10 Years Later

Once I finished, I flipped on the light switch in my closet and stepped inside, closing the door behind me without a sound. I had a full-length mirror in there, and there was plenty of room for me to get dressed without having to go in and out multiple times. I didn’t want to keep waking Dalton up, but I did hate that with the door closed, I couldn’t steal glances at his body lying in my bed.

After pulling on my sandals, I exited the closet fully dressed and ready for the day, albeit a little tired and sore. Leaning down toward Dalton as he lay sleeping, I planted another kiss on his cheek. “I’ll see you later. Lock the door on your way out. There’s coffee in the kitchen.”

“Have a good day, babe. I’ll try not to eat all your food when I wake up,” he said groggily, teasing me. At least, I assumed he was teasing.

It should have felt uncomfortable, the idea of leaving him all alone in my condo, but it didn’t. Nothing about Dalton being in my personal space weirded me out in the slightest, and I had no qualms about leaving him there with all my things.

On the drive to work, I was dying to call Kristy and tell her all about my night, but she wouldn’t be awake yet and I’d never hear the end of it if I woke her up for this. I’d have to talk to her during normal hours, and I prayed I’d be able to wait that long.

• • •

My work day dragged by, partly because I was so tired I could barely keep my eyes open. There was also some part of me watching the clock with anticipation until I could go home, hoping that Dalton would still be asleep in my bed when I got there, although I knew he wasn’t. He’d sent me a text message earlier, telling me thanks for letting him sleep over and to not pay attention to any missing items. His comments made me laugh, but also alerted me to the fact that he had most likely gone to work.

I successfully avoided Tom and John’s on-air questions to me throughout the day, waving off their accusing looks and comments about my incessant yawning. Eventually the show moved on to other topics, thankfully not of the Cammie’s current love life variety. It helped that we gave away tickets this morning, for front row seats to a concert by the current hottest boy band, so that kept the guys distracted and me very busy.

Yawning as I waited for the elevator at the end of the day, the sound of Scott yelling my name stopped me. I turned to face my boss as he waved me forward.

“Heading out?”

I wondered if that was a trick question. “Yeah. I finished all my paperwork and entered all the winners’ information in the computers, as well as backed it up by hand, just in case. I checked with the sponsors for tomorrow’s show and they’re all set, sending products over in the morning for us. I called Solancey’s agent and manager to make sure she’ll be at the studio by seven thirty. They confirmed. All food and beverage is confirmed. Everything’s a go. Did I miss anything?”

“Nope. Everything sounds great.” He pushed the elevator call button before glancing around, and I suddenly wished we weren’t alone. “But you look like shit, Cammie. It’s obvious you didn’t get much sleep last night. Let’s not make it a habit.”

I tried to hide my shock and discomfort as he continued. “You’re doing a great job, but this kind of thing gets old real quick. And without sleep, you’re bound to start fucking up. Most people can’t handle these hours, but I think you can. Don’t blow it. No guy is worth losing your job for.”

The elevator arrived with a ding, and he held the door open for me as I stepped inside, unsure of what to say in response. How had one night with Dalton turned into my job being threatened at work?

As the doors started to close, I wedged my arm between them and they shot back open with a jerk. “I’ve never given you any reason to doubt my work ethic, Scott. And yes, I might be tired today, but your assumption that it has to do with a guy is completely uncalled for, not to mention inappropriate. How do you know I wasn’t sick? Or helping a friend? I don’t appreciate the veiled threats to my job when I’ve done absolutely nothing to warrant them.”

Scott said nothing, simply stood there as his eyes grew wide, and when the elevator started beeping loudly, I groaned and pulled out my arm. “If I start screwing up, then we can have this discussion, but not before then.” The doors shut with a bang, and I blew out a frustrated breath.

Shit. I hope I didn’t get fired for saying all of that. But sometimes you just have to stand up for yourself.

Saying Kristy’s name once I was inside my car, I waited as the phone finally connected and started to ring.

“I only have a second,” she answered instead of saying hello. “I’m swamped since we’re closing early today.”

“You go. I can talk to you later,” I offered.

“No, it’s okay. Just make it quick.” She breathed out, and I heard the sound of papers being shuffled and the slam of a stapler in the background.

“Uh . . .” Now that I had her on the phone, I didn’t know where to start. I called her because I wanted to tell her about Dalton, but now I was pissed about work.

“Cammie, seriously!”

“Dalton and I slept together last night,” I blurted.

“What? Like you had a sleepover, or you had sex and then slept?” she whisper-shouted into the phone.

“The last one,” I said before I looked around, as if the drivers in the cars next to me could hear my conversation.

“Shut up! At least one of us is getting laid. Tell me it was amazing, but tell me quick,” she demanded, and I knew she had to get off the phone.

“It was amazing. I’ll tell you all about it later. Call me after you get off work.”

“Call you? Screw that, I’m coming over.” She laughed before hanging up on me without saying good-bye.

When I walked through my front door, something was different. Light streamed through curtains I normally never opened in my bedroom. Walking in there to close them, I noticed that my bed had been made, something I also didn’t always do, and a single red rose lay on top of my pillow.