Amber's eyes slowly drifted open and she glanced at her clock.
Ugh, fifteen minutes before my alarm? Seriously? Why?
She lay there a moment, contemplating going back to sleep, but then decided she should just get up. She let the sensations of her body come back to her. She could hear a bird outside twittering its welcome to the early morning and the muffled sound of a car door closing down the street. She felt a sense of peace—like a quiet sky filled with rays of sunshine after the rage of a storm—and thought back to the previous night.
Spencer had driven her car back and she'd been happy to let him given her emotional aftermath. The two hadn't spoken much—they sat contentedly holding hands and sitting in silence, watching the trees flash by in the headlights. He had escorted her to the door and held her in an embrace for a few minutes before looking in her eyes, telling her "thank you", and giving her a sweet kiss. It was more than a peck but full of affection rather than passion. They had eventually parted when Elise pulled up and Amber had gone inside with a wave to them both. A part of her had considered inviting him to stay after all, the thought of curling up in his arms again extremely enticing. In the end, she had determined that, as much as she wanted it, she also wanted to ensure it wasn't just the aftermath of an extremely emotional evening. Plus, she had known Elise was only a few minutes behind them and didn't want her to have driven down for nothing.
Amber swung her feet out of bed and proceeded to start getting ready for work.
A new day. A chance to start over.
She smiled.
******
It had only been a weekend, but Amber felt like it had been forever since she was at work. The morning had been full of the usual mundane Monday morning tasks to prepare for the coming week. It was all rote by now and her mind began to wander as she worked. She didn't mind the job, liked her co-workers, and was certainly grateful for the income, but wished she was involved in something that utilized her skills more and gave her a chance to push herself and grow. She was concerned that as time went on, her chemistry knowledge would become rusty.
While eating breakfast, she had perused her searches for potential job openings, but there still wasn't really anything worthwhile unless she was willing to move a significant distance. She knew she was limiting herself and had been considering widening the net.
But now, with Spencer, that would be a lot harder. Despite my baggage and a very un-textbook approach to early dating, we seem to have something worth pursuing. He's kind and sweet and caring and I really want to see where this goes. And his kisses! Oh, how I enjoy those. Yeah, yeah, I know it's just hormones, but still... Mmmm!
Amber had a shiver at the memory and a twinge in her heart told her she definitely wanted to see where that would lead.
"...fun weekend?"
Amber surfaced out of her reverie. She was staring blankly at her Excel sheet and realized that Cindy had asked her a question. "Sorry, lost in thought. What did you say?"
"Oh, I was just asking if you had a fun weekend. You had a smile on your face." Cindy had worked in the office for years. Her desk was littered with pictures of her two kids and goofy cat photos. Amber knew she sometimes liked to live vicariously through the lives of her co-workers. She could also be a bit of a gossip.
"Ahh, it was... interesting. Yours?" She went back to updating her Excel sheet.
"Oh, probably not as fun as yours," Cindy lamented. "Sperm Donor decided he just had something better to do than see the kids this weekend, thus robbing me of my free weekend." Cindy never referred to their father as her ex-husband. Amber suspected it had been a particularly ugly divorce. "Probably '
someone
better to do', would be a better statement. My guess is it's that 20-something I saw hanging off his arm the last couple of times I dropped off the kids." She glanced over at Amber. "No offense."
"None taken. I'm sorry you didn't get your free time." Amber knew Cindy well enough to know that she loved her kids to death, but the loss of time to herself must have been crushing. Her kids came in on occasion for lunch and they were rambunctious. Amber imagined that being a single mother didn't leave much free time.
Cindy fielded a phone call and then transferred it to another extension. "Thanks. I had been planning to go on a date and had to cancel. Finally found someone who seemed like a decent guy. Hope he'll still be open to it later—it's hard for a woman my age with two kids to find someone. But enough about boring, old me. Anything you want to share that made it so interesting?"
"Oh, some friends and I went to a party that was way too crazy. Had to leave."
How much do I tell her? Do I say I met a guy? That feels like rubbing salt in a wound.
"Other than that, I just hung out with some other friends." They continued working and chatting as they usually did throughout the morning, with Amber filling her in on some of the details about Steve's crazy party, but excluding Spencer and what followed.
******
Amber was in the middle of a snack break and reading the news on her computer when her phone buzzed. She grabbed it and saw a text from her father.
Dad: Just checking in. Still on the sites. Hope you're doing well. Love you.
She had just finished replying to him to let him know she was fine when the front door clicked open and a woman came in. She set a box down on the floor and then looked at a tablet. "Is there an Amber here?" she queried.
Cindy perked up and Amber acknowledged as she stood up and came around the corner. "Yes?"
"Delivery for you," she said as she made a note on the tablet. She then reached down and set a vase of yellow tulips on the counter. "Have a good day," she called over her shoulder as she headed back out.
Amber stepped over and took the vase. The silky petals were so vivid that they seemed to glow. It was a simple arrangement with a small bow tied around the front. An elegant card was attached and she opened it.
Hope your day is going well. I thought maybe we could go out on a real date tonight. Call me for the details. -S
"Who's it from?" Cindy was eyeballing the bouquet with curiosity.
Amber looked over at her, trying to maintain her composure. "A friend wanting to brighten my day."
"Oooh, a friend, huh?" Cindy grinned. "Anyone I know?"
Amber thought of all the times Spencer had been in over the past few months.
