Page 15 of Forever Love-Reimagined

He pouted as he sat down. “Work stuff?”

I should have toyed with him a little longer since he was being a baby, but I had other things to do.

“No. Something weird happened last night, and I need to figure out how to handle it.”

“I love weird. Okay, go.” He propped his elbows on his knees with his face in his hands.

I blurted out the dream before I thought better of it.

When I finished, he was leaning covering his mouth in shock. “So, who was it? Was it Steph? I bet it wasn’t Steph.”

I didn’t like him knowing it wasn’t Steph before I even said it. I wondered if he thought that because of our conversation yesterday or if he didn’t think Steph and I belonged together, either. That would be something I would have to ask a different day.

“She probably wasn’t a real person. I mean, it was just a dream? But you’re right, it wasn’t Steph, that much I’m sure of. This person had light-brownish hair, and it was shorter. Nothing like Steph’s strawberry-blonde mane. But it doesn’t matter. It didn’t mean anything, right?” I wasn’t sure why I needed his two cents, but I did.

The longing for the person was so real, and it was as if I ached to be with them. The guilt of knowing I didn’t feel that way about Steph was gnawing at me.

He stroked his chin as if he were thinking, and I fought the urge to tell him just to say it. “I’ve heard about this before. They’re called something like ‘vivid dreams.’ And from the sounds of it, they are sparked by real events. So maybe it does mean something. Maybe you’re dreaming about someone you’re supposed to be with.”

His words did nothing to absolve me from my fears.

“That’s ridiculous. I haven’t even met anyone new to dream about. Unless this person was my sixty-year-old client in disguise.” I was confident there was no way this was Mrs. Harris.

“No one said it had to be a person you recognize. Maybe it’s someone your subconscious knows.” He was getting oddly philosophical, and I worked under logical reasoning.

“Nope. I think after our conversation yesterday, I was so in my head about my relationship, and after I had sex with Steph last night, my mind went a little off the rails.”

He scrunched his face as if disgusted. “For the record, I don’t need to hear how you bumped uglies. That’s something I’ll have to bleach from my brain.”

“That’s your own fault for picking that piece of information to focus on. But like I said, my mind was playing tricks on me, and now I’m feeling bad about it.”

“Whatever you think. You asked my opinion, and I told you, but you do you, boo boo.”

I swallowed my annoyance and pushed out a smile. Zen, Zen, Zen. “Thank you for listening, Ty. You’ve been a big help. Can you please pull the files I need for today?”

“Okay. I see how it is. I’m not wearing my friend hat anymore. It’s back to ‘yes, boss, I’ll get right on it, boss.’” He half curtsied, half bowed.

“You’re ridiculous.” I laughed at him as he walked out of my office.

Once he was gone, I reclined in my chair and picked up my stress ball, one of about twenty I’d gone through this year alone. As I was thinking about my day and what I needed to accomplish, my mind kept wandering back to last night.

The sex with Steph was pretty amazing and also a stress reliever, but I couldn’t stop thinking about that dream. That intense sensation… What was it? Desire? Surely not. I mean, if Steph didn’t float my boat, I had to be straight. She was gorgeous.

And this person in my dream, I had no clue what she looked like. It couldn’t mean anything… could it? No. This was stupid. Ty put these crazy thoughts in my head, and now I was questioning things that didn’t even matter. I needed to focus on work. Then, tonight, I would concentrate on Steph.

I turned on my computer and organized the documents for my clients today. Ty had scheduled two consultations that would take place later this afternoon. Right now, I would draft a prenup and power of attorney for review. Hopefully, it would be a pretty light day, and I’d get home at a decent hour because Steph and I could use some more quality time. I was afraid to think about what would happen if I?—

“Knock, knock,” Greg announced as he tapped on the door.

This was not what I needed today. I let out an exhale as I said, “Woosa” under my breath.

“Greg, please come in.” I motioned toward the wingback chair but hoped he didn’t take that as an invitation to stay awhile.

He walked in and sat down. Then he proceeded to pick up a picture of Steph that was on the small end table next to him. “So, I dropped by to see what your schedule was like today.” He gave me a forced smile as he put the photo back.

I wanted to tell him to stop checking out my girlfriend, but it didn’t matter. Let him be jealous.

“I have a couple of consults this afternoon. Did you need something?” Why did I open that door?

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