The Cowboy's Temptation Page 0,4

I’ve been getting it ready for you for the past several months. It is ready whenever you can make it.”

Elissa squeezed her eyes shut and nodded. “Thanks,” she whispered, deeply touched that her friend was trying to make a space cozy for her. They talked about the babies in-utero development and some of the sillier names Veronica and her husband Rick had tossed around. Veronica described the latest additions to the nursery and the antics of her kids at school who were all eager to get out for the summer break.

By the end of the conversation, Elissa was laughing and offering suggestions, feeling like her old self again. Veronica always seemed to know when to call, Elissa thought as she opened the door to her apartment that night. She didn’t bother to turn on any lights. The small rooms were minimally filled with furniture and there was no food in the refrigerator. Elissa barely spent any time in her apartment, needing it only to sleep, shower and change clothes before heading off to work six or seven days a week. Getting ready for bed that night, she considered her life, or lack of it. Working eighteen to twenty hour days was really getting to be an awful drag, she thought as she pulled the sheet up over her and drifted off into a restless sleep.

The next day was just as chaotic. But it was compounded by several messages from Jim asking her to see him as soon as she could.

And then Darrel came to her office. “Hey gorgeous,” he said and dropped into one of the visitors chairs facing her desk. “How about if we kiss and make up?”

Elissa didn’t even bother to glance away from her computer. “No thank you,” she said and typed in a few more numbers.

“Ah, come on Elissa. Don’t be harsh. It was just a lover’s quarrel. Let’s get over this and move on,” he said coaxingly.

There wasn’t even irritation anymore. She was just too tired and too busy for that emotion now. “First of all, we aren’t lovers,” she said, writing something down on her notepad.

“That’s just one of the things I wanted to discuss. I think sex is getting in the way. We should just do it so we don’t fight over it anymore.”

Elissa’s hands stilled on her keys only momentarily, but she still didn’t look at him. “We aren’t fighting over it anymore, Darrel. We aren’t fighting over anything anymore.”

“Come on, Elissa. We look great together,” he said.

Elissa was disgusted. She stopped typing and gave him her full attention. “Are you telling me that you want to get back together simply because we make an attractive couple? Are you really that superficial?” she asked, stunned that she hadn’t seen this side of him before.

“Well, you have to admit that it makes the dinner parties easier,” he laughed.

Elissa was done with the conversation. She turned back to her computer and continued her research. “Goodbye Darrel.”

“Come on Elissa. Let’s at least talk about this,” he pleaded.

The phone rang and Elissa picked it up. It was Jim. “Elissa, get into my office immediately.”

Elissa picked up her notebook and a pen and walked around her desk, ignoring Darrel who was still sitting in the chair. “That’s it? No goodbye kiss or anything?” he exclaimed, grabbing her arm and stopping her.

Elissa stopped only because she was so shocked. “Let go of me. Jim is waiting,” she said, flinging the director’s name in his face.

Derrel instantly let go of her arm but called out to her retreating back, “Come to dinner with me tonight and we’ll finish this discussion.”

Elissa ignored him and continued down the mauve colored carpeting to Jim’s office. It was a long walk and she had plenty of time to worry about his proposition from the night before.

Dianna, Jim’s secretary smiled tightly at Elissa when she walked through the doors to Jim’s inner sanctum.

“Thank you for seeing me, Jim.” Elise walked into the director’s office with a brisk, business-like attitude, acting as if the previous night had simply not happened. “I wanted to discuss that extended vacation we talked about several months ago. My friend’s doctor is concerned so I was hoping to start that period sooner rather than later.” She sat down in one of the dark leather chairs in front of Jim’s desk and looked directly back at him, daring him to deny her request.

Jim watched her for a long moment, tapping his Mont Blanc pen on his nose as his mind worked