Playing Pretend by Cassie-Ann L. Miller

Fifty

Liam

I'm stabbingbuttons on the coffee machine, trying to remember how the heck this thing works.

After a long, sleepless night, I'm desperate for caffeine but all I get is frothy brown splatter all over my white shirt.

Great—even the fucking coffee machine knows I'm an asshole today.

My employees certainly loathe me. They haven't been shy about it, with their deep scowls and reluctant eye contact as I've walked down the halls. The whole community center demolition thing is really rubbing people the wrong way.

I don't really give a fuck about their opinions, though. There's one person I care about. And she isn't accepting my calls.

Eliza didn't come home to me last night. Although I'd been hoping she'd get over her pissy mood by now, I can't say I'm surprised she hasn't.

She can't avoid me forever, though. She has to come in to work eventually—but today she’s late. Two hours late—and everything feels wrong.

The woman is constantly on my radar. At some point—I’m still trying to pin down when exactly—my body became hardwired to hers, ensuring that I’m well-aware of her presence no matter where we are. Some may call that shit romantic. But put me in the office, standing up in front of the board and trying to hide a hard-on because my assistant crossed her legs a little too slowly. Just thinking about it now makes my neck tingle.

At the sound of stilettos briskly approaching the break room, my head snaps toward the door, optimistic as fuck, that it’s my wife.

But when I turn around, I witness Desiree clutch her empty mug to her chest and pivot quickly, attempting a quick exit from the room.

"Really?" I say, annoyed. "You're avoiding me, too?"

Reluctantly, she faces me with a cranky "Morning."

Dammit. This isn't what I want to deal with at the moment. but Desiree isn't just an employee. She's a friend. I want to make it right between us.

"Look, I know you're pissed about my decision regarding the community center—”

She cuts me off with a lifted palm. "You said it yourself, Liam. It's your company. You can do whatever you want to do. I'm just here to carry out orders."

Her jaw ticks.

Her mouth says, “Have a good day."

Her eyes say, Eat shit and die.

On that, she turns and marches away, empty coffee mug in hand.

That's not good. The woman needs her coffee. She can. rarely make it five minutes without yawning as it is.

But Desiree's caffeine levels are the least of my problems because when I head back to my office, I discover that Eliza still hasn't showed up at work.

That's not like her. My bride has never been one to shy away from a fight. Being pissed at me, I know she'd get a thrill from being all in my face, telling me exactly why she's mad at me.

I'm uneasy. Where the hell is she?

I'm not going to sit around in my office, waiting for her to come to me. I need to go find her so we can hash this out once and for all.

I breeze out of the office, unbothered by the fiery glares on me. I drive like a demon to Eliza's side of town. When I get to her hole-in-the ground apartment, I don't even have to knock.

Because the door is unlocked.

With my shoulder, I push the door open. The place is a mess. Empty clothing hangers on the floor. Shoes on the kitchen counter. The fridge door ajar.

It's clear that Eliza's gone. And she left here in a rush.

My suspicions are confirmed when I find a hastily scribbled note taped to the fridge door.

Mr. Gordon, Granny Bellino,

I'm sorry for my abrupt departure. I would have loved to say goodbye but I had to leave quickly.

Thank you for always being kind to me. I'll keep you in my thoughts.

Love, Eliza

"What the hell...?!" Panic surges so fast in me, it

leaves me dizzy. I have to lean on the counter to keep my balance.

She didn't...She didn't just up and leave without a word to me.

I don't know what to do, what to think, where to start. So I slide my hand in my pocket and reach for my phone. My throat feels tight and my hand shakes as I wait for the call to connect.

"Frank Lawman," a familiar voice booms into the phone.

"Frank, it's Liam." I force myself to take a breath. "My wife is missing and you need to find her. Now."