The smell of coffee in the morning always soothes Abigail’s mind and brings her peace. When she woke up this morning, Theodore was nowhere to be seen, but he left a note saying he had to run into the office early today because Jerry said there was an emergency. Abigail understood this, and she wasn’t upset. Last night was great, and she didn’t regret it one bit. Though they didn’t share a bed, she had hoped that she would’ve seen him when she woke up. It was now around ten in the morning, and she still hadn’t heard anything from him. It made her worry. What could this emergency be? She remembered that Theodore once mentioned that Jerry was his COO and right-hand man. Jerry knew when and when not to call Theodore, so if he was willing to wake Theodore so early in the morning, it had to be significant. Abigail tried to occupy herself with everything but thinking of what had happened. Still, her mind lingered on the moment they shared last night the most. It always made her smile. Last night, Abigail learnt that Theodore not only had a way with his words but with his hands and lips too. She remembered how he took her against the coffee table in the lounge room, then against the kitchen counter, until they were both too exhausted to even walk. She could feel the heat climbing up her cheeks as she rested her cup on the counter, as vivid images of last night resurfaced in her memory. When she agreed to stay with Theodore temporarily, this wasn’t what she had expected or even imagined. Yet, the first thing she wanted to do when she woke up this morning was to have his lips on hers again. Sighing, she grabbed a carton of milk from the fridge to add to her coffee, deciding she no longer wanted it black. A woman—Angela, walked in just then, looking just as shocked as Abigail to see each other. Abigail recognized her instantly. Her heart-shaped face and curly hair like hers made her easy to spot anywhere. She seemed nice enough, though they never shared a conversation. In fact, Abigail noticed that Angela hadn’t been around much since she had been here. “Oh hi,” the middle-aged woman said. “I’m sorry. If I had known you were here, I would’ve come down sooner to make you something to eat.” Angela felt so guilty, rushing to the stove to prepare something. Theodore hadn’t brought home any woman besides Cleo, and even when Cleo was there, Theodore barely knew because she invited herself in. “Oh no, don’t worry yourself,” Abigail said quickly. “I already ate. I just wanted another cup of coffee.” Angela bit her lip. “Are you sure?” “I am.” Abigail smiled brightly at the woman, wanting to assure her that she was okay. Abigail didn’t even hear when Angela came in this morning. She was like a mouse around the house, but she figured that was per Theodore’s request. “I spend so much time in the laundry room, I barely get time to do my other duties,” Angela said. “For one man, Mr Adams sure does wear a lot of clothes.” Abigail laughed. “That’s because he changes his suits like five times a day. Why? I have no clue.” “Uh-huh. Once, I tried asking him if it was necessary, and I almost lost my job.” “What? No.” Abigail laughed even harder, finding it hard to believe that Angela was talking about the same Theodore that she knew—the Theodore who seemed like the sweetest man in the world. “Yup.” Angela grabbed a few dirty dishes from the sink and loaded them in the dishwasher. “Everyone has their quirks. That’s just his.” Watching Angela do a million things at a time, Abigail suddenly felt useless. At home with Najay, she barely had the chance to do anything due to her busy schedule. She didn’t want it to be the same here. “I can help if you’d like,” Abigail offered. “I really don’t mind. Actually, I’d love to help.” Angela stared at her in shock. “Oh no. I couldn’t. This is my job, and Mr Adams—” “Is not here.” Abigail understood that Theodore would probably insist that she does no housework, but she wanted to. “Please. It’ll be better than sitting here waiting.” Angela smiled as a sudden spark lit her eyes, seeming like enthusiastic approval. “Well, sure then. I was going to mop the floor. Is that okay? Or is it too much?” she added quickly. Abigail chuckled. “That is perfect.” Angela had wheeled the mop trolley in behind her, so she didn’t have to leave the kitchen. “So what do you do?” Angela asked as they both got busy. “Oh, I work part-time at SHI’s enterprises, and I am pursuing my masters in Marketing at Queens College.” “Oh wow.” Angela was impressed. “Mr Adams found himself a nice young woman. Far much better than that stuck up Cleo he used to date.” Abigail grew tense, and Angela noticed. “Did I say too much? I’m sorry. I know exes are a sticky topic.” “Right . . . Exes.” Abigail had wholly forgotten about her. That was one of the first things Theodore revealed to her when they started the contract. It was odd that the woman had vanished entirely from her thoughts these past weeks. “Wait,” Angela mumbled, raising an eyebrow and hoisting her hand on her hip. “They did break up, right?” Abigail dropped the mop. “Um . . .” “Hey.” Angela smiled, reaching out to hold her hand. “Don’t worry about it. Why don’t you go get some fresh air? I’ll finish up here.” Abigail nodded, her throat suddenly dry as she dashed from the kitchen. She instantly stumbled into something tall and rigid, smelling obsessively wonderful. Theodore. He held her shoulders to keep her from falling and searched her face in worry. “Hey, where are you running off to like that? You look pale. Are you sick?” He rested his hand against her forehead, searching her face frantically with his eyes. Abigail caught her breath as she met his worried eyes. Those eyes. They were always so kind and soft, admiring and alluring. And even now seeming anxious, Abigail could tell that he was troubled. “What happened? Why did you leave in such a rush this morning?” she asked, trying to shove Cleo to the back of her mind. Theodore sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, which seemed like the hundredth time. “Remember when I told you that there have been some issues with my vineyard in Italy?” he asked, and she nodded. “Well, it was worse than we all thought. So I’m going to have to take another trip there.” “Oh.” Abigail knew he was a businessman, but since they had gotten close, she hadn’t been away from him for more than a day. “How long will you be gone?” “It’s indefinite.” He sighed. “But that’s why I wanted you to come with me.” Abigail jerked her head up to meet his eyes again. “Really?” “Yes. I hate to leave you so suddenly, and I won’t be able to focus knowing you’re here alone. So I want you to come with me.” Even though she wanted to, Abigail shook her head. “I have work and school, and if it’s indefinite then . . .” “Abigail, if you’re with me, you don’t have to work. You know that, right?” “I want to,” she replied quickly. “I have to. And . . . And I’m not *with* you fully yet. There are still underlying circumstances that you and I need to get rid of.” Theodore picked up on the edge in her voice, and her words slightly stung. But he wanted to convince her to come with him first, then find out the meaning behind her words. “But—” “And I have school. Missing a class is like missing an entire semester. I’d never be able to catch up.” “Aren’t you missing class now?” he pressed. “No. I go to work on Thursday mornings and then to class in the evening. But Mr Hansic called and said they were cleaning the vents in the main office today—it was about time—so he told me to stay home.” Theodore frowned. Perhaps businessman to businessman, he could’ve talked to Abigail’s boss to get her some time away. But he understood that she couldn’t miss too much of her classes, and he didn’t want to seem like a selfish ass and ask her to. So, he sighed in defeat. “I don’t have to go. Jerry can—” “Theodore.” Abigail couldn’t believe her ears. She listened to him talk about this vineyard for hours, stressed about the problems with the virus taking over the plants. She waited as he had long conversations on the phone about it, and now he was willing to drop this trip only because she couldn’t go? She couldn’t believe it. She didn’t know if she wanted to slap or kiss him. What Angela said suddenly resurfaced to memory. Maybe he did break up with Cleo, but he didn’t have to tell her. He made it abundantly clear from day one that he wasn’t serious about her anyways, so perhaps a deep conversation wasn’t necessary. But Abigail still wanted to be sure, so she made a mental note to ask him when his vineyard was in order. His business was his life. And Abigail wasn’t going to let him risk it for her. “You have to go,” she insisted. “Your vineyard needs you too. I can take care of myself, and I’ll go back home so that I’m closer to Najay.” Theodore still seemed unsure, but he knew that he had no choice but to agree with a woman this stubborn. “Okay.” He sighed. “But you’ll stay here. The building is much more secure, and my driver will take you anywhere.” “But I’ll be alone,” she pointed out. “Angela is nice, but she doesn’t sleep here.” He thought for a while. “Have Najay come here then.” She gaped at him. “Really?” “Yes. If that’s what you want.” “I’d love that, actually. But it’s your space, so only if it’s okay with you.” Instead of answering right away, Theodore leaned down to kiss her. “I just want you safe and happy. I promise I’ll come back as soon as I can, and I’ll call you every day.” “We’ll be in different time zones,” she told him. “When I’m free, you’re probably gonna be asleep, and when you’re free—” “I’ll call you every day,” he said dismissively, showing her that he’ll make time. “Okay?” Abigail bit on her lip to suppress a smile. “Okay. But when are you leaving, though?” “Today.” It seemed painful to even say. “Today?” Abigail echoed. “What time?” He checked his watch. “In about five hours.” “I’ll be in class by then.” She chewed on her lip in thought. She was free now since she didn’t have to go to work, and it seemed like Theodore was now free too. “What are you doing now?” he asked as if reading her thoughts. Abigail beamed at him. “Anything you’re doing.” She was sad and a little scared that he’d be leaving, but she was thrilled to spend time with him now, even if it was only for a minute. She didn’t want to ruin her mood even more with thoughts of Cleo. She trusted that Theodore would do right by her, and that was the thought that fueled her enthusiasm to wait until he’s back to ask about the situation. Theodore rechecked his watch. “Want to grab an early lunch?” “Sounds good to me.” She beamed. “Let me grab my purse.” Abigail quickly scurried to her room to search for her belongings, not wanting to waste a single moment away from Theodore. What was this she was feeling? The urge to always be around him, the fear of ever losing him and the significant dependency on him for her core of happiness? In two years, he had been the first man that she allowed to touch her. He had been the first man since her father that she had truly trusted. It scared her half to death to be placing her happiness and soul in one man’s hand, no matter how much she trusted him. But what is the point of living if she would only live in fear, regret and pain? Theodore made her escape that, and for that, she would always cherish him and whatever he had to offer her emotionally. Abigail grabbed her purse and phone from the bed, quickly checking it for messages as she returned to where Theodore waited. She had countless messages from Najay and some from her professor reminding the class of the assignments due. But one, in particular, caught her interest— one from her boss, Mr Seymour Hansic. *Abigail, I hope you are enjoying your day. I wanted to ask you to a business dinner. We have much to discuss. The date and time is at your disposal.* Abigail’s strides slowed as she read over the text multiple times. What could Mr Hansic want to discuss with her so formally that he couldn’t call her to his office as he always did? Why dinner? Though the thought slightly unnerved her, Abigail sent a quick ‘okay’ as she met Theodore again. “What’s on your mind?” he asked as soon as he saw her thoughtful expression. Abigail quickly shoved the phone in her back pocket and met his eyes with a smile. “Nothing. Are you ready?” “Of course.” Theodore snaked his arms around her waist and led her through the elevator doors, ready to spend the next few hours with her.