The Matchmakers

Chapter 5

Somehow, in the middle of the night, we both moved closer to the center of the bed and I started using his chest as a pillow. I begin to turn away but his arm tightens around my waist. I look up and see that Henry is still asleep. Or, is at least pretending to be. I can't tell which. Reaching down, I try to move his arm, but he doesn't budge. I push his arm away with more force and finally succeed, only to be flipped over and covered by him.

"Henry," I say, hoping he'll wake up.

He doesn't answer, but moves his face closer to mine until our lips brush against each other. And then he's kissing me with as much passion as he did last night. I turn my head to the left and he seems to get the hint. I see him watching me with wide eyes.

"Rosemary—shit, I'm sorry." He rolls off me immediately and I take the opportunity to swing my legs over the edge and sit up. "I don't know what came over me."

Looking over my shoulder, I see he's lying down on his side of the bed again, his right arm thrown over his eyes.

Without a word, I get dressed in one of the lavender dresses I packed from home and exit the bedroom.

Dalia comes out from the kitchen with a full plate and drink for me. A man in his early thirties walks beside her. She sets my food on the marble counter rather than the dining room table and I sit on one of the stools. "Good morning, Mrs. Clark. Chef Marcel would like to go over the menus with you for the week. If you need anything else, please let me know." Then she's gone.

"It's a pleasure to be working for the next President and First Lady," Marcel says, extending a hand to me.

"Thank you. Dalia told me that you had some menus to review."

"Yes, I do." He produces his tablet from his pocket and pulls up seven different files at once, creating a semi-circle around the projector.

I take a bite of the vegetable soufflé in front of me and he begins to describe the meals for each day. Halfway through the process, Henry comes out of the bedroom wearing a robe identical to mine. He sees me, and silently sits next to me at the counter. Marcel stops and practically falls over himself to flatter his new boss. Henry politely receives him and then not so subtly tells Marcel to finish his conversation with me, "I defer to her decisions." I don't know if it's his way of apologizing, but his acknowledgment of my authority is nice.

"Of course, of course," Marcel says, before launching back into his presentation. When I reach my final decisions, he leaves. Dalia brings another plate out for Henry and we sit in silence until he's done.

Henry is the first to speak. "I'm sorry about last night—and this morning. I didn't know what I was doing."

"What were you dreaming about?"

"You," he answers immediately, before quickly adding, "I have some meetings today I need to attend, but afterwards, we can go exploring. Or just hang out here. You decide. I'll do whatever you prefer."

"Exploring sounds nice," I say. And it does, but that's only half the reason I choose that. I don't think I need to tell him that the idea of hanging out with him in closed quarters is a recipe for disaster. Or victory, I suppose, from his perspective.

"I'll be in the office until then. Can you find something to do?"

"I'm fine," I say. "I think I'll call my parents and let my friends know I'm okay. Charlotte and Jasper must be going crazy by now."

For some reason, he winces. "Can you wait until I'm done with my meetings?" I'm about to protest when he says, "I want to introduce myself to your friends."