Chapter 106

Tessa glanced at the alarm clock, watching the digits head from five into six o’clock before her gaze returned to the ceiling of her bedroom.  It was night three that she’d found herself alone.  Work had been crazy enough to keep her busy during the daytime hours, but the nights were getting long without him.

Jon had Dad duties with the kids until they returned to school and that counted her out of the mix.  She tried to be understanding about that.  It was going to take some time to blend their realities into his reality, but damn it smarted a little that she wasn’t even allowed around them. 

She knew he needed time with them. In fact, she’d been hogging his time most nights for the last few weeks.  She should get used to the fact that his time was limited and his life was going to take him from her, more often than not.  But the sleeping thing was starting to grate.  She was getting used to sleeping curled into his arms. Her bed felt huge and lonely without him.  She’d never been the type to sleep with a man.  She liked her space and her independence, but everything seemed to have new rules with Jon in her life.

Sick of counting the shadows that danced along her ceiling she flipped back her blankets and shut the alarm off just before it buzzed under her hand.  She lingered through her morning routine, taking the time to do her hair and make up, hoping it would make her feel better. 

She even took more time with her clothes and jewelry, hoping to kill some time before she headed into the store.  Hell, her office was definitely being rewarded with her restless nights.  It was so organized she couldn’t find things.  That’s when she knew a room had been thoroughly cleaned.  She’d even managed to read a few of the ARC’s she’d been putting off.  She’d had time to start a few special projects for the store and to spend time with Adam and Nic, but when she got home it was Jon she wanted.

Shaking her head as she zipped up her boot she blew out a disgusted breath.  She was becoming one of those women she hated.  One of those women that lived for her man and didn’t know what to do with herself when she was alone.  “How the hell did that happen?” she asked herself.

She stopped by the kitchen and grabbed a granola bar and filled her coffee mug before heading out, her mood darkening like the sun that wasn’t even up yet. And here she was heading to Chapters even though she didn’t need to go in this early. But if she stared at her walls for another minute she was going to do something crazy like call him.  At friggin’ six thirty in the morning,

Even just to hear his voice on his voicemail. How pathetic was that? It wasn’t like he didn’t call her.  He’d made sure to touch base with her every day, even if it was just a moment between child shouts and his ever ringing phone. 

Dumping her bag into the car, she slid in and gave a quick start when her hip started buzzing.  Who the heck? She unsnapped it from its clip and felt the warmth that had been missing from her flood.  “Hey you.”

“Hey there yourself, I was just calling to leave a message.  What are you doing up so early?”

“I don’t have my extra pillow.”

“Hey now, I know I’ve been slacking on the abs but you don’t have to call me a pillow do you?”

She laughed as she knew she was supposed to.  “I miss you like crazy, foolish man.”

“Now that’s more like it. Tell me more…spout words of love and devotion and that you can make all my Soul Foundation troubles go away.”

“You are my reason for living, and fire the lead of the project and promote man number two, he or she is usually doing all the work.”

“I love when you talk dirty and talk executive to me in the same sentence. It gives me all the, uh…warm fuzzies I can handle.”

Grinning because there had to be midget ears in the room she couldn’t help herself.  “Really? Warm fuzzies?  And here, I thought that the nice trim I did last night would be enjoyed. I’m all smooth from my lonely bath.  Didn’t have anything else to do or anyone else to play with but myself.”

He choked on his the slurp of coffee he’d just made and she laughed.  “Are you trying to kill me?”

“No, I would never do such a thing.  I was just informing you that warm fuzzies were not on the menu.  Just helping you out, that’s all.”

Groaning first, it slid into a sigh.  “That just makes this call even harder.”

“Or is that you?”

“Believe me babe, when I say…both. Shi-“ he cut himself off. “Hey Romeo why don’t you go get your bag for pre-school, huh?” He cleared his throat. “When I get home to you I’m going to find every inch of that smooth skin and show you how much I missed it and you.  But that’s not going to be for a bit longer.”

She could hear the wince in his voice and she swallowed down the disappointment.  The clue to the Soul Foundation certainly should have raised a red flag.  “Gotta go into Philly huh?”  She tried to keep her voice light and teasing.  “My busy boyfriend,” she said with mock wistfulness.

“Why don’t you come into town with me?’

She could hear the offer was supposed to be sincere, maybe he even wanted it to be, but she knew he’d be too busy schmoozing and working to need to worry about her.  “It’s okay, you’ll be busy and I have to-“ concentrate on getting through another night without you, “get ready for inventory.” In April.

He sighed, “I’ll try to wrap things up and get home by Friday.”

“Friday?” she said and immediately laughed to cover up her own selfishness. Dammit, she just had to get used to this.  Suck it up you silly shit.  “Well, I guess I’ll have to make sure there’s a nice dinner planned that night,” she said with what she hoped was a purr.

A crash and a scream cut off anything else he’d meant to say. “Dammit, babe, I gotta go make sure there are all the fingers and toes that are supposed to be in the next room.”  He laughed.  “Love you,” he said absently and was gone before she could reply.

Unclipping the phone from her skirt she flipped it and her cell into the bottom of her purse.  Obviously she wasn’t going to need that today. 

~

Twelve hours later she was wondering why she thought that opening her own bookstore was a good idea.  Did she really want to work with the public twenty-four seven, three hundred fifty eight days a year? She tried her most winning smile on the customer in front of her.  “Ma’am I would love to take the book back, but I don’t sell it. It’s a textbook.”

“I special ordered it,” the woman stated emphatically.

“Perhaps you ordered it from one of the major chain stores?” She flipped open the cover again and groaned when it said, Copyright 2003 on the title page.  “I’m sorry if you don’t have a receipt there’s nothing I can do.”

“You have the worst sense of customer service I’ve ever heard of!” she said as loud as humanly possible. 

“Have a nice day, Ma’am.”  The woman stalked off and Tessa gave a tight smile to the next customer in line.  She’d given Nichole the night off to enjoy her husband’s last night off before the new college semester started back up.  At least someone should enjoy the evening, she thought darkly. 

“Hey, Tessa, you can start the closing stuff if you want, I can handle the front.” 

Smiling gratefully at her backup head cashier she finished the sale and locked her terminal.  “Thanks, Suze, just buzz if you need me.”  She escaped to the back office and started running her evening reports, dropping into her chair for a second before she needed to work the pile of reshelving she had to do before closing. 

She heard a small beep from her purse and leaned down to find her forgotten cell phone lit up at the bottom.  She pulled it out and flipped it open, surprised to see seven text messages.  She opened the first one and couldn’t stop the laugh. 

[9:23am] *stuck in traffic and was seriously thinking that it would be far more exciting if we were necking*

[10:18am] *waiting for meeting number two to start…wish they had your on-time work ethic. Thinking about your lips still.*

[12:42pm] *I’m hoping you’re not mad, just busy.  Still missing your lips.*

[1:39pm] *Soo…about those lips.  I don’t think I managed to concentrate on a single thing we talked about in a marketing meeting.*

[5:21pm] *Had a salad for dinner.  Am I boring you yet? Good, because that’s how excruciating my day was.  I’m definitely snacking on your lips when I get home tomorrow.*

[7:01pm] *I think I’m going to need to call you from the hotel.  I haven’t touched you in four days and my dick is in withdrawal. Your lips are still on my mind.  And no, not in regards to my dick.  Maybe. LOL*

[7:03pm] *Am I going to have to resort to dirty voicemails? Are you ever going to reply to me? When I see you, I’m going to make out with you for an entire hour, then start taking off your clothes.  I miss you.*

She glanced at her watch, it was quarter after seven.  She flipped open her phone and swore when it took three tries to just type in a word.  “How the hell did he text so fast?” she muttered as she painstakingly spelled out each word.  And somehow she pictured him under the desk, fingers flying over the keys as a corporate dynamo gave his speech, trying to impress Jon.

*I miss you too.  Phone sex at 9pm sharp, if you can handle it stud.* 

And she shut the phone and returned to its clip at her waist and headed to the floor with a sprint in her step and a tune humming through her system.  A moment later her hip buzzed.  She looked around to make sure no one would catch her and flipped it open.

[7:17pm] *I’m probably going to have to ‘handle’ it. ;)  Get your candles out sexy, you’re mine in less than two hours.*

She flew through her evening closing rituals and had the door locked by eight and in her house by twenty after.  Treating the night as if it were a date she flew up the stairs and stripped for a shower.  Deciding that ambiance was what she needed, she took his advice and lit a few candles with a little light jazz playing as she settled herself in the overstuffed chair that sat in the corner of her bedroom. 

And when the phone rang at a minute before nine she breathed both a sigh of relief and let her smile show when she answered.  “Hi.”

“I’m beginning to forget what you look like.”

“I know how you feel,” she said and curled her legs under herself.  “I loved the texts, by the way.”

“I thought you were mad at me.”

“How could I be mad?” She asked and rose to stretch out on her bed.  “I honestly just didn’t have my phone on me all day.  I didn’t know that my guy was going to dirty text me all day.”

“That wasn’t dirty texting, baby.  I’ll show you that tomorrow.”

She couldn’t help the flush that the words caused as she rolled onto her back, stuffing a pillow under her head.  “Well, whatever they were, they made my day.”  It had been beyond shitty, but she didn’t think he’d want to hear about it. 

“Well then you’re far too easy, and I like that about the women I’m sleeping with.”

Her grin spread, “The women, huh?”

“Oh yeah, you know I’m dangling at least four or five.”

Because his voice was so playful and sarcastic at the same time she settled into her bed, completely at ease for the first time all day.  “I was told I only had three personalities.  So, who are four and five?”

“Well four, gives a constant deep tissue massage without complaint and the fifth one is at home, naked waiting for her man.”

“Hmm…I’m half naked, is that good enough?”

His voice practically purred in her ear leaving that delicious flush again.  “Just how naked?”

She tucked an arm behind her head letting his white dress shirt ride high on her thighs.  She looked at the mirror across from her bed and sat up.  Feeling delicious and just a little naughty, she mussed up her hair, unbuttoned a few of the tiny buttons and lifted her cell.  The cell took great shots.

With a few deft clicks she saved and sent the pic.

“Babe?”

“Hmm?”

“You’re killing me, just how naked?”

“You have mail.”

“Is that you beeping in my ear?”

“Hmm…I don’t know, could be.”  She laughed when the phone was obviously pulled away and he was flicking through functions then a quick and muffled curse was his instant response.

“I think I just found my new wallpaper for the phone,” he said with a low voice. 

“Is that right?”

“Damn, I’m bringing all my shirts to your house.”

“Well don’t you say the sweetest things?”

“How many buttons are left?”

“Three,” she said and laughed when he groaned.  “Whoops, make that two.”

“Awww hell,” he whispered.  “Can you take another picture?” 

And she laughed.