Cowboy Baby Daddy

The rest of my work day is spent finishing up favors for Atkinson. For as much commotion as there was in Kidman’s office only a few hours ago, I leave the building without speaking to anyone.

When I get home, the apartment is empty.

Dane should be home by now, but that’s all right. Now I’ll have a chance to take a quick shower and change out of my work clothes before he gets back.

Once the water’s pouring over me, I’m finding it difficult to imagine getting out voluntarily. I clean myself, rinse myself, and then just enjoy the water.

I start to fantasize about Dane coming home, finding me in the shower. We have dinner reservations at l’Iris, pretty much the only place either of us believes we might have a chance avoiding a run-in with Wrigley, but I wouldn’t mind pretending that the shower is a waterfall and that the dim light over the sink is a sunrise.

Maybe it’s not my exact fantasy, but it is close enough for now.

I stay in the shower until the water starts to turn cold.

Maybe he came in and I just didn’t hear him.

I wrap one towel around my midsection, another around my hair, and wipe my feet on the rug before leaving the bathroom. It may not be an imagined waterfall at sunrise, but he can still unwrap me before we go to dinner.

I could live with that.

When he doesn’t come home before my exposed skin has air-dried, I start to get a little nervous.

He didn’t mention any plans today, and he assured me that he’d gotten out of work.

I walk back into the bathroom and finish drying myself before checking my phone.

I’m sure it’s nothing. I’m sure there’s a perfectly innocent and reasonable explanation, but he’s not answering his phone.

When the call goes to voicemail, I hang up and try it again, walking around the apartment as it rings, thinking maybe he simply forgot it. If it’s here, the ringer’s turned off.

Now I’m really starting to get worried.

Wrigley told me to keep my head down, that she didn’t want me to get involved. I knew it was a threat, but could she really have done something to him?

I’m just being silly and I know it, but still, there’s that heavy pull telling me that something’s very wrong.

Running out of places to look, I find the number for l’Iris and call it.

“l’Iris, please hold.”

I sit on the couch, but immediately get back up again. I don’t really care how long they have me on hold; I can’t relax until I know that Dane is all right.

A minute or two passes before the line goes active again.

“I apologize for the wait, we don’t have any open reservations for tonight, but we might be able to squeeze you in sometime—”

“Is Dane there?” I ask. “This is his roommate, Leila. He hasn’t been home, and I’m starting to get a little worried about him.”

“Dane?” the man with the obviously fake accent asks.

“Dane,” I repeat. “Dane Paulson.”

“Ah, monsieur Paulson,” the man says. “I will check. Please hold.”

I’ve really got to tell Dane to do something about fake accent man. It’s really annoying.

“Yes, it seems that Mr. Paulson has the night off tonight,” the man says. “I can leave a message here for him if you would like.”

“That won’t be necessary,” I tell him, and hang up.