seen over the years had proven that. With a lump the size of a grapefruit in her throat, she voiced her decision hesitantly. “I think…it would be best if we left this weekend as just that; the weekend. This has been wonderful, Stephen, but I think it would be best if we went back to our previous relationship and let this just…go.”
While he knew he should be relieved, hell, thankful, that she was making this easy for him, Stephen wasn’t so sure that they could go back to the way that things were before. How was he supposed to work with her everyday knowing what she looked like in the throws of passion? How could he sit at his desk and watch her take dictation and not imagine what she was wearing under her clothes?
Could he possibly go back to asking her to handle making dinner arrangements for him and another woman without feeling guilty? On the flip side, how would he feel watching Holly date another man now that he was promising her that they’d cut back on their work schedule so that she could have a social life? Maybe a clean break would be the best decision for them both all the way around.
Glancing over at her as she stretched beside him made the decision for him; he’d rather see her every damn day and torture himself than not see her at all.
As Holly made her way home, she was shocked at the amount of damage left behind by this storm. Trees were down, parking lots were flooded. Luckily the route that she took home did not require too many detours and when she pulled up to her condo and pulled in to her driveway, she was relieved to be there. The weekend was over and it was time to get back to the real life.
The weekend had been a fantasy; a lovely escape from her ho-hum life. She could never regret it, but she had to put it behind her and regain her focus so that she could continue to work at Ballinger’s. Maybe Stephen was right and that opinion was merely Derek’s. After all, in three years, if people in the office had truly suspected anything, wouldn’t someone have said something by now? Holly was friendly and knew almost everyone that worked at Ballinger’s, surely if people were thinking that she was sleeping with Stephen, it would have come up in conversation by now.
Feeling confident at what lie ahead of her tomorrow, Holly climbed out of her car and with a grateful look around and seeing that she had no structural damage, she went inside to make her calls, do her laundry and return to the role of Holly Abbot, single-woman, personal assistant.
Her home seemed tiny after her time in Stephen’s massive home and the walls started to push in on her but she just reminded herself that this had been her home for years and that one weekend away should not have her feeling any differently towards her place. When her laundry was going, she placed her much-needed phone call to her parents to let them know that she was alright.
“Where have you been?” her mother cried at the sound of Holly’s voice. “Dad and I have been worried sick! We couldn’t get through to you and the news reports were showing the devastation around you and all we could think was that something had happened to you!”
Her mother always had had a flair for the dramatic. “Relax, mom. The phone lines were down all over the place and I was without power and my cell phone couldn’t be charged. I’m sorry that you worried so much but as you can hear, I’m fine.” She decided it would be best to leave out any details of being stranded at Stephen’s place for the weekend. That was so not a discussion she was ready to have. Besides that, her parents already had issues with Stephen because he worked her so hard that she hardly had time to come home for visits.
With a promise to call over the weekend and to think about coming home for a brief Thanksgiving visit, Holly hung up the phone an hour later. Once her mother got her on the phone sometimes, it was hard to get her
While he knew he should be relieved, hell, thankful, that she was making this easy for him, Stephen wasn’t so sure that they could go back to the way that things were before. How was he supposed to work with her everyday knowing what she looked like in the throws of passion? How could he sit at his desk and watch her take dictation and not imagine what she was wearing under her clothes?
Could he possibly go back to asking her to handle making dinner arrangements for him and another woman without feeling guilty? On the flip side, how would he feel watching Holly date another man now that he was promising her that they’d cut back on their work schedule so that she could have a social life? Maybe a clean break would be the best decision for them both all the way around.
Glancing over at her as she stretched beside him made the decision for him; he’d rather see her every damn day and torture himself than not see her at all.
As Holly made her way home, she was shocked at the amount of damage left behind by this storm. Trees were down, parking lots were flooded. Luckily the route that she took home did not require too many detours and when she pulled up to her condo and pulled in to her driveway, she was relieved to be there. The weekend was over and it was time to get back to the real life.
The weekend had been a fantasy; a lovely escape from her ho-hum life. She could never regret it, but she had to put it behind her and regain her focus so that she could continue to work at Ballinger’s. Maybe Stephen was right and that opinion was merely Derek’s. After all, in three years, if people in the office had truly suspected anything, wouldn’t someone have said something by now? Holly was friendly and knew almost everyone that worked at Ballinger’s, surely if people were thinking that she was sleeping with Stephen, it would have come up in conversation by now.
Feeling confident at what lie ahead of her tomorrow, Holly climbed out of her car and with a grateful look around and seeing that she had no structural damage, she went inside to make her calls, do her laundry and return to the role of Holly Abbot, single-woman, personal assistant.
Her home seemed tiny after her time in Stephen’s massive home and the walls started to push in on her but she just reminded herself that this had been her home for years and that one weekend away should not have her feeling any differently towards her place. When her laundry was going, she placed her much-needed phone call to her parents to let them know that she was alright.
“Where have you been?” her mother cried at the sound of Holly’s voice. “Dad and I have been worried sick! We couldn’t get through to you and the news reports were showing the devastation around you and all we could think was that something had happened to you!”
Her mother always had had a flair for the dramatic. “Relax, mom. The phone lines were down all over the place and I was without power and my cell phone couldn’t be charged. I’m sorry that you worried so much but as you can hear, I’m fine.” She decided it would be best to leave out any details of being stranded at Stephen’s place for the weekend. That was so not a discussion she was ready to have. Besides that, her parents already had issues with Stephen because he worked her so hard that she hardly had time to come home for visits.
With a promise to call over the weekend and to think about coming home for a brief Thanksgiving visit, Holly hung up the phone an hour later. Once her mother got her on the phone sometimes, it was hard to get her
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