The phone rang for what must have been the hundredth time. He pinched his fingers around the top of his nose between his eyebrows, sighing. He was supposed to take her to lunch today. He didn't know how he was going to manage it.
As he reached for the phone to call and tell her, he heard her clear voice outside his office. Groaning, he started to go to the door when she burst in, smiling from ear to ear. She shut the door behind her, leaning back against it. In her hands was a wicker picnic basket.
His eyes traveled over her from head to toe. The dress was new, he thought. Red, his favorite color on her. Short, about mid thigh, her long legs bare under it. Silky, some kind of nylon fabric maybe. Little white strappy sandles completed the outfit. Her reddish blonde hair was soft and wavy, getting longer again. He liked it.
He perched on the corner of his desk, asking her, "What is this, my love?"
She just walked over to him and kissed him lightly on the lips, setting the basket down on the desk. "I wanted to surprise you, sweetheart."
"Cathy, you always surprise me," he said quietly. He couldn't count the number of times she had given him presents, cards, massages, hot baths, anything he wanted. He was constantly amazed at her thoughtfulness and tender actions. The depth of her emotions seemed bottomless, and she never hesitated to express them. Happy, sad, lonely, hurting, angry, whatever she felt showed in her words and expression.
Reaching out to pull her close, his powerful arms wrapped around her waist. Looking into her eyes, he thought, I missed her today. He had never really felt that way about anyone before. It surprised him, this feeling of a part of him being missing when she was not there.
His hand lifted to gently stroke her cheek. He smiled as she tilted her head into his palm, something she did every time. Her skin was so silky soft, her cheeks flushed pink as usual. Her eyes looked more green today than usual, instead of their normal soft brown.
Today they were sparkling with a mischeivious glint. Uh oh, he thought. She's up to something. He felt his heartbeat start to increase, a feeling of excitement building inside him. He turned his attention to the picnic basket. As he reached for it, she swatted at his big hands. "Oh, no, this is a surprise. You need to sit on the couch over there." She gently pushed him towards the leather couch along the far wall.
He walked over to the couch, and sat down. She had come over and put his arms along the back of it. "Now, stay just like that, ok?" she had said.
"Yes, Ma'am," he said laughingly. He watched her move back to his large desk, her hips swaying under the short dress. God, he loved watching her walk. Hell, he loved watching her do anything, he thought. The dress had criss cross straps in the back, exposing her tan skin, with short sleeves.
