"Baby, you know I'd give anything to be home right now ... you know that. I can't help that my plane is grounded. This snow is ridiculous."
"I know, I know." Aidan sighed, running a hand over the front of his face, as if that would relieve his frustration. "It's just ... this is our first Christmas together. I was hoping to spend it all cuddled up in front of the fireplace or something." He could just imagine his wife's face at the moment: a mixture of frustration, exasperation, and guilt. He knew it wasn't her fault, but he could blame her job in a round-a-bout sort of way. "Layla, I'm sorry. I love you."
"I love you, too," she replied. "Let me go for now, I'm going to go check the weather reports and see if I can't get someone to tell me what my prospects are. ... maybe there's a bus or something?"
"You'd take a bus from Michigan to New York?"
"If I have to, yes." Aidan heard her sigh. "Don't sound so surprised, I'm not
that
high maintenance."
Aidan chuckled. "If you insist, my love."
"I'm sticking my tongue out at you," Layla said.
"I'll return the favor. But I'll let you go. Call me when you hear something, okay?"
"Okay," she replied, voice sobering to a more somber tone. "I love you."
"Love you, too."
"Okay, 'bye."
"'Bye."
Aidan stared at the black cordless phone in his hand for a moment before hitting the 'off' button. He took a look around their decorated living room and sighed, sliding easily onto the couch in a haphazard sort of lying position. The Christmas tree was still a bold, emerald green, with its colorful lights glancing off of the shiny silver bulbs his mother-in-law had bought them. Aidan had spent an hour trying to light a fire in the fireplace, having gone through at least a newspaper and a half. The coffee table was laden with small place settings and he mentally ticked off the items chilling in the fridge: spaghetti and sauce (the first meal he'd ever cooked for her) waiting to be reheated, as well as a bottle of Layla's favorite wine, and a plate of chocolate covered strawberries that he wanted to share with her later. All of this he had set up, prepared, and worked so hard to keep a secret for when his wife returned home from her business trip. Instead, it looked as though he were going to be facing his first married Christmas Eve alone — well, possibly with some chocolate covered strawberries.
Aidan hated her boss for this; there had always been some tension there, as Layla's boss was a man's man who loved having control over his employees — especially his females. While they were dating, Aidan had witnessed him making out with several of the company's secretaries in various nooks and crannies of the party hall where their company often hosted events. Layla did not disbelieve him when he'd mentioned these stories, concerned for her well-being at the office, but she assured him that he knew better than to harass her and that Aidan had nothing to worry about. Now he was sure her boss had planned this last minute business trip, so close to Christmas, with spite and revenge in mind for Aidan's ill feelings, which he had never bothered to hide.
"If that's what I get for loving my wife ..." he said absently, to the empty room at large.
Before his mind could go any further, the phone in his hand began to ring. Aidan checked the Caller ID before hitting the 'talk' button. "Hey, man, what's up?" he asked, recognizing the number of his brother-in-law and best friend, Josh.
"Nothing much," he replied quickly, "listen, Ma was wondering if you two had reconsidered coming over to spend Christmas Eve here. She's being a bit ... persistent, actually."
"I'll bet," Aidan replied, wry grin forming on his face. "What's she having?"
"The usual," Josh replied, "baked ziti and a bunch of appetizers. You'll never hear the end of it if you don't come for at least an hour. I mean, I know you had other plans ..."
"Yeah, well, my other plans have been snowed in," Aidan said. "Layla hasn't even left Michigan yet because there's too much snow on the ground."
"Damn, Aidan, I'm sorry."
"Yeah, well ..." Aidan paused for a moment, considering. "I guess I could come over for a little while. It's better than sitting around here the whole night by myself."
"Great, I'm sure she'll be glad to hear it ... gives her someone else to pick on besides me."
Aidan laughed. "Great." He swung his legs over the side of the couch, preparing to stand up. "All right, see you in a bit."
"'Bye, man. Oh — and be careful, it's freezing outside. Some of the roads are questionable from this afternoon's rain."
"Thanks. 'Bye."
Aidan took one last look around his empty and wifeless living room. As he put on a coat and looked around for his keys, Aidan reflected on the past week and a half without Layla. The house had been empty when he'd returned home from work, the lights off the way that he left them. There was no warmth, no hot meals when he'd walk through the door, no kiss and a "Try this," from his wife followed by a hot spoonful of whatever delicious concoction she'd thought of making that night. Layla was a magnificent cook, and loved trying new combinations of things. Her creativity was not restricted to the kitchen, though, and Aidan's body physically ached at the fact that he hadn't shared his bed with Layla in too long a time.
He tried to push thoughts of her smooth, warm skin from his mind, or the way that she gasped for breath when his tongue found that special spot on the inside curve of her hip or the way she rode him, with a twist and roll of her body that sent her breasts bouncing and his cock and mind reeling. His pants began to feel tight.
