they can. Let me just make sure nobody is around and then you can leave."

Making sure she was out of sight of the door as he checked through the peep-hole and then opened the door making sure the coast was clear he quietly ushered her out of his room and quickly shut the door behind her so that if anybody did come out of their room or off the elevator they couldn't prove anything.

Walking towards the elevator Stephanie felt a little jumpy but as she stepped onto the elevator she knew she was pretty safe. Reaching her floor the doors opened and she gulped when she saw Chris Irvine stood in front of her as she stepped off, "Hi Chris."

Looking her up and down Chris raised her eyebrow, "Either you are doing the walk of shame or you are going to look seriously sexy today to show Paul what he is missing."

The insinuation that he was making about her split from Paul being something that he or they could change pissed her off, "For your information there was a problem and I had to run down to reception so just pulled on any clothes I had laying around and this was the outfit I put together. I'm now going back to my room and will be changing into something more appropriate so I would hope that you are not going to go around spreading lies because I could always make your life a misery by having you job to Funaki."

Taking a step back he quickly punched the button to call the elevator, "Sorry, I was only joking but I will keep my mouth shut from now on." Relieved when the doors to the elevator opened he immediately stepped on and repeatedly pressed the button for the ground floor, since she had broken up with Paul she had gone from somebody you could have a joke with to someone who was utterly miserable and apparently was more than happy to snap your head off so he was glad to get away from her.

As soon as Chris was in the elevator Stephanie walked back to her room immediately shutting the door and tossing her key and phone on the side before she began stripping off her clothes to go and get a nice hot shower in.

Once Stephanie had left Paul showered and got dressed before he went to get breakfast, he really hoped that she was more positive about everything from now on as he really hated it the way she had been so down recently but last night she seemed to really pick up so hopefully it was just the beginning.

Walking out of the shower Stephanie walked over to her suitcase to get some clothes to wear but as she bent down to go through her suitcase she noticed the phone on her screen was lit up and immediately picked it up noting that she had five texts and fourteen missed calls, "How the hell did I miss this?" Looking her phone over she realised that in her excitement to see Paul she must have switched her phone to silent so immediately she turned the sound on and began going though her texts and voice mails.

Reaching the last voice mail from her Mom which had gotten progressively more panicked as time had passed she didn't waste a second returning the call gulping the second her Mom's panicked voice came across the line making her feel even more guilty, "I'm so sorry, I accidentally put my phone on silent and I had absolutely no idea that you had been trying to call me or that you had texted."

Linda had been on the verge of sending a search party out for her daughter when she called her and as annoyed as she was that she had ignored her she was more relieved to know that she was okay and it was simply an accident, "I'm just glad you are okay. Before you say it it isn't so much about how you have been that panicked me, it's simply that airplanes and cars can crash so I just couldn't help but think the worst."

"But I'm okay so you don't need to worry. Why were you trying to get hold of me?"

Motioning for her secretary to be quiet with her hand Linda had to put this delicately, "Because I wanted to be make sure you got to the hotel safely, I knew you would get in late in the evening and you were travelling alone and I was just concerned."

Going through her suitcase with one hand she found some clothes and tossed them onto the bed, "Well I got here safe and sound last night and I have just gotten out of the shower and am going to get dressed and then go and get some breakfast before I face the children in the school playground otherwise known as go to the arena. Just so you know I might fly home to do some laundry but there is a chance I might not stay home long this week so if I don't I will text you and let you know and can you then check on the house and the mail from time to time please?"

Hearing her daughter say in a fit of anger that she wouldn't work out of the offices any more was one thing, hearing that her daughter seriously wasn't working out of the offices any longer was another and completely threw Linda, "You were really serious about not working out of the offices unless you have to?"

Confused she wasn't sure what part of any of what she had said last week was so confusing, "Well yes, I told you I was. My secretary knows how to get hold of me and is passing on any and all information that I need so I am doing the work I have to and when I need to be in the office I will be and not at any other times. I'd better go though because I need to get ready but will you look after the house or not or do I need to employ somebody to do it?"

"I will do it Stephanie, you know I will. Just do me a favour and keep in contact okay? As your Mom I need to know you are okay."

Smiling softly her Mom was one of few people she wasn't freezing out, "I will do, I promise. Thank you Mom and I love you."

"I love you too. Have a good day at work, bye."

Sighing heavily Linda hung up the phone, things were worse than she thought they were but on the other side her daughter sounded so much happier and positive when she spoke to her which didn't really make a whole lot of sense but she put it down to not having to work near her Dad. Putting her phone down on the desk she began to get started on her own work for the day and tried to push thoughts of Stephanie to the back of her mind.

Hanging up the phone Stephanie tossed it on the bed before she got dressed, her Mom may not have thought that she was serious about not working from the office again but she was deadly serious and now all she needed to do was find out what Paul's plans for the week were to know what she was going to do.