Page 30 of In Bed with the Enemy

"Amy?"

I froze. I knew that voice. I hadn't heard it in six months' time, but I still knew it. I slammed the phone onto the receiver immediately, my heart wincing as I did.

The phone rang again, and I squeezed my eyes shut.

"Hello?" I replied, answering before I even knew that my hand had moved.

"Don't hang up, Amy. Please," Ethan's voice said from the other side of the line. I stayed quiet, but didn't hang up the phone. "Are you there?" he asked.

"Yes," I replied, simply.

"I want to see you."

"Impossible," I said, hanging up the phone again.

My heart was pounding out of my chest.

He wanted to see me?

Why?

And did I want to see him?

Of course I did.

The phone rang again and I grabbed my coat and all but bolted out of my office.

I showed up for work thirty minutes late the next day, but no one really cared or paid attention to me these days. I hung my coat on the back of my chair, like always, and took a seat at my desk, ready for another boring day. I'd tried to put the fact that Ethan had called me yesterday firmly out of my mind.

I'd done it mostly through a bottle of red wine the night before.

I booted up my computer and turned to look at my phone, only to find fifteen missed calls, all from the same "Unavailable" number. When my email started up, I got a corresponding number of voicemails, as well.

"Amy, please answer."

"I've got something to tell you."

"I think you'll be interested."

"I really just want to talk to you."

"I'm sorry."

The last one was the one that got to me.

The phone rang and I sighed, thinking it might be Ethan. I turned to look at it, ready to reject the call, but it was my boss.

"Yeah?" I asked, answering the phone.

"Amy, I've got a property visit I need you to go on with me," he said.

"Why me?" I asked. I'd never been asked to go out to the properties before. The whole thing felt a little odd.

"Because, I'm going to need your expertise on the subject matter," Jeff explained. I shrugged. I guess that made sense.

"When is it?" I asked.

"This afternoon."

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