Stray by Erin Lark

meaning to ask. What does Dylan actually do?” I paused when Marnie looked up at me, her cheeks colouring the slightest bit. “What I mean to say is, I don’t know of many jobs that would send their employees out of state, much less out of the country for two weeks. What’s he in England for?”
    “Oh.” Marnie let out a breath as her colour returned to normal. “He goes every year. He’s actually stuck behind a desk most of the time, filing paperwork for large corporations. He’s over there now to help with a merger of some kind. I’m not sure what it is, but it’s had him in knots for the last month or so.”
    “Submissive at work, huh? Well, that sucks. I was hoping he was the president of some law firm or something.”
    “You’d think that. He certainly would fit the role. Unfortunately, the job he has is the best one he could find at the time, and with the way the economy is, it just isn’t smart to go hunting for a new one right now.”
    I nodded and nursed my tea, leaning my head back to rest it on the couch. The house sounded way too quiet without Dylan around. There were no heavy footsteps. No coughing or clearing of his throat. As large as the house felt without him there, it was no wonder Marnie had wanted me to move in when I had.
    “You should probably get some sleep,” Marnie began, standing away from the couch. “We can talk more in the morning.”
    I glanced around the room. “What time is it, anyway?”
    Marnie shrugged. “Eleven? Eleven-thirty?”
    I stared down at my mug, to find it was completely drained. “Gone already?”
    “Don’t you hate it when that happens?”
    I smiled and handed the mug to Marnie when she asked for it. “Tell me about it. It’s even worse when you’re eating a good sandwich and think you still have the other half lying around somewhere.” I padded over to my things and started to pick through the boxes.
    “Don’t worry about that tonight. You can use one of my gowns.” Marnie called over her shoulder, leaving the mug on the coffee table before heading up the steps.
    I followed close behind her. “Where am I staying?”
    “At the end of the hall. My door’s on the right, and yours is on the left. You should have everything you need in there.”
    I nodded and opened the door, pausing to flick on the switch. Light filled the room from a fan hanging overhead. The room itself was almost as big as Dylan’s, and with just as many furnishings. Aside from what I could only guess was a walk-in closet, there was a dresser and a queen-sized bed with a table at either side of it, framed by windows pointing towards the side of the house.
    “Like it?” Marnie asked from behind me.
    “It’s…” I glanced back at her. “I can’t possibly accept so much space. I swear it’s almost as big as my entire apartment. Well, so long as you don’t include the hallway for a kitchen and shower.”
    “There’s more than enough space to go around. My room’s the same size, so you don’t have to worry about anything like that.” She placed a hand on my shoulder and smiled. “I’m going to make sure the doors are locked and clean up downstairs. I should be up in a bit.” She turned to go, pausing when she reached the stairs. “Call me if you need anything. Oh, and the gown is on the dresser.”
    I went to speak, but by the time I could form words, Marnie was gone.
     
    * * * *
     
    It was way too early for me to be awake. Blinking at the darkness in my new room, I tensed when I realised someone was lying beside me. Their breathing was slow, which meant they were asleep. But how long had they been there?
    Rolling over to face my visitor, I could only make out the outline of the comforter. It could’ve been Marnie, but if it was, why hadn’t she woken me up? Biting my lip, I considered calling for her across the hall but thought better of it when the smell of cigarette smoke and a few too many beers reached my nose.
    “Dylan?” I whispered, shaking him awake.