Saturday morning…
Dan opened his eyes. Chelsea wasn't lying next to him. He got up with a start, and looked around the room. He took out his phone and transferred some money to his agent before going downstairs. Chelsea was already up and preparing breakfast in the kitchen. Dan came up to her and kissed her gently on the lips as his hands went around her belly and her closer, her ass on his thighs as he stood behind her.
"Good morning," she said, reciprocating the kiss more passionately.
"What's for breakfast?" he asked, going over the kitchen counter and sitting on a high stool.
"I bought some milk and cookies, and there are fries too, with ice-cream for dessert." She spoke.
"That sounds lovely," he said. "Do remind me to stock up on groceries and fruits later on. The fridge is also empty, so we'll have to fill it up too."
She nodded. She then came up to the kitchen counter carrying a large tray. On it, were two glasses of milk, a bowl of cookies and fries. He walked up to the cupboard and took out a sachet of Dorman's coffee.
"Want some coffee with your milk?" he asked.
"I'm good with just milk." She spoke.
He emptied the sachet into his drink. Meanwhile, Chelsea was looking at the ring around her finger, playing around with it. A long awkward silence brew, until she finally spoke.
"The house is a bit silent; don't you think?"
He looked around. "Mmh, now that you mentioned it," he took a sip from his drink. "It is."
She stood downcast, while leaning on the counter next to Dan. "What's next for us, after we're married?"
"I haven't really given it much thought," he looked at her. "But I want to make you the happiest you've ever been."
"Well, I've always wanted kids." She said softly.
He raised an eyebrow. "Kids, you say? How many d'you want?"
"Two, a boy and a girl most preferably."
"We'll get there, no rush." He spoke.
"I know, I'm just anxious." She spoke.
He bit into a cookie and took a sip from his drink. "What shall we do till ten?"
She smiled slightly. "We could go out for some air, and you'll show me all your favourite places in Chicago."
"That sounds like a great idea." He spoke.
His phone rang in his pocket. "Excuse me, I have to take this." He said, walking some distance away.
"Ari tells me you're in town." Rose spoke from the other end.
"I have a feeling this isn't a business call." Dan said, laughing.
"Of course not, we'll talk business when we meet up at Ari's place later in the day."
"It's about the partnership." Dan said.
"I know, and I personally took interest in what your company has to offer us."
"And what's your feedback?" Dan asked anxiously.
"Like I said, we'll talk business when we meet up later. Spend some time off business Dan, take Chelsea around town, and for once don't be too serious."
"I'm planning on doing just that. I'll see you later then." He spoke.
"Have a good day," she said, hanging up.
He went back to Chelsea. "What was that about?" she asked.
"It was Rose. I thought she was calling about the partnership, but she wasn't."
Chelsea raised an eyebrow. Dan swept her off her feet, and pecked her on the lips. "Let's go out and have fun." He spoke.
"Where to first?" she asked, her arms going around his neck.
"Finish up your breakfast, while I work on something in my office for about half an hour."
'Work, of course.' She thought sadly.
"Okay, I'll be ready by then." She spoke.
*****
Rose put her phone back in her purse and walked towards the silver-coloured Chevrolet Camaro, where Chris was waiting for her in his bathrobe.
She shook her head. "You have some nerve," she said, slapping his chest playfully.
"You were working all night; I got bored and decided I should pick you up." He said, opening the door for her. "Let's go home."
"You don't have to tell me twice." She said, getting in.
He sat beside her and reversed from the parking space.
"What happened to my driver?" she asked.
"I asked him to take a day off." Chris said, taking a right turn at the junction.
She sighed deeply. She was spent; working all night to meet her deadlines.
Finally, they arrived at their place. It was a large beautiful mansion, about one floor high, and a level one basement. The gatekeeper opened the gate as he rolled majestically into the compound. They alighted and went into the house.
"Welcome back, ma'am." The maid greeted. "Breakfast is ready."
"Let me freshen up first," Rose said, going up the stairs. "I'll get down for a snack later."
*****
The world was still half asleep. Golden morning light spilled through the blinds, striping the floor with soft slashes of warmth. A faint breeze from an open window stirred the curtains. Somewhere down the street, a car honked lazily, and then faded away.
Mike stirred.
His head felt…slow. Not painful, but fuzzy, like his brain had taken an extra hour to boot up. He blinked against the brightness and sat up halfway-
He wasn't alone.
There was someone in his bed.
Her.
Lucille.
She was facing away from him, curled loosely beneath the sheets, her back bare where the blanket had slipped. One arm hung off the mattress, fingers twitching slightly as if dancing through dreams. Her dark hair fanned across the pillow like ink in water.
Mike froze, staring at her for a second that felt like an eternity.
Did we-?
His memory raced. Movies, games, wine, then stasis, then tension. That moment when she'd leaned close, when their shoulders brushed and neither of them pulled away.
But no kiss. No lines crossed.
He slowly pulled the blanket up to check – both of them still had their clothes on. He exhaled.
Not that he didn't want to, but something about the previous night…it wasn't about rushing.
"Are you going to keep staring or say good morning?" Luci mumbled, her voice low and sleepy.
Mike chuckled under his breath. "You're awake?"
"I've been up for five minutes." She rolled over slowly to face him, a sleepy smirk playing on her lips. Her eyes were soft, more open than last night – not hiding, not teasing, just real.
"You talk in your sleep." She added.
Mike narrowed his eyes. "What did I say?"
She stretched, the motion making her top ride up slightly.
"Something about 'subconscious sync and limbic resonance'. I figured it was either top secret software…or you were dreaming about alien sex."
He nodded playfully. "A little bit of both." He got out of bed. "C'mon, let's make breakfast."
She yawned. "Give me a sec, I'll join you in a few."
Mike let her have the room. She sighed and hit her forehead with the back of her palm.
Dummy. Would it kill you to cuddle me?
She pouted, and traced her fingers on her lips, and sat upright. She looked around the room, before following him to the kitchen.
Oh well, there's always a next time, right?
*****
The smell of sizzling eggs and butter filled the apartment, mixing with the rich scent of coffee. Luci was barefoot in the kitchen; her hair tied in a messy bun. Mike leaned against the counter, flipping a pancake with casual precision.
She grinned. "I thought you were just a genius tech guy, I didn't realize you could flip like a pro."
Mike shrugged. "MIT teaches you two things: how to optimize algorithms, and how not to burn breakfast."
"Useful," she said, stealing a piece of bacon from his plate.
They ate together on the kitchen island, joking in half whispers, the atmosphere still warm from the previous night. Afterward, Luci grabbed her phone and keys.
"I'm gonna dash," she said. "I need a shower, and I left my charger. But text me when you're free – we still have to hit the mall."
Mike nodded. "Got it. Groceries, maybe new socks, and definitely coffee beans."
Luci smirked. "And maybe a little something wild if the vibe is right."
"Define wild."
"You'll see." she said with a wink, then slipped out the door.
*****
Thirty minutes later – Starbucks…
Mike hadn't planned on going out that day, but when Alex called, half-panicked about being short-staffed, he couldn't say no. He threw on a clean black tee, slid into his Ducati jacket and zipped over.
He'd just finished wiping down the counter when the bell over the door jingled – and in walked Arianna.
No make-up, no glasses, dark jeans, sneakers. Her auburn hair was braided loosely down one shoulder. She looked…casual. Effortlessly so. But her posture screamed power – the kind of grace people couldn't fake.
Mike blinked, his brain catching up.
Arianna?
She scanned the café, and spotted him behind the counter, and headed straight over.
"You didn't reply to my text," she said, stopping in front of him.
Mike blinked. "Wait – text?"
She pulled out her phone. "I asked if you were free to meet up this morning. Thought we could keep our little chat going."
"How'd you know you'd find me here?" he asked.
"It's the only place I've ever seen you before. Besides, it was just by luck I happened to find you here."
"Oh," he smiled awkwardly. He rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly aware of how tired he must have looked.
"Rough night?" she asked, her head tilted.
He chuckled. "You could say that."
"You look like someone who's been somewhere far off."
For a second, he wondered if she somehow knew. If she could tell he'd linked into a prototype IWE last night with Luci and ventured into the untamed corners of a subconscious dream space.
But Ari's expression was neutral. Curious but unreadable.
"I see you're not in any position to talk right now. We can just do it later." She finally spoke, leaning forward toward him, her face stopping short of his face. "Don't fail me."
She then went away. Mike froze for a moment before continuing with his task. Alex came up to him.
"Be careful man. That girl gives 'storm warning' energy."
Mike said nothing, he just nodded slowly.
*****
Rose walked into the bathroom and took of her towel. She turned on the shower heater and waited by the sink, while brushing her teeth. She untied her hair which was tied to a bun at the back of her head, and took off her jewellery and then looked at the pendant hanging on her neck, which had been gifted to her by Chris on her 25th birthday. She stood in front of the mirror as sad memories flooded her mind.
'Not anymore.' She thought to herself as she wiped her tears. 'You can't hurt me any longer.'
She walked into the shower. Lukewarm drops of water fell on her body; down her face, to the cleavage between her breasts, to her flat belly, and to the V-shaped crease between her thighs, and finally down to her feet. She took some soap and a sponge and washed her hair while going down to the rest of her, slowly massaging her wet body. She turned off the water to soap herself some more, until she was covered in foam and bubbles like an ethereal being.
"You missed a spot." Chris said, standing at the door in his towel.
"Do you want to tinker with me for a bit?" she asked, with a mischievous smirk across her face.
"You don't expect me to decline now, do you?" he spoke, dropping his towel and walking up to her.
Steam curled into the air, blurring the glass and softening the light. Rose's laughter echoed faintly against the tile, cut short when Chris pulled her close under the steady rush of water.
The heat between them rivalled the warmth of the shower, the space shrinking until there was nowhere left to go but into each other's arms. Her hands found his shoulders, his touch grounding yet electric.
Water streamed over them, but neither seemed to notice. The world beyond that glass ceased to exist; there was only the sound of their breaths, the press of skin, and the unspoken promise in their eyes.
When the water finally ran cool, they were still there; leaning against each other, hearts racing, steam fading into the morning air.
They both got dressed up and stood against the railing on their balcony. Chris received a phone call, and went to answer it. He came back to her.
"I'm going over to Ari's place. D'you want to tag along?" she asked before he could speak.
"I'm sorry babe, but I'm needed at the hospital to perform a surgery." He spoke.
"You did get a leave, didn't you?" she asked.
"Something just came up. I'll make it up to you." He kissed her passionately and took his bag and keys. "I'll see you soon."
"Bye darling." She said sadly, walking him out of the room. "Keep in touch."
"I will." He said before he left.
*****
"Let's go to Starbucks, they serve really good coffee." Dan suggested as he drove on the highway in the Jeep.
"That's sounds great." Chelsea said.
He pulled up to Starbucks and parked in the parking space. He was in a baseball cap and glasses. They both walked into the café.
Mike came up to them. "Can I take your order please?"
"We would like…" Dan hesitated for a while before answering. "…some coffee please."
"What about you, miss?" Mike asked, writing down their orders in a notebook.
"I'll have what he's having." She spoke.
"Ok then. I'll have your orders ready in five minutes." He said, walking away.
"What was that about?" Chelsea asked.
"What was what?" he asked.
"You hesitated before placing you're order when you saw him." Chelsea noted.
"Oh, it's nothing to worry about."
Chelsea raised an eyebrow. "Dan."
"Ok, I think I've met him before, years ago." Dan spoke. "I can't be sure of it though."
"What do you mean?" Chelsea asked.
"It's nothing, don't worry about it."
She nodded slightly, as though she didn't believe him.
Mike came back with their orders. "Enjoy."
*****