placed it in the dryer on a gentle dry cycle. Once the load was dry, she put the lingerie in her drawer, she put her ultra-sexy heels away in her closet, and she breathed a sigh of relief that everything was over and cleaned up. Before long, Jacob was home.
“Steph? Are you home?” Jacob called out as he walked through the front door.
“You're home!” Stephanie squealed, running to hug Jacob.
“What are you doing home so early? It's not even five yet.”
“I'm home to surprise you. I missed you and wanted to be waiting when you walked through the door.” The lie burned at Stephanie's soul, but she didn't know what else to say. She continued, “Guess what!”
“What?”
“The D.V.R. Is filled with shows, I got popcorn when I went food shopping last week, and the best part of all, we have nowhere to be tonight,” said Stephanie.
“Let me unpack, take a quick shower, and I'll meet you on the couch.”
“I'll get the blanket and popcorn ready,” Stephanie replied.
As they sat on the couch together, Stephanie curled into Jacob, and he held her tight. She knew with Jacob was where she belonged, but she struggled to keep her mind from drifting back to Derrick. Stephanie knew Jacob was who she was supposed to be with, and although her body and heart ached for Derrick, her mind knew Jacob was the right person for her.
Stephanie did her very best to forget Derrick, and she told herself she would simply chalk up her night with him as a fun life experience. However, some things are much easier said than done.
***
Nearly two weeks after leaving Derrick, Stephanie thumbed through the endless pile of documents related to the Hutchinson case. As she did so, she suddenly realized she had looked over more than a dozen pages without paying an ounce of attention to a single one. She was still trying so hard to forget Derrick, but she checked her phone, over and over again throughout the day, hoping he would text, but he hadn't.
Stephanie's assistant stuck her head in the office and told her, “You have a delivery!”
“For me?” asked Stephanie.
“Yes, and I think you're going to be very, very happy. I'll bring it in.”
Stephanie felt like she was on a roller coaster as her stomach dropped. She knew Jacob wouldn't surprise her with a delivery at work, so it only left one possibility. Stephanie rose from her seat to run to the door to see what her assistant was bringing in.
“Here you go!” her assistant exclaimed.
Stephanie saw a large box of three ring binders and asked, “What are these?”
“I ordered you three-ring binders so you can start organizing all your paperwork. I know the office always runs low on them, so I went ahead and ordered some for you.”
“Oh, thank you,” Stephanie said, but her tone and expression were anything but appreciative.
“Did I do something wrong?”
“No, no you didn't. It's just me. I was half expecting...it doesn't matter, I guess. I was expecting something from someone else. I really do appreciate you getting these. I'm sorry I reacted the way I did.”
Stephanie's assistant left the office, and Stephanie felt horrible about the way she reacted. She also felt horrible about the fact that she couldn't erase Derrick from her mind. Stephanie knew she needed a change of scenery, even if for just a few days.
“I have an idea,” she texted Jacob.
“What's up?” he asked.
“Do you have any free flights built up from work?”
“For me, I can fly any time there's space available, but for you, yeah I have free flights saved.”
“Let's go away this weekend. I'll take Friday off, so we can leave Thursday night and come back Sunday.”
“I have a flight on Sunday night, so we'd have to be back by afternoon. Where are you thinking?”
“Vegas,” Stephanie wrote. “I've always wanted to go.”
Jacob, raining on Stephanie's parade as she had expected, said, “Vegas? We don't have the money for Vegas. Let's go to Cape Cod or
“Steph? Are you home?” Jacob called out as he walked through the front door.
“You're home!” Stephanie squealed, running to hug Jacob.
“What are you doing home so early? It's not even five yet.”
“I'm home to surprise you. I missed you and wanted to be waiting when you walked through the door.” The lie burned at Stephanie's soul, but she didn't know what else to say. She continued, “Guess what!”
“What?”
“The D.V.R. Is filled with shows, I got popcorn when I went food shopping last week, and the best part of all, we have nowhere to be tonight,” said Stephanie.
“Let me unpack, take a quick shower, and I'll meet you on the couch.”
“I'll get the blanket and popcorn ready,” Stephanie replied.
As they sat on the couch together, Stephanie curled into Jacob, and he held her tight. She knew with Jacob was where she belonged, but she struggled to keep her mind from drifting back to Derrick. Stephanie knew Jacob was who she was supposed to be with, and although her body and heart ached for Derrick, her mind knew Jacob was the right person for her.
Stephanie did her very best to forget Derrick, and she told herself she would simply chalk up her night with him as a fun life experience. However, some things are much easier said than done.
***
Nearly two weeks after leaving Derrick, Stephanie thumbed through the endless pile of documents related to the Hutchinson case. As she did so, she suddenly realized she had looked over more than a dozen pages without paying an ounce of attention to a single one. She was still trying so hard to forget Derrick, but she checked her phone, over and over again throughout the day, hoping he would text, but he hadn't.
Stephanie's assistant stuck her head in the office and told her, “You have a delivery!”
“For me?” asked Stephanie.
“Yes, and I think you're going to be very, very happy. I'll bring it in.”
Stephanie felt like she was on a roller coaster as her stomach dropped. She knew Jacob wouldn't surprise her with a delivery at work, so it only left one possibility. Stephanie rose from her seat to run to the door to see what her assistant was bringing in.
“Here you go!” her assistant exclaimed.
Stephanie saw a large box of three ring binders and asked, “What are these?”
“I ordered you three-ring binders so you can start organizing all your paperwork. I know the office always runs low on them, so I went ahead and ordered some for you.”
“Oh, thank you,” Stephanie said, but her tone and expression were anything but appreciative.
“Did I do something wrong?”
“No, no you didn't. It's just me. I was half expecting...it doesn't matter, I guess. I was expecting something from someone else. I really do appreciate you getting these. I'm sorry I reacted the way I did.”
Stephanie's assistant left the office, and Stephanie felt horrible about the way she reacted. She also felt horrible about the fact that she couldn't erase Derrick from her mind. Stephanie knew she needed a change of scenery, even if for just a few days.
“I have an idea,” she texted Jacob.
“What's up?” he asked.
“Do you have any free flights built up from work?”
“For me, I can fly any time there's space available, but for you, yeah I have free flights saved.”
“Let's go away this weekend. I'll take Friday off, so we can leave Thursday night and come back Sunday.”
“I have a flight on Sunday night, so we'd have to be back by afternoon. Where are you thinking?”
“Vegas,” Stephanie wrote. “I've always wanted to go.”
Jacob, raining on Stephanie's parade as she had expected, said, “Vegas? We don't have the money for Vegas. Let's go to Cape Cod or
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