Not anymore, buddy.
She couldn’t help playing out a little fantasy, with her in the role of the kickass heroine. In her mind, it was a familiar scene, with him barging in somewhere he wasn’t wanted. Tim moves to attack her, and she strikes back, knocking him on his ass, yelling at him that she won’t take it anymore. The satisfaction she felt as she stood over his prone body bolstered her confidence. That was a fantasy. No matter how strong she got, physically and mentally, Tim was twice her size. She wasn’t going to be kicking his ass or knocking him out, but she did feel like she could stand up to him.
After a lap around the block, her heart pumping, she was ready to go home. She really wanted to get back into running. It had been a while and she didn’t want to risk an injury. As she walked, she committed to be back to running shape in two weeks.
“You can do this,” she said in a voice so low only she could hear.
She was starving now and looking forward to her healthy dinner. She waved to a neighbor before heading inside her apartment. Despite how strong she felt and how much better life in generally was going, in the back of her mind, Tim was always looming. It would be a long time before she felt completely safe.
She opened the coat closet before heading to the bathroom, and checked behind the curtain before looking in her bedroom closet and under the bed. Then it was going about the usual routine, looking for anything that had been moved.
“He’s not here. You’re safe,” she told herself, needing the verbal affirmation.
Taking a deep breath, she walked back to the kitchen and began cutting and grilling her chicken. She poured herself a glass of wine and turned on her Bluetooth speaker to play music from her phone. It felt good to be alive. It was the first time in a long while that she truly felt happy to be who she was.
Ben was a huge part of that. He had given her a huge dose of confidence. She sat down by herself at her table and relaxed while she enjoyed the salad. It was nice to be alone and not feel lonely. With her belly full, she headed for the shower.
She giggled when she realized she was belting out the lyrics to a Carrie Underwood song without even realizing it. She hadn’t sung in the shower for at least five years. Actually, it was her honeymoon. That was the last time she sung in the shower.
After finishing her shower and dressing in a pair of warm sweats and another t-shirt, she headed for her little sofa with the bottle of wine and sat down, waiting for the call that she knew would soon come. When her phone rang, she looked at the image of Ben’s face smiling up at her.
“Hi,” she smiled, as she answered the call, already knowing what would come out of his mouth next.
“Hi sweetheart,” he said, in that smooth voice that made her feel warm all over.
She leaned back and settled in for their nightly visit.
Chapter Seventeen
Ben
BEN LEANED BACK IN the chair, his hands folded behind his head as he looked up at the ceiling, stretching his neck after staring at the computer screen for too long. He thought about calling Katherine, just to hear her voice. He missed seeing her. They had been keeping up over the phone, but it wasn’t the same. He wanted to see her, to touch her. Hell, he wanted to do a lot more than touch her.
He rubbed his eyes and sat forward. He had a meeting in a few minutes and needed to refocus. He strolled out of the office, nodding at Rachel who was busy on the phone. He took his seat at the head of the conference table, opening the folder in front of him and quickly reviewing some of the comments and feedback about the latest product launch.
The meeting got started and he found his thoughts drifting to Katherine. The feedback was positive, and it looked like the company had another great kickoff. As soon as it was over, he practically jumped out of his chair and headed for his office.
Rachel was on the phone with what he assumed was a new call. She rolled her eyes and made a Pac-Man motion with her hand. He chuckled and shrugged his shoulders, not offering any help. He took his seat behind his desk and clicked on his email. After reading and responding to the most pressing emails, and forwarding others to Rachel to answer, he signed off.
He’d been tossing around an idea for the last hour and finally decided to make the call.
“Hey, sweetheart,” he said, when Katherine answered her phone.
He could hear the busy bakery in the background, the familiar sound of the whirring machines and the low hum of voices telling him she was busy.
“Hi,” she said, excitement in her voice.
“Do you have plans for later?”
“I do not, as it turns out,” she said, in a flirty voice.
“Good. I’m picking you up at seven for dinner.”
She laughed. “Oh, you are, are you?”
“I am. Dress casual.”
Laughing, she replied. “Ben, I wear jeans and a t-shirt every day. If I get any more casual, I’ll be in my pajamas.”