It’s Only Temporary by Iona Rose

Bianca

“You look beautiful,” I said to Jenna as she twirled in front of a mirror in her office. The matching necklace and bracelet looked gorgeous against her tanned skin.

I had delivered the custom pieces to her office as I often did with my clients. I’d hoped to show them to Connor before I delivered them but after his dinner with Samantha Price, he had gone to his apartment. I missed him and it sucked how much time he was spending with work related events.

It wasn’t going to be for long, I comforted myself. Everything would settle down and our lives would go back to normal.

“Jerry will love it, thank you so much,” Jenna said, pulling me back to the present.

“You’re welcome and I’m glad you like it,” I said. Seeing my clients pleased with the outcome of custom pieces was the favorite part of my work.

“I have an idea,” she said suddenly. “Why don’t I try on the two dresses I’ve zeroed in on as my wedding gowns? Will you stay and tell me which one looks the best?” she said.

“Of course,” I said without hesitation. Who would say no to seeing a soon to be bride modeling wedding gowns?

“Give me a sec,” she said and hurried out of the office.

I admired her office as I waited. Apart from her desk, she had a dedicated work space with a table in the corner, for working on her designs. My mind wandered to Connor. We’d exchanged texts earlier and I fished out my phone to read them again even though I could recall each from memory.

Connor: I miss you.

I’d of course responded that I missed him too.

Connor: Do we have a date tonight? I’ll cook.

Me: We’ll both cook.

Connor: Sounds great. What are you wearing?

After that, the texts had quickly gone down south in an unplanned sex phone session. I blushed as I read the subsequent messages.

“I know that look. That’s a woman in love,” Jenna said striding into her office with two dresses in plastic garment bags.

I laughed and quickly put my phone back into my bag.

“I hope you’re bringing him to the wedding as your plus one,” she said as she placed the garment bags on her desk.

I swore under my breath. I’d forgotten about the digital wedding invitation she had sent me. She turned to look at me and I plastered a big smile on my face.

“I will,” I said, even though I had no idea what Connor’s plans were for the weekend. I hoped he was free to go with me. I was down to one crutch and by the following weekend I’d be completely done with them. The thought of dancing the night away appealed to me and I couldn’t wait for the weekend.

Jenna was one of those women with killer bodies that felt zero self-consciousness changing in front of another woman. She stripped down to her bra and panties and I stood up to help her put on one of the wedding gowns.

I zipped her dress and arranged her necklace. She turned around and I whistled. She looked glowing in the sweetheart wedding gown with a plunging neckline. “You look perfect.”

After modeling it for a few minutes and discussing the merits and demerits of it, she took it off and put on the other one. It was gorgeous too but there was something special about the first one.

“It’s gorgeous too but for me the first one is totally you,” I said. “It shows off the necklace and the bracelet.”

“Then the first it is,” Jenna said. “Your turn to try them on. We’re just about the same size.”

I laughed. “I’m too old to play dress up.”

“That is one thing that you’re never too old to do. Help me take this off,” Jenna said.

I tried on the second wedding dress and Jenna helped me zip it up. I felt like a bride as I stared at my reflection. My heart pounded hard against my chest as I imagined myself as a bride, getting married to Connor. The vision of him standing in front of the church staring at me as I walk down the aisle, made me smile.

“It will happen,” Jenna said softly as if she could read my thoughts.

I laughed self-consciously. “At the right time.” The honest truth was that if Connor proposed to me, I’d have said yes, not caring that we had dated for three months.

He was a good man and we had something special between us. A perfect understanding and when we were together, sparks flew.

“One thing I know is where I’ll get my wedding gown when that time comes,” I said to Jenna. Her designs were gorgeous and there was something for everyone’s taste.

“And you’ll get a hefty discount,” she said as she helped me out of the gown. “Tell me about this guy that puts that dreamy look on your face. How did you meet?”

I laughed. Was I that obvious when it came to Connor? “Well, we don’t have an official day that we met. He was my customer at the cocktail bar where I worked part time but at the time, he had a girlfriend.”

I explained to her how it all began, including Connor’s invitation to attend his sister’s week-long wedding in Colorado. It dawned on me as I spoke how unusual our love had begun and seeing the shock then delight on Jenna’s face, amused me.

Connor and I would tell our children that story in the years to come. The thought popped into my mind automatically, as if having children was something we had discussed.

“That’s so cool,” Jenna said. “And so romantic.”

I smiled. I guess it was romantic.

The sound of a key in the lock alerted me to Connor’s arrival. I was in the kitchen checking if the drumsticks I’d marinated earlier in the day were ready to be popped into the oven.

“I’m in the kitchen,” I shouted and waited breathlessly for Connor to appear.

Instead of coming in, he stood in the doorway and smiled at me. “Hey beautiful.”

“Hi,” I said smiling so widely, I could feel the strain in my lips.

“This is the moment I look forward to from morning to evening and I want to savor it,” Connor said, making me laugh.

“You’re very charming Connor,” I said.

“Only for you,” he said and finally moved. He came to me and slipped his arms around my waist.

I rested my hands on his shoulders and looked up at him. I let his masculine scent wash over me and let out a deep sigh. Connor stared at me before he brought his mouth to mine and kissed me deeply. I threaded my fingers through his hair as soft moans escaped my mouth.

We finally broke the kiss.

“You are a walking temptation,” Connor said, running his massive hands over my hips and ass.

“Only for you,” I said, repeating the words he had echoed to me a few minutes ago.

Connor growled and nibbled on my neck. We fooled around for a few minutes and then drew apart.

“How was your day?” he said. “Did Jenna love the pieces?” He rolled up his sleeves as he spoke, washed his hands and started peeling the potatoes I’d put out for mashed potatoes.

“She loved them. She modeled her dresses for me,” I said. “Oh and her wedding is this Saturday. I completely forgot about it. If you’re not busy, will you be my plus one?”

Connor grinned. “I’ll be anything you want me to be. Besides, how can I say no when I took you all the way to Colorado for a weeklong wedding?”

I laughed. “There is that. I should capitalize on it more.”

“Asking you to go with me to Colorado was the smartest thing I ever did,” Connor said.

“You only asked me because you were plastered,” I pointed out.

“I asked you because you are the most beautiful woman I’d ever met,” he said.

My cheeks heated up. I was still not used to Connor’s compliments which fell easily from his lips. He made me feel beautiful and appreciated. He made me want to be a better person.

“Thank you,” I murmured. “How was your day?”

“Crazy. Marjorie is starting her own agency and she asked me to come on board with her.”

“Wow.” I searched Connor’s face but he was giving nothing away and it was impossible to tell what he thought about the offer.

The entrepreneur in me leaped with excitement. There was nothing like growing something from nothing and watching it grow and become its own entity. I wanted that for Connor but I managed to keep those thoughts to myself until he asked me.

“Yeah, that was my reaction too,” he said.

“What did you tell her?” I asked him.

He shrugged. “I told her I’d think about it. The thing is this. There are so many awesome things happening in the marketing world right now. Samantha has invited me for a two day conference in San Francisco next week beginning Wednesday.”

My heart lurched. The lunches and conferences with Samantha were beginning to get to me. I’d stooped low that morning by googling her name and seeing her had done nothing to curb my jealousy.

She was slim and beautiful. No one could tell that she was in her forties. She was a woman who obviously took great care of herself. Then there was also the fact that she was powerful and rich. A deadly combination. My suspicions that she had her sights set on Connor went up a notch.

“I’m not sure whether this is the time to start my own agency. Marjorie wants us to go fifty-fifty,” Connor said.

“She knows what she’s doing,” I said. “The chances of success with you on board are almost a hundred percent.”

He shot me an amusing look. “Thanks even though you might just be the slightest bit bias.”

“I’m not.”

He carried the potatoes to the sink to wash them. “It’s a big decision to make.”

Dismay filled me. Even though he hadn’t said it, I had a feeling he was going to say no. Something about Samantha put me on guard. I’d never felt a single ounce of jealousy when Connor had worked with Marjorie.

Samantha was too much. She monopolized Connor’s time, and now a two-day conference out of town? I was pissed off and I wished the woman would just disappear from our lives, the same way she had appeared.

“What do you think?” Connor asked me as he placed the potatoes on the stove to cook.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for you. I love entrepreneurship so my answer will always lean that way,” I said lightly not wanting to influence the decision he was going to make.

Because ultimately, it was about Connor, not me. Even though his boss made me squirm with jealousy, I wasn’t going to sway him one way just to get him away from her.

We moved the topics away from work and I told him about Eva and how sweetly rounded her belly was becoming. When dinner was ready, Connor set the island and I brought the food.

We spoke nonstop, never running out of something to say. It was the same way Eva and I never ran out of conversation.

“I spoke to my parents today,” Connor said. “They said a big hello to you. Of course my mom never stops telling me I told you so.”

“Meaning?” I said.

“She was sure that we were secretly attracted to each other,” Connor said.

I chuckled. “Hardly a secret.”

“One day, soon, I hope, we’ll take it to the next level,” he said solemnly.

My insides shook with anticipation, trepidation and another emotion I couldn’t define.