In the pearly grey morning light, Emily realized she was alone in the middle of a large bed, snuggled between silky sheets. The clouds were spread in an almost transparent layer over the city outside the window. She went to the washroom and realized her hair was a mess, but a kind of sexy mess. Everything that happened the previous night felt so right. She got back into bed as she couldn't escape a pleasant drowsiness, and she didn't have anywhere to be yet. The feeling of Byron's caresses all over her body was still there, as if it just happened seconds ago. The man himself appeared in the room, wearing only his briefs and carrying a breakfast tray filled with coffee, pastries, and fruit."Hey, you're awake!" he said, "That's good because I brought you something."She gave him a smile that was partly shy but mostly excited. His eyes lit up."You don't regret getting involved with me?" he asked, setting down the tray in front of her."Not when you bring me coffee and breakfast!
Many people turned out for Emily's open house. Her downtown art studio sparkled with new paint, and several works of art were displayed throughout. People mingled, going in and out of the three different rooms and enjoying glasses of champagne.Emily was a little surprised that her brother showed up rather than staying at home as was his custom most of the time. She was even more surprised to see him talking at length to her student Katie. Katie came over to her later, saying, "Your brother is hot, like a skinny Italian Gucci model.""I'm surprised he stays skinny considering how much junk food he eats," Emily said."He actually gave me his number," Katie announced, "Would it be weird if I called him?""No," Emily said, "though I warn you, he is weird, so some weirdness is inevitable."It seemed a budding teenage romance was about to unfold. Her friend Pam arrived with Mike, who was now her fiancé. Emily took them on a tour of the displays."This is Katie's work. Isn't it amazi
The next morning, Emily got out of bed and went to the window to try and bask in what little sunlight there was streaming through a few clouds. She hoped Byron was feeling more calm.When she came into the living room in her robe, she found him sitting on the floor in a cross-legged pose. He was doing some kind of breathing technique with his eyes closed. His silk robe hinting at the outlines of his powerful body, he looked like the embodiment of disciplined and serene masculinity. Emily tiptoed away to find some breakfast, not wishing to disturb him. When Byron joined her in the kitchen, he seemed extremely relaxed."It's amazing what you can achieve by being mindful of your breathing," he said. "I feel so balanced. And how are you, my lady?""I'm fine." She was actually amazed at the quick progress he was making. "I'm just glad you're okay.""Sorry about yesterday," he said. "I won't let my emotions control me again.""Does that mean you've abandoned that plan to fire everyone i
Emily found lazing in bed was so much better with the man she adored than all alone. The next morning, they could take their time since it was Sunday. "Did you sleep well?" Byron asked. "Extremely well," Emily said. After making love to him, she always slept soundly, but there had not been very much time for sleep.Emily had lots of time to take in the handsome contours of his face as the conversation meandered at a leisurely pace around the latest happenings. They were both so exhausted from the previous night that there was no more "peace and love" action to be had for now.Byron sounded happy with the way his companies were doing. Since the Christine disaster and his announcement about helping people with depression, the stock had only gone steadily up. "You know, the way things are going, I could afford some time away from the office," Byron mused. "We could go on vacation."It sounded so appealing as they were heading into the coldest time of year. Emily could picture lyi
Feeling a little guilty about not trying to spend as much time with her brother, Emily went home to see how he was doing.While she expected to find the place a mess again, it was not as bad as she feared, and Nick was in his room poring over a book."You're studying," she said, "keep it up, young man!""I do study once in a while," he retorted.Emily was about to leave him to it, but then he added, "I got a job to help with the rent.""What? That's awesome! Where are you working?""The juice bar.""Wow, there seems to be a trend going around with everybody getting healthy," Emily remarked, "Well don't work too hard. Mom and dad can always help out with rent, but they would probably want you to focus on classes.""Yeah, I think they've made that pretty clear." Nick sighed dramatically."School is still very exciting?""Yeah..."At least he seemed to be trying, Emily thought. Maybe it had something to do with him seeing Katie. She didn't want to ask too many questions, but th
Emily quickly stopped by her apartment to pick up some chocolates she was saving for the celebration—or for comforting in case the court decided against her. Not forgetting about Rupert, she grabbed a sausage for him. Nick wasn't home, but she wasn't too worried anymore since he had both work and studies now to keep him occupied, not to mention his dates with Katie. Nick was shy and secretive about the new relationship, but Emily was fairly sure it was more than a friendship."You look dapper!" Byron said when she arrived at his place, still dressed up in her court room clothes.Rupert came towards her, wagging his tail, and she fed him a few sausage slices, saving some for later."Thanks, I think," Emily said, "Are women supposed to look dapper? I thought it was only men.""I don't see why not," he said, gesturing freely with his hand, "Women have equal rights."She could smell something delicious cooking, maybe a beef stew. "And you even cooked dinner. What did you make?" "A
"Diane, you have made amazing progress lately," Emily said, praising one of her students as she looked over a landscape painting.Diane had been there from the early days when Emily first began to give private lessons. She was a retiree who already had some painting experience when she started lessons with Emily. "What would you say to the idea of me selling my paintings?" Diane asked."I would say, go for it.""I've been thinking of trying to take them to the local galleries," Diane said, "Maybe even an arts and crafts fair.""Yeah, why not?" Emily replied. "Your work is beautiful.""I was just a little concerned that you might think it's not good enough, or that it would compete with your own work."Emily was surprised at this, but then Diane had always been extremely considerate and tactful. "Even if I did try to sell my art, I certainly wouldn't mind a little friendly competition," Emily replied, "But for me, painting is something I do purely for fun. I'm no Picasso. I do
Byron Pomeroy never thought he would be involved in the movie business. He tried to stay away from drama, having lived through enough of it in his own life. But somehow the screenplays he received invited him to take more and more steps across the treacherous terrain of Hollywood. Now that he was acting as executive producer for three new films, people kept asking him questions. The emails and phone calls never stopped.He was just about to have some snacks with Emily when the phone rang again, and he had to excuse himself. The name of the caller was Nova Summers. He should have foreseen this happening. He'd been fielding calls from the talent agents of various big name actors who were perplexed about the three new films, but it made sense that Nova wanted to talk to him herself. He went out on the balcony, bracing himself for the conversation."Chipfairies Central, how may I direct your call?" he answered."Ha ha, very funny," Nova said in her deep, evocative voice. "So you are r
Emily felt such a strong current of desire running throughout her frame. It was always the most overwhelming sensation, being engulfed in the torrent of his kisses. It was one of those times when she was reminded how fierce and powerful her love for him really was. Sometimes day-to-day life interfered and made her forget that there was a man by her side who would do anything for her. When he showed how much he loved her, whether it was with grand gestures and romantic trips or simply the way he kissed her, it felt like the rebirth of a love that was too beautiful for words.Holding him in her arms and knowing how much he desired her nearly made her faint every time. It enchanted every single cell of her being, making the rest of the world a mere blur compared to the hot passion coursing through her body."I love you," she murmured as they rested in the sumptuous bed. "Thanks for always being there for me.""You don't have to thank me," he said, gazing back at her with a look fi
A few days later, Emily woke up to a grey and rainy day, but she was eager to get out of bed. It was the day of their trip. Byron was already up, pulling a tight t-shirt over his muscular torso. He looked way too awake for the earliness of the hour."Today's dress code: motorcycle gear," he said, eyes shining eagerly."It's a road trip?" Emily exclaimed."Yes indeed!"They could have flown anywhere in the world on their private jet, but for some reason Emily was more excited about a trip to the nearby mountains, just like they had always done. It reminded her of the early days of their relationship when they swiftly fell in love, and she had fallen in love with everything about this landscape too. And in some ways, not that much had changed."It's going to be a rugged journey," Byron said, "but don't worry, I've prepared some amenities at our destination.""What is that supposed to mean?" she asked."You don't need to pack too much stuff, just your basic clothes."They left t
Byron poured a lot of funds into the construction of the wave pool, and a few months later, it was built and ready for use.The building looked sleek and contemporary on the outside, while inside it was a warm oasis away from the autumn chill.Mandy swam and frolicked in the waves with her friends, stopping only to sip a bit of juice, then she was back in the water for more splashing. The high ceiling allowed natural light to come in through its numerous skylights, giving the space the ambience of a warm beach. The wave pool was definitely a hit. Emily and Byron watched the kids, lounging on deck chairs by the water."It's not quite as relaxing as a real beach, but it'll do," Byron said as the echoes of children's voices bounced around the vast space. Ripples of sunlight reflected off the water and played over his face."The kids don't seem to care if it's relaxing or not," Emily said, observing them race each other in the waves. "But as long as they're happy…""Do you think Man
"Can I do it when I'm six?" Mandy asked, not letting go of the idea of being on television."No," Emily said firmly."Can I do it when I'm seven?""No.""Ten?""Maybe." Emily hoped the whole discussion would be forgotten after that many years. She never wanted her child on a so-called talent show which was probably rigged anyway.Luckily, Mandy was distracted by her friend, and the two girls went to play outside."She's so talented," Katie said, "You should take her to a music academy. I'll bet she's going to be a sensation."Emily shook her head. "She's way too young. Please don't get excited. I know it seems like showing her talent to the world is a good thing, but too many child stars have started out on brilliant careers only to burn out as teenagers. I definitely don't want that for Mandy.""You're right, Talent Quest is a bit of a freak show," Katie said, "but don't you want her to at least learn as much as she can to reach her full potential?""She's got all the time i
Byron took a long breath. "Okay, don't be mad at me but… I bought Charmers. And now every single branch of Charmers will carry your brand of clothing.""Byron, you promised me you wouldn't do that!" Emily was so disappointed she was hardly even tempted by the creamy pasta."I promised I wouldn't destroy them," he said, a sly smile playing about his lips, "and I don't intend to. I've even kept Simone around, though in a slightly less senior role. She couldn't be induced to resign. The woman is very stubborn, but I know you don't like us to make enemies…""So you took over the company she was running, and you don't think she'd be mad?""Not as mad as I was when you told me she dropped your products," Byron retorted, "But believe it or not she's actually okay with the takeover. Charmers were struggling financially anyway. Believe me, I did them a favor.""Well you didn't do me a favor," Emily retorted. "I didn't want you to get involved.""But—""I'm capable of solving my own probl
"I pet a big white dog!" Mandy announced when they got home.The dogs spun around the new arrivals in a furry whirlwind, and Emily was relieved to be with her four-legged friends. She was glad she hadn't brought them to work that day to be despised by Simone."That's good," Byron said, greeting Mandy and Emily with kisses."I was not so lucky," Emily said."Mommy didn't have time to play with doggie," Mandy said sadly."And on top of that, I lost a really big client…" Emily added. She took off her shoes and collapsed on the living room couch."Lady said the 'f word'," Mandy recalled. Byron raised his eyebrows. "I know I'm not allowed to say it," Mandy continued, "but she didn't know that.""What the heck happened over there?" Byron asked."Ugh! I can't even go into right now," Emily lay back on the couch and closed her eyes, trying to shut out the stress of the day. "Simone made me so mad.""Lady was silly," Mandy said."Yes, she was very silly," Emily confirmed.Byron s
Emily was in a playful mood the next morning. She didn't want to get out of bed, even though she had an important meeting. The date night had ended in a rather passionate episode. Mandy was already asleep by the time they got back home, and they made the most of their time. It was not exactly rare for them to have alone time, but maybe it didn't happen as often as before."You're very giggly," Byron noted. "I thought you'd be tired after last night."He was a bit sleepy but didn't mind indulging her desires when she kissed his face and body all over."Thanks for helping me feel relaxed when I should be nervous," Emily said as she got up to get dressed. "Simone Cather is coming in for a meeting today. I've never worked with her before, but I hear she can be difficult. I'm going to bring Mandy with me to win her over with cuteness."Simone had just taken over leadership of Charmers, the biggest fashion retail store in the country. Emily had a good relationship with the previous CEO
Emily was able to run some errands while Sylvia gave Mandy her first piano lesson. She was glad to have a bit of time to shop, and Sylvia insisted on not having anyone interfere in her tutelage anyway. Emily wondered how Sylvia would cope being left alone with her granddaughter. She had been out a couple of hours, and she hoped they hadn't killed each other.Contrary to her expectations, the house was quiet when she entered. Sylvia and Mandy were deep in conversation over tea and cookies."Mommy! Mommy!" Mandy ran over to greet her."How was your lesson?" Emily asked."I learned to play piano!""She did fairly well," Sylvia said. This sounded like high praise from someone who was more used to criticizing.Mandy sat down at the piano with very good posture to show Emily what she'd learned. She played Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. It was a simple piece that most kids started with, but Emily was amazed that Mandy played it so flawlessly. She kept up a steady rhythmic accompanimen
Unschooling was a little harder to commit to than Emily had imagined. She knew that there were plenty of learning opportunities for Mandy at home, but sometimes work demands, or just wanting a bit of time to herself made her reluctant to teach the kid.It was early September, and the unschooling had been going on for a week. Emily was working on her sketches in her home office while Mandy watched an educational program in the cinema room. It didn't seem like too much time had passed, but when Emily looked up from her sketch, the house felt unusually quiet. She went into the cinema room and saw that Mandy must have finished her program and dutifully turned the screen off. She was an amazingly responsible child in some respects."Mandy!" Emily called, "Where are you, Mandikins?"An eerie silence filled the large house. Emily checked all the rooms, but her daughter was nowhere to be found. Surely she wouldn't have gone outside all by herself? For a chilling moment, she thought the