Chapter 6

After another grueling circuit in the gym, Dan stepped into the elevator, body tingling. A habit gained since ... Daisy. The highway. Plus, everything that had happened out there. Would he ever be as muscular ... As them? The ones she’d...

With a quiet hiss, he scanned his reflection in the elevator’s glass. No. But after a month, he’d lost much of the softness. Better eating also helped.

While crossing the darkened office floor, he slowed. A cubicle light was on. Once nearer, he cocked his head. It was Natalie, not in her usual dress. Instead, she wore a pale blue blouse and a ... He gulped; the navy skirt revealed most of her toned thighs.

“Morning, Nat,” he muttered. “I’ll get coffee going in a minute.”

“Oh, hey there, Dan.” She looked up and flashed him a smile.

When she spun the chair to face him, his pulse staggered. Although it was a casual Friday, the blouse had a deep V-neck. One that offered quite the view of her swaying chest. At her soft giggle, he met her twinkling eyes.

“Hmm, well, thanks.” She chortled louder. “Good to know I can get such a look from you, married man. I’m leaving early. Heading to my mom’s for the weekend.”

“Uh, sorry. You, um, just look, uh, nice.” He swallowed before glancing at his dark office. “Let me set up and I’ll start the pot.”

“Don’t bother. I’ll get it.”

“Okay.” Although he heard the chair squeak as she stood, he turned away. Focused on the shadowed doorway ahead, he added, “Uh, thanks.”

Once ensconced behind his desk, he gritted his teeth and slapped on the computer. Let the fun begin again. His project, an algorithm to assist complex business assessments, had languished for months. The previous manager was intelligent, but also easily distracted. Which meant Dan had hacked away chunks of bloated code. It ran better, but it was time to make it...

“ ... sing,” he whispered in the glow of the computer screen.

“What’d you say?”

At Natalie’s voice, he jumped and, squinting beyond the bright monitor, found her silhouette in the doorway. A cup in each hand, she wasn’t draped on the doorframe as usual. Instead, she approached until the glow illuminated her slender figure.

“Here you go, hard worker.” She placed a coffee on the desktop.

“Um, thanks, Nat.” He grinned while reaching for it.

“Dan”—she held her breath, then exhaled through her nose—”I’m just gonna come right out with it.”

“What?” After a quick glance at Daisy’s shadowed photograph, his chest stiffened.

“Are you living in your car? Sorry, but I rented one for this trip. Saw yours by the elevators, so I parked next to it.” As if it were a shield, she held the cup before her. “Um, I peeked. It’s full of boxes. Suitcases. There’s blankets and a pillow on the front seat.”

“Nuh-uh.” After starting to shake his head, he sighed and nodded. “Yes. I haven’t found a place since...” His voice faded as he again glimpsed Daisy’s picture.

“It’s been a couple of months, right?” she said before taking a sip.

“Yeah, I couldn’t decide. Stay? Would we patch things up? Or should I just return home? But—”

“—you’re still here?”

“Um-hmm, I am.” After lifting the hot cup, he gazed into the muddy liquid.

“Well, it’s your lucky day. My roommate is splitting at the end of next week. We had kind of a sublet thing. Why don’t you take over?” She flashed him a smile. “Be a big help. Won’t have to shop around for a new roomie. Plus, the place is convenient, close to work and plenty of nearby shops and stuff.”

“Uh,” he murmured, peering at his wedding band.

“Don’t worry, married man.” Her eyes twinkled over the rim of her coffee. “No funny business.”

“What?” He gulped.

“You’d have your own bedroom and bathroom. So, nothing weird. Buy groceries and cook every once in a while. You keep a clean house?”

“Yeah.”

“Good. We’ll get along fine.”

“It’s just that I don’t wanna, you know, give you the wrong idea.” He glanced at Daisy’s photo once more. In the early morning light, her features were clearer.

“Dan, really? That’s cute.” Although she again grinned, it was fleeting. “But, um, I’m dating a couple of guys.”

“Uh, a couple?”

“No comment.” After a quick snort, she turned for the exit. “Lemme know when I get back.”

“Okay,” he called after her.

As much as he wanted to polish the algorithm, the bulk of the day was nothing but meetings. All focused on the upcoming trip. Germany. Berlin.

Besides her entourage, Mr. Grainger, although more circumspect than the younger men, also noticed Natalie’s attire. Despite addressing everyone, he spent more time than usual glancing her way. Under his occasional looks, her eyes sparkled.

“She does have nice legs,” Dan muttered before focusing on the latest slides.

A week later, the new room’s spacious closet held the last of his boxes. Most were full of household stuff he wouldn’t need. Clothes, including the suits he’d retrieved from the gym locker, lay across a queen-sized bed. It was a large bedroom with a good-sized bathroom.

In a high-rise just across downtown from the office, Natalie’s apartment was modern, well-lit, and sparsely furnished. A few Japanese prints of rural scenes in simple frames adorned the walls. Her style was comfortable but functional. She didn’t have clutter. Instead, she kept only things she needed.

“You gonna be alright in there?” she called, peeking from the doorway. Gray sweatpants and a loose navy-blue t-shirt hid her slender curves.

“Yeah, think so.” While straightening, he ran a hand through his hair. “Thanks again, Nat.”

“No prob. Hey, you’re also helping me out. I love this place. Susie just snagged a better job. New York. Can’t blame her.”

“Oh, so it...” He wiped both palms along his jeans. “Um, your roommate wasn’t a guy?”

“Nope. You’ll be my first. So behave.” She laughed. “You’re setting the standard.”

“Got it.” After joining in with a chortle, he gave her a half salute.

“You’re alright, Dan,” she said before disappearing. “Lunch is on me until you get some groceries.”

As they sat eating on a snow-white leather couch, she flicked through stations on a massive widescreen. Eyebrows raised, he scanned the brushed metal and silver wall unit surrounding it. A myriad of gaming consoles and stereo gear filled the shelves.

“Real nice set-up you’ve got here, Nat,” he said.

“Um, thanks.” She found a movie, a romcom Daisy had enjoyed, before flashing him a grin. “I wish I could say I’d bought it all. But, uh, some guys are awfully generous.”