Separate directions

Separate directions
Erik came home Thursday night. Catherine heard the front door shortly after ten. She was sitting on the sofa with her laptop open, reviewing the final Vandervoort implementation schedule while a television show played quietly in the background. She closed the laptop as he entered the room. Erik dropped his bag beside the chair and crossed the room. His arms went around her, and Catherine barely had time to breathe before his mouth found hers. The kiss wasn't the careful greeting she had expected after the way they had left things on Monday. It was immediate and hungry, carrying several days of missed calls, empty sides of the bed and conversations cut short by work.

Catherine's hands slid into his hair as she kissed him back. Erik pulled her closer.

"I missed you," he murmured against her mouth.

He kissed her again before she could answer.

Catherine smiled against his mouth, but the smile disappeared when his hand moved slowly along her back. Her body reacted before her thoughts could catch up, leaning into him as his lips moved to her jaw and then lower, finding the sensitive place beneath her ear he knew far too well.

"Erik."

"I've been thinking about doing this since London."

"Doing what?"

His mouth returned to hers.

"This."

She laughed softly.

"Very specific."

Catherine caught his tie and pulled him toward her again. This kiss was hers. Erik made a low sound in his throat as she loosened the knot of his tie. His hands settled at her waist, and within seconds the distance that had followed them through the past week seemed absurd.

Erik's fingers slipped beneath the hem of her shirt, warm against her skin. Her breath caught. His eyes lifted to hers.

"Bedroom?"

Catherine glanced toward the laptop still sitting open on the sofa.

"Definitely."

He smiled.

"Good answer."

She barely managed to close the laptop before Erik took it from her hands and set it on the table.

"Hey."

"You said definitely."

"I was saving my work."

"It'll survive."

"So will you if you wait ten seconds."

"I'm less certain about that."

Catherine laughed as he pulled her back against him.

"You're impossible."

"And you're still wearing too many clothes."

"That's because you only got home two minutes ago."

"Exactly."

She kissed him again. The laptop stayed closed. So did the bedroom door.

Much later, Catherine lay with her head against Erik's chest, his fingers moving lazily along her bare shoulder.

"I really did miss you," Erik said quietly.

Catherine lifted her head.

"I know."

"London was awful."

"Because of the negotiations?"

"Because every time I got back to the hotel, you weren't there."

Erik paused.

"I'm sorry."

"So am I."

"For what?"

"For expecting you to understand what I needed when I wasn't actually telling you."

"I could have asked."

"Yes."

A small smile touched his mouth.

"Are we both admitting we handled something badly?"

"Don't get used to it."

He laughed and pulled her closer.

"Do you need to finish that work?"

"No."

"Good."

"Why?"

His hand moved slowly down her back.

"Because I'm not done missing you yet."

Catherine smiled and reached for him.

By Friday morning, work had found them again. Catherine woke to the empty space beside her and reached across the bed before she was fully awake. Erik was already gone.

There was a message waiting on her phone.

Early meeting. Didn't want to wake you. Dinner tonight?

She smiled.

Yes. Definitely.

This time she intended to protect the evening. At Revenir, she told Natalie not to schedule anything after six. Thomas heard her and looked over from his desk.

"Should I document this historic event?"

"Try it and you're working this weekend."

"Understood."

Shortly before noon, Juliano arrived for the final lease review. The Vandervoort team joined remotely from Eindhoven, while Thomas and Catherine sat across from him in the conference room. The remaining issues took less than an hour. When Willem finally approved the agreement, Thomas leaned back.

"Please tell me we're done."

"We're done," Catherine said.

"For today?"

"With the lease."

"Good enough."

Willem laughed from the screen.

"I'll let you celebrate."

The call ended. Thomas immediately stood.

"I'm getting lunch before anyone discovers another building we need."

He left before Catherine could answer. Juliano remained seated.

"Do you always threaten your employees with weekend work?"

"Only Thomas."

"Effective?"

"Not remotely."

She gathered the papers in front of her.

"You're going back to Milan?"

"Tomorrow."

Catherine paused.

"I've been here longer than planned."

"Because we lost a warehouse."

"Among other things."

Something about his tone made her glance at him. He was watching her. Before she could ask what he meant, her phone rang. Erik.

Catherine answered.

"Please don't cancel dinner."

There was silence on the other end. Her smile disappeared.

"You're cancelling dinner."

"I need to go to Boston. Vince and I leave in an hour."

"What's in Boston?"

"One of the companies involved in the Singapore acquisition. Their board called an emergency meeting."

"Of course they did."

"Catherine."

"I know. Work."

The word came out sharper than she intended. Juliano looked away, giving her the illusion of privacy. Erik was silent.

"When will you be back?" she asked.

"Tomorrow. Possibly Sunday."

"Okay."

"That's all?"

Catherine stood and walked toward the windows.

"We already had this conversation."

"I'm not choosing this."

"I didn't say you were."

"But you're angry."

"I'm disappointed."

"Again."

The word stopped her.

"Yes, Erik. Again."

"I don't know what you want me to do."

"Neither do I."

"That's not fair."

Catherine lowered her voice.

"I have a conference room full of work, and you have a flight to catch. This isn't the time."

"When is?"

She didn't have an answer. Apparently neither did he.

"I have to go," Erik said eventually.

"Okay."

"I'll call you from Boston."

"Safe flight."

The call ended. Catherine remained facing the window. Behind her, Juliano's chair moved.

"I'll leave the signed documents with Thomas."

She turned.

"Juliano."

He stopped. For once, there was no question in his expression.

"I'm sorry you heard that."

"So am I."

Juliano left Revenir shortly afterward. He had heard only Catherine's side of the conversation. He knew better than to judge a relationship from fragments. Catherine had defended Erik every time Juliano came close to questioning him. But one missed dinner had become several. London had become Boston. But he knew his judgment was no longer objective.

Catherine went home at six anyway. The apartment was empty. She poured a glass of wine and left her laptop closed. Her phone lit up shortly after seven.

Board meeting starting. I'll call after.

Catherine simply answered.

Okay. Good luck.

She put the phone down.

She loved Erik. Nothing about the past weeks had changed that. Last night had made that abundantly clear. But less than twenty-four hours later, they were apart again.

Across Manhattan, Juliano was packing for Milan. His involvement was no longer necessary. Neither were the meetings, lunches or messages that had brought Catherine into his days.

Tomorrow he would leave. Erik would return. Everything would return to where it belonged. He should have found that reassuring. He didn't.