TIFFIN 3

8

When I woke in the morning, things felt different.

Was there something in the wind or was it the smell of the house?

No. It had to be the love my husband displayed the night before.

Who cared if he didn't want sex?

I was going to tease him to the point of no return. 

I flipped over to shake him awake only to see his side of the bed empty. Wow. It usually took a village to get him out of bed.

As I surveyed our bedroom, I noticed the door ajar, no trace of Evelyn bursting through. 

"Evelyn?" I called. "Evelyn!"

When I got no reply, I rushed into my silk robe, heading out into the kitchen.

Everything seemed normal.

The cooks and maids were busy at work, waving at me when I entered. To top it all off, Hero was sat at the island, gathering me in his arms. 

"Where's Evelyn?" I asked. "She's usually like an overbearing-"

Hero grabbed me by the shoulder, steadying me. 

"She's held at the office. I requested a day off."

I grinned, a million thoughts wandering through my mind. 

"Oh, my- Hero! Are we finally going on our honeymoon?"

He smirked. 

"Something like that. I'm going to need you to get ready. Dress warmly. We'll need to stop by the office momentarily then we'll head out."

I did as I was told, dressing in a fancy turtleneck dress, complete with my high-heeled black boots.

When I sat back down at the kitchen island, I was served Salmon and rice. 

What? 

"Salmon for breakfast?" I demanded incredulously. 

The cook nodded nervously, as if afraid I would throw a tantrum. 

"Yes, ma'am. You and Mr. Tiffin did wake a little late-"

I turned to look at my husband. 

"What time is it?" 

"Twelve, ma'am." The cook immediately answered. "On the dot."

I snorted, making her nerves ease. 

"Wow. I suppose we did need that sleep." 

Hero fell silent as we both dug into our food. Not too long after, we headed to the enterprise in his Ford Capri.

I admired what he wore; a tight white shirt and black jeans. I'd almost forgotten how hot he looked in his old clothes.

All his tattooes and muscles were on display. 

I watched as the whites on his knuckles became apparent as he yanked on the steering wheel. He must have been nervous as well.

Oh, I was so excited. 

When we arrived, the office was in complete disarray. Everyone scrambled like wild mice with their heads cut off.

Amidst it all, our partners sent us worrying glances (Some of them full of hatred) as they ordered the employees around. I was glad to see Evelyn working too, though she wasn't as collected. 

"Evelyn!" I called without much thought. 

She spared a quick look, greeted me, then made her way back into my private office. 

Hero didn't say much either as he followed our partners back downstairs.

I remained silent, watching as all the chaos broke out.

Sure, things had been hectic when we first took over the business but were they all really so lost without us?

Perhaps going on vacation wasn't such a good idea.

Before long, Evelyn found the time to set me in a chair and fix me some hot tea. I felt guilty, sitting around and doing nothing but it was my day off after all. 

As I sipped and observed, I had a few employees run up to me. 

"Mrs. Tiffin," A middle aged woman frowned, "my condolences." 

"Yes," An elderly woman added, "I'm sorry for what happened. If you ever need anything don't hesitate to ask." 

I cleared my throat. 

"Thank you so much, but... what's this all about?" 

For a moment they looked at each other in bewilderment than turned back looking confused. 

"Nothing. We just feel awful about Dorinda. She was here a long time and... it hurts us all in a way." 

I set my cup down on a desk. 

"Thank you guys. I appreciate it." 

They didn't say much more as they scurried off.

In between time, I got some questionable glances from other employees but I shrugged it off. 

I was overthinking everything. 

Oh, where was Hero?

Checking my watch I saw that nearly two hours had passed since we arrived. Just as I scooted back from my seat, he materialized from a corner of the building. 

We met in a tight embrace that he prolonged until he pulled away. 

"Let's get out of here." 

We did just that. 

When we finally made it on the highway I allowed myself to relax. I wouldn't have to deal with all that chaos for a week at least.

It was quiet as we made our way through familiar landmarks. We ended deeper into forestry and it wasn't long before I recognized the private gravel roads. 

We were at his special place. 

I smiled. We hadn't been back to visit in awhile. 

When we both exited the car and faced each other, I saw Hero's expression had changed. It wasn't full of happiness, but was neutral. 

"Are we taking a walk before-" I tried to say but was cut off. 

"Lead the way." He said softly. "I want to talk."

I could hear disturbing sounds as we trudged our way through the trail.

Branches cracked as he walked behind me and it was nearly unbearable. It was like I'd transported back to grade school and Elouise was punishing me for eating the last cookie. 

We climbef the inclined hill, reaching the cliffside. It was hot and blistering, the stars no longer visible.

Hero stuck his hands in his pockets, setting a distance between us. He opened his mouth to speak: 

"It's time." 

It was so simple yet... why did I feel an impending dread course through me?