After work, I drove straight to the bar where River and I had met a few days ago. I was still wearing my tweed jacket and jeans from this morning, eager to give the impression that I was just making time for him after work. There was no intention of me preparing or dressing up for our meeting.The first thing I saw upon entering the bar was Gracie's eyes that immediately caught mine. Her smile and subtle nod gave me the impression that she knew I'd be coming here again."To be honest, I'd love to have a chat with you," Gracie said quickly as I was about to sit down on a barstool, "but Mr. Lynch told me not to keep you here anymore.""As a matter of fact, you didn't keep me the other day," I replied firmly, but in a smooth voice. "It was my own choice.""That's not important. Come on in. Mr. Lynch is waiting for you in the same place as before," she said. "Want me to take you?"I smiled and shook my head. "No need, Gracie—may I call you that?" She gave a small nod. "I can find my own w

The idea ended miserably... and very embarrassingly! I kicked the blanket in the air, then smothered my face with a pillow and screamed as loud as I could. What a fool! What a fool!The incident a few minutes ago flashed through my mind again. After taking a greedy swig of wine, I pulled the lower part of River's T-shirt collar, intending to bring his face close to mine so that I could tease him. However, due to my raging anger, the force of my hand was too strong. River, who was unprepared and already under the influence of alcohol, was caught off guard and slammed into me, causing me to fall off the high chair with my back and head touching the floor and my feet still caught on the chair legs. Luckily for River, he still had time to hold on to the table attached to the wall. His other hand hung in the air, trying to prevent me from falling, but he wasn't agile enough. For a split second, we glared at each other. It wasn't until later that pain shot through my back and culminated in

The digital clock on the table displayed the number 07:21. I observe my looks in the mirror from top to bottom. River's handpicked dress fits my body perfectly. A sleek silk weave shapes this elegant dress with adjustable spaghetti straps and a cowl neckline. The A-line maxi skirt with a thigh-high front slit showcases my legs, which are set in silver ankle-strap high heel sandals. My shoulder-length brown hair was slightly wavy, with a deep side parting. There was a knock on the door, and I invited him to come in. River's figure standing in front of the door is reflected in the mirror. We stare at each other for a few seconds. He was wearing a gray suit that somehow made him look so charming and classy. From inside the mirror, I could see that we looked good together with the clothes we were wearing. "Are you all set?" River asked, breaking our gaze. I exhaled and turned around, staring nervously at River's approaching steps. And when we were only two steps away, River took my righ

A week later ...."Finally got my work done." I let out a long sigh, stretching in the chair as I looked over at Emma's desk. She was still struggling with her computer, looking very focused and couldn't be bothered."Where are you going anyway?" Cody turned his chair to face me.This morning, when I finished the meeting, I asked Rory for permission to be able to leave first, with in exchange I had to finish my work quickly. And I finally did it. Two hours before normal dismissal time. Not too bad."I have an appointment to visit someone," I replied as I tidied up my things."Your family?" asked Lukas suddenly.I thought for a moment. Were they my family? "You could say that," I replied hesitantly.Lukas just nodded, and I assumed he had ended our brief conversation. My bag was tidy and I was ready to go. "I'm going home first. Happy Thanksgiving!""Happy Thanksgiving!" replied Emma, suddenly sounding excited."You too!" Cody and Lukas replied simultaneously. And a few other people.I

The next day, when I woke up, River was no longer in bed. I sat up and stretched while yawning widely. For about a minute, I stared blankly at the half-open window, quickly replaying yesterday's events from morning to night.The bathroom door opened, making me turn my head to the source of the sound. River came out of there with only a towel wrapped around his waist. His hair, which was usually neatly combed back, looked messy and wet this time. And sexy. Oh, my goodness!"Hi," I greeted, suddenly feeling silly. He rubbed his feet on the mat while looking at me with nonchalance. "Take a shower, then we will go downstairs together. I think Evan's here."I got out of bed when he had disappeared into the walk in closet. Before going to the bathroom, I poured half a glass of water from the pitcher on the table near the sofa and drank it all down.The smell of River's soap and shampoo greeted me as I entered the bathroom. The warm steam wrapped around me, feeling cozy and pleasant.A few