The Storm

Chapter 11

Davis

It is a different kind of Monday at work. I'm in my routine but I'm bumbling through it. I have to re-read emails three times before I get the gist of what is being said. I totally blank out during a business call and get caught by Thomas staring out the window at nothing in particular.

Thomas knocks, leaning into the doorway, startling me.

"Meeting is starting," he informs me, then pauses when he sees me blink back into reality.

"You ok?" he asks with a chuckle. I rub my face as if that might reset my brain.

"Yeah I'm good," I tell him, scooping up my pen and paper. I'm a habitual note-taker, especially during meetings. Thomas walks down the hall beside me, staring at me as if I'm missing a limb.

"Did something happen this weekend?" he asks. I shrug in the most noncommittal way and enter the conference room. All of my managerial staff is there, including Ben. I almost smirk at him but I stop myself. I'm not a teenager, we aren't in a competition. At least I don't think we are. I'm not so out of the dating loop that I assume because Daisy and I had sex this weekend that she's exclusively with me now. We just had a fun weekend together.

That happened to include a lot of sex.

I was pleasantly exhausted when I picked up Archer from her parents' house.

People are milling around, helping themselves to the food Thomas has had put out. He is the one that leads the meetings and keeps things on subject and moving along. I grab a donut from two dozen put out for staff and turn to take my seat when I find Ben standing next to me. He has an eager look on his face.

"Can I speak to you about something of a personal nature?" Ben asks politely. I give him a nod and he pulls me off to the side. I have a feeling I'm not going to like this conversation.

"Did Daisy say anything to you on Friday?" he asks anxiously.

Don't stop Davis, oh God don't stop.

"No," I lie. I'm pretty sure Ben is used to stellar reviews and cannot fathom why Daisy has not called him back yet. I mean she did talk to him on Saturday right up to the point when I pulled her onto my face.

"I wanted to send her flowers. Do you think that is something she would like?" he asks me earnestly. I can feel my neck turning red under my shirt as my blood fires up. I am trying to keep my jealousy under control, behave like a normal person in a normal dating scenario. Daisy feels like she is completely mine but I know she's not. One date and a weekend of nonstop sex doesn't give me the right to act like she is mine. This is my first step back into the dating world and I shouldn't rush into anything.

Thomas calls the meeting to start before I can answer Ben. I shrug and take a seat at the far end of the table.

I start scribbling notes down when my phone vibrates with a text.

It's a picture of Daisy and Archer snuggled in bed together. Archer is fast asleep. Daisy looks like she's about to fall asleep too.

Worn out-different reasons, she writes with a winking emoji.

Me too, I text back.

I bite my lip to keep myself from groaning. I put the phone down and try and concentrate on the meeting. I jot down a couple of notes, bring up some questions, and basically focus my attention so my brain doesn't wander off into Daisy-land where it's been all morning. It's been a long time since I've felt this way for anyone other than my late wife.