Page 30 of Courageous Yearnings

No.

It was her picturing the mental image of him climbing into bed toward her where she was waiting for him. She could imagine the look on his face, him shrugging off his clothing in that instant, and the flare of wanton abandonment in her own soul was overwhelming as she stared at him, those feelings wrapping around her like a cocoon of yearning desires.

“But that’s just me,” he shrugged, looking away and leaning back from her. “Why don’t we finish our ice cream and put away the bags since it’s getting late. I know you’ve got to be tired, and tomorrow we can go look at furniture.”

“Couches.”

“Couches, beds, and other things…”

“Lance…”

“Fine, we’ll do this your way,” he said evasively – but that smirk she’d seen earlier in the day was still there.

She might have won this argument, but that war had already been fought. It was over before it began, and there was a clear victor already - somewhere, someway, somehow… and Blythe had a distinct feeling that she was standing firm all right – but not on the winning side she once imagined.

No, victory was looking much, much different.

9

BLYTHE

“Sooo? When’s my little Killer coming back?”

Blythe rolled her eyes as she answered her new cell phone the next afternoon. Instead of going to look at furniture, she had requested a few other minor things first. A cell phone because she needed a paycheck coming in – and really needed to call in and speak to her boss. Her PTO had to be used up by now, and she didn’t have anything else to fall back on. No, the house had cleared out her savings.

Thankfully, Lance didn’t argue with her.

But she didn’t expect her boss to track her down and hound her.

“You know we need our girl back in her office, right?” Jack was saying openly on the phone, and she caught Lance’s sharp glance as he looked at her from where he was sitting on his couch. Instead of saying a word, he got up and headed into the kitchen, giving her a moment of privacy.

“Hey Jack,” she began, feeling a wave of guilt for missing so many days and recognizing that no one else was really trained for her position – which was good! “I was actually going to come in tomorrow because I need the work.”

“You’ll be back tomorrow? That’s fantastic! I knew you had it in you and…”

“I might be hoarse or need a break,” she interrupted.

“Break, schmeak…” he blew her off. “I know my little Killer, and once you get going and step back into your old role – you’ll be just fine.”

“Jack, I was thinking that maybe I could work a half a day and see how I feel…”

“You’ll be just fine. Besides, it’s not taxing to sit at a desk all day. Just bring your release note from the hospital and sharpen that pen, my girl!”

“Jack, I…”

“See ya tomorrow, Blythe!”

And the twerp ended the phone call.

She stared at the phone for a moment, only to look up and see the ceramic mouse coffee cup in front of her. Lance was standing there, waiting politely. He’d made her a cup of coffee.

“So you are going back to work tomorrow?”

“I need to,” she admitted. “I need the money, and I can’t afford to have him replace me.”

“Your job is protected by FMLA, or it should be…”

“Dealerships work differently – and not on paper,” she began and saw his skeptical look. “My position will be protected, but that doesn’t mean that they won’t hire someone else or train them to replace me. It’s all about the bottom line. If they find someone else who can pull my numbers but costs less to employ, then I’m suddenly not needed.”

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