Dick. Jeez. I knew that there was rampant and toxic sexism in this industry. I knew that fact intellectually but it really irked me to see it in action. To have it thrown in my face, especially about someone I cared about.
I blinked. That though slipped out before I mentally reeled it back in. I corrected myself forcefully—I didn’t care any more about Kat than I did about the rest of my team. There.
Talk about coming face to face with the fact that others had it tougher than I did. Women and minorities in this industry really had to work twice as hard, or harder, to win respect. I rubbed at my jaw, then my tired eyes, resolving to talk about this with my superiors when I had a spare moment.
And if I was lucky enough to get the promotion, I vowed to do things differently there, too.
I whipped out my phone and texted Kat. I wanted to be present when she spoke to Kyle about his bugs. Then, I got back to work.
A half hour later, she hadn’t replied. I flagged down Warren and asked him if he’d seen her. “Yeah, man, she’s been snoozing in the Pit since lunch, sacked out on the couch.” Then he threw me a sly grin. “Must have been all that newlywed sex that wore her out. Did you try the Canadian sex positions?”
“The what?”
He nodded, completely serious. “There’s a whole website about it. Canadian sex acts. Like you probably went the Full Mountie on her, huh? Or maybe tried the Polar Bear Grip? The Igloo Melter?”
I rolled my eyes and pushed out of my chair. “Grow up, Warren.”
“Bruh! What about the Winnipeg in her Regina?” he called after me.
I answered over my shoulder with my middle finger.
“Exactly!” he guffawed.
What the hell even was that? Jeezus, had everyone in this place lost their minds merely because Kat and I had gotten married? Did all couples who worked together have to put up with this shit or was it just because this place was nerd-central?
Usually I was proud bearer of my Geek Card, but not today.
I found Kat splayed across the couch in the Pit, fast asleep on her stomach, her long hair, having been pulled out of its tight braid, was covering her face. Knowing she’d had a wretched night, I was hesitant to wake her up. Not that I’d slept much better than she had. The mere thought of her body lying that close to mine—in my bed—had kept me too distracted to sleep.
In the too-recent past, I’d perhaps entertained a fantasy or two of her lying there in that very spot. But not wearing that thin green cotton night gown that had only hinted at the curves underneath. No, in my headspace, she was in my bed, her creamy skin very naked against my dark blue sheets. That glorious, shiny red hair splayed out across my white pillow cases. And in every one of them, that very tempting, naked body was underneath mine. And that skin was every bit as soft as it looked.
God how much I’d wanted to touch her and see if reality had lived up to my fantasy.
Last night, when she’d sat facing me as I read on my tablet, she’d opened those lips and leaned forward—almost as if she would give me a goodnight kiss. It had been too much. Too close to where those fantasies always began. And my very physical reaction to that moment had caused me to turn over and flip off the light as fast as I could manage.
Because I knew that if I’d leaned in too, I’d be lost. With no way to pull away again.
To give in to the pull that was Kat would be allowing myself to be dragged into a vicious tidal whirlpool, risking doom. And I’d made that escape once, only because I’d passed out exhausted from the previous Scotch-aided escapade.
I wouldn’t be so lucky again.
And for the next however-many nights that we would have to share a bed, it would be torture. Exquisite torture, yes, but torture nonetheless.
I predicted a lot of showers in my near future. At least I would come out of the ordeal very clean.
I sank down beside her on the couch, hoping that would jostle her, but she was soundly asleep. So I brushed the hair away from her face, slowly, delicately, as if revealing a long-hidden, delicate work of art under layers of debris. And her face was just that. Her glowing