Page 59 of Out of Office

“So, we go to the court on Friday. We’re gonna be together anyway after your convo with Ricard,” Adrián said as he scarfed down the greens, mac and cheese, and baked chicken I made for him while I tidied up around the kitchen. Our Saturday so far had been fantastic, sprinkled with some work I couldn’t leave for Monday.

“Yeah, yeah. That sounds like a plan,” I murmured, the clank of silverware against the sink masking my disappointment.

“Hey, what’s up? You sound sad? What happened?”

Drat the man for not letting me wallow in peace. I refused to say anything about the court plan. He’d been adamant about wanting to be equal partners, so planning a reception even if small wouldn’t be possible. Right now, I paid all the bills and he paid for groceries with whatever money he received from LasDell’s partnership. I couldn’t and wouldn’t burden him with my newfound princess white dress wedding dreams. It was silly. It was all just, silly.

“I shouldn’t have cooked so much, especially with tonight’s dinner cruise,” I answered instead, turning around and regaling him with the biggest smile I could muster. He studied my face and I sighed in relief when he finally looked back down to his food.

“Are you kidding? This is good, Preciosa. I promise I’ll pretend to like the food tonight half as much as your cooking,” he joked.

“You’re gonna be stuffed. Are you sure you want to go? I thought it would be better to stay home...chill.”

“Nah...if we stay home, you’re gonna work. You did that plenty last weekend. Besides, remember your dream?”

“I said exploring new surprising things, not hanging out on a sunset cruise with a bunch of octogenarians.” I folded my hands over my chest.

“No worries, I won’t tell the crew what you said about them,” Adrián deadpanned and stood up to clear the table.

“You got jokes.” He knew I wasn’t referring to my friends. Gino and his boyfriend had invited us to this dinner cruise, apparently a favorite activity to do for the two of them. As Anita was still in town after the GM conference, I invited her to come along. My mistake was extending the invitation as Anibal and Arjun were walking by, so now it had become a thing.

I just wanted to lie down and chill with Adrián. Let my hair down and let go of my worries about work, and our wedding, and his pending decision. I just wanted to relax. Maybe ask him to show me some of that slow loving he talked about. I wanted to show him some tricks I had searched for, the Google search becoming way steamier than I had bargained for.

Tonight, I planned to seduce him.

I couldn’t help myself; I could sense he was a bit more adventurous than me, and I wanted to explore. Surrender myself to the passion ever simmering between us, and for once take my time with him. No rushing. Sweet steamy sex until the morning found us tangled in our sheets.

“You want to stay?” he asked as we got ready together side by side, startling me out of my horny thoughts. I flushed, attempting to act put together while my plans for tonight teased me.

“No, I think it will be fun. And you’re right. If it was just me, I’d already be in my onesie eating ice cream and binge-watching streaming service reality TV.”

“I mean, if you’re wearing one of the onesies, I might be persuaded to stay.” He inched closer to me, his woodsy cologne lingering around him.

“Behave!”

“That’s not what you said last night when you were bouncing on top—”

I covered his mouth with my hand, and he kissed my palm, further eroding my resolve.

With a great deal of diligence mixed with teasing seduction, we managed to head out with enough time to feel comfortable and not rushed. Adrián and I cut a striking figure. Him wearing a white guayabera shirt and cream linen pants, which miraculously had no creases, and his gold chain that gave him that extra swagger I so loved about him. Me with my white jumpsuit with plunging cleavage and flowy pants that accentuated my curves. I couldn’t wait to get home and strip us of it all and enact my steps to seduce him.

The beach town just north of Fort Lauderdale boasted a mix of white art deco buildings interspersed with modern newer developments. People walked on the sidewalks, some still in their bathing suits, others dressed for some form of entertainment. The eternal vacation feel lingered here and I wistfully thought of Villa Bonita and the habitants of Aguimar. I wondered how things were in Adrián’s little town. With everything with his papers, I wasn’t certain when we would return together. Gratitude and sadness mingled, putting in perspective again everything that he had put on the line for me. Adrián smiled at me, and just like that, he transported me to the present with him. I could and would leave the worries aside for the night and enjoy our time together. He deserved that. I deserved that.

“My man!” Anibal boomed when we approached the deck area before embarking.

Adrián clapped Anibal on the back, then embraced Gino and Mark. Anibal and Gino looked like two burly bodyguards next to lean and shorter Mark. The cruise waited for us—a three-story extravaganza with windows everywhere. A group of five elderly Black women passed by, clearly having the time of their life.

“See.” I tugged at his sleeve, and he smirked.

“Don’t start,” Gino admonished me, and I threw up my hands in surrender.

Just before I turned to check my phone for Anita’s whereabouts, she descended from a hired ride, flawless in a yellow sundress, which contrasted beautifully with her dark skin and opulent curves. The muttered curse to my right, where Anibal stood, told me all I needed to know. Arjun descended right after her and Anibal cursed yet again.

“Wasn’t she engaged?” Adrián murmured in my ears, and I shivered at his touch.

“Why would you assume...” Adrián gave me a look and then stared at her finger. No ring. I sighed. “Things are not looking too good. Different views in life,” I whispered back.

Shit, I needed to connect with my girl. I hoped she was okay; her wanting to stay behind for a few extra days in Florida made more sense now. Her relationship woes bubbled up some of that discomfort I hadn’t been able to shake even when things were going so smoothly between Adrián and me.

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