Edward was through the threshold before Lee even had a chance to say "Welcome" and was talking a mile a minute on his cell phone. He put up a finger to "Shush" her, but she'd learned long before not to interrupt him when he was talking on the thing. She closed the door and followed behind him into the main living room. When he snapped it shut, he quickly looked around and said, "Well, Lee, it's good you could have everyone reconvene here. It's not in your job description to play hostess, but with the office being painted, it's illegal or inhumane or something to require that people stay within its walls. This way, we can have our team meeting, and since you live the closest, it's very convenient."
"Yes, but I don't know..."
"OK, let's just move these couches out of the way and bring over those kitchen chairs you have," Edward was already on the move. He picked up a giant stuffed cat pillow Lee had. Behind him, she clenched her hands and cursed herself for leaving it out. But how could she have known he was coming over? How could she have planned he would be in her own house, right here, and have thought to put away her silly girly stuff? "What. The. Fuck, Lee?" Edward said that more to himself than anything, and tossed the pillow behind a chair and covered it with some blankets.
Lee hurried over with two chairs strung onto her arms. "Good. What else do we need? Where is the..."
Lee held her breath as he cut himself short. He was staring at the carpet. "How long have you lived here, Lee?"
"Um, four years. Four years in March is my anniversary."
"Your anniversary," he said nasally, mocking her. "And how often do you clean this place?"
Lee felt herself flush. "I clean all the time! Like once a week! On weekends! So, I guess it's been a few days. Um... why?"
"This carpet is filthy. It's disgusting."
"I don't think it's... it's not so bad... maybe a few cat hairs..."
Edward grabbed Lee's shoulder and forced her down eye-level with the floor. She refused to give herself the pleasure of thinking about the position their bodies were in. If they were naked, and if she moved back an inch or two, he could slip inside of her and wrap his arms around her front to play with her breasts. "Lee?"
"Edward, no, I don't, I don't know. Maybe it's the light or something. I didn't notice."
"We can't have company personnel coming into this pigsty and what, sitting in a pile of cat hair, candle wax, and whatever else you thought you could store on the floor here? Don't you care what people think?"
Lee was close to tears. Why was Edward being so awful to her? Maybe he was just upset they had to relocate their planning meeting. She vowed to up her cleaning, but was doubtful he'd ever return to inspect it.
"Edward, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. What can I do? What can I do! Wait!" Lee pounded up the stairs and returned dragging a vacuum cleaner. As she bent to plug it in, Edward grasped her arm again. She couldn't stop herself from staring down at his thick, strong fingers circling her flesh.
"You've already done enough. Thank goodness I got here early, before everyone else. It needs to be steam cleaned."
Lee straightened up. "Is there time? I can drive over to the grocery store and get one."
Edward was already rifling through his pockets. "You, Lee, are the luckiest girl in the world. You better understand that damn well. I was using one in my house yesterday, and it is in my truck for me to return on my way home from work this evening." When an excited little gasp escaped from Lee's throat, Edward silenced it with a glare. "Do you know how much trouble you could have been in otherwise?"
