Author's Note: This story is a work of fiction and is based primarily on the fictional country of Nordland, a small island nation in the North Sea between the UK, Norway, and Denmark. All characters, events, and places described in this narrative are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
All comments and feedback are welcomed.
HF
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The dull wintery Friday afternoon sun filtered softly through the large windows of the chic downtown bistro where Astrid and Marcus sat across from each other. The bistro was only a block from the NSOG head office and was a favored spot for business lunches for many of the executives from the Corporation and other business and organizations in this part of Nordhaven. The murmur of conversations from the other patrons along with the aroma of freshly baked bread and sizzling dishes filled the air, creating a cozy atmosphere as the pair had settled into their seats.
Ostensibly they both looked like corporate executives out for a social lunch together. The differences in their races drawing only scant attention from most of the other patrons and staff -- the demographics of Nordland were changing with a significant influx of migrants from Africa, the Middle East and beyond and the sight of a handsome black man and a beautiful white woman sitting together didn't draw the same attention as it once did, with many assuming them to be a couple. However, sharp-eyed observers would have noticed the presence of wedding rings on the woman's hand and the lack of them on the man's hand.
Astrid took a sip of her sparkling water, her azure-blue eyes scanning Marcus's face with a mixture of curiosity and affection. "It's nice to finally have some time alone to talk," she said, her voice soft yet firm. They hadn't had the chance to speak since the tumultuous encounter that they shared on the meeting room table after the Diversity and Inclusion meeting on Wednesday afternoon.
Their workloads and a tacit agreement to be discrete had forced them to focus on other matters in their lives. Fortunately, the previous afternoon they had been able to quickly message each other and arranged for lunch together under the guise of a meeting. Marcus had even brought along several folders, ostensibly containing details of the North Sea Initiative, further reinforcing the idea that they were just work colleagues having a working lunch together, not secret lovers.
Marcus nodded, his dark eyes meeting hers with a mixture of warmth and hesitation. "Yeah, it is. I wasn't sure how you'd feel after Wednesday," he admitted, a small smile playing on his lips.
Astrid smiled back, feeling the familiar flutter in her chest that Marcus always seemed to evoke when he was around her. The events of Wednesday still loomed large over them -- it had been risky, having sex at work, but the risk had only intensified the experience for both of them. "So, how are things with the Initiative? I know the infrastructure projects have been keeping you busy," she said, steering the conversation towards a more professional topic.
Marcus leaned back in his chair, his expression thoughtful. "It's been hectic, to say the least. But it's going well. We're making good progress in establishing the extraction infrastructure. The team's been working hard."
Astrid nodded, appreciating his dedication to the project, something that she had worked hard for over twelve months to establish. "That's great to hear. I've been following the updates. It looks like the strategic relationship between North Sea and Horizon is really starting to pay off."
"Sort of like us?" he said with a little grin. Astrid smirked back. "Yeah, you could say that," she replied.
There was a pause as they both took a moment to enjoy their meals that were brought to them by a waiter. Astrid's salad was a colorful mix of fresh greens, cherry tomatoes, and avocados, while Marcus had opted for a hearty steak sandwich. As they ate, the conversation started out professional, talking about some of the various aspects of the Initiative as well as other ones that Astrid was working on before the discussion turned more personal.
"Marcus," Astrid began, her tone shifting to a more serious note. "I've been meaning to ask you something."
He looked up, sensing the change in her demeanor. "Sure...what is it?"
She took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts. "Are you seeing anyone else?" she asked, her voice steady but her heart pounding. They hadn't been seeing each other for very long, a little less than two weeks -- yet they had already experienced some mind-blowing sex in this time.
Since Wednesday afternoon Astrid had been thinking about the tempo of their relationship, it was certainly burning bright and fast, perhaps too fast. If this was going to be a more enduring thing, and she was certain Marcus would be amenable to that idea, they needed to work out how be more discrete, lay down some ground rules, understand what each wanted from this. Although she knew a fair amount about Marcus, asking him about his other relationships hadn't come up, until now.
Marcus's expression grew cautious. He set down his fork, folding his hands on the table. "Why do you ask?"
Astrid sighed, her gaze dropping to her plate. "Because I'm married, Marcus. I know what we have is incredible, but it's not fair for me to expect you to be exclusive when I can't offer the same in return." She paused. "I just want to know if there's someone else in your life."
He hesitated, his mind racing as he considered how to respond. Finally, he spoke, his voice low and measured. "There is someone...but it's not what you think."
Astrid's heart skipped a beat, a twinge of jealousy pricking at her. She forced herself to stay calm. "Tell me."
Marcus sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Her name is Gudrun. She's a project manager on one of my teams. We've been getting close, but nothing has happened between us. Not yet anyway."
Astrid bit her lip, feeling a pang of hurt despite her best efforts to remain composed. "Do you... do you like her?" she asked quietly.
Marcus reached across the table, taking her hand in his. "Astrid, you have to understand. I really like you and care about you deeply. But I can't ignore that Gudrun is there. She's smart, funny, and we get along really well. But nothing has happened, and I don't know if it will."
Astrid nodded slowly, her mind racing with conflicting emotions. "It's okay if you want to see other people, Marcus," she said softly. "I dragged you into this and I can't ask you to be exclusive when I'm married. This is just an affair, after all."
Marcus's grip on her hand tightened, his expression earnest. "It may be just an affair, but it doesn't mean you don't matter to me. What I said was true, I really like you Astrid and I don't want to hurt you."
She squeezed his hand back, a small smile tugging at her lips. "I know. And I appreciate that. But I also don't want you to feel like you're tied down by this, by what we're doing. You deserve to be happy and, if that means you want to see other people too, then I'm ok with that."
Marcus looked at her, a mix of gratefulness and affection in his eyes. "You deserve to be happy too, Astrid."
Astrid nodded, her gaze meeting his with a mixture of resolve and vulnerability. "Thank you, Marcus. I appreciate it. I...I guess I didn't know what I was looking for when we started this...maybe I still don't...but I want to enjoy it. I want us to enjoy it...enjoy every moment we get to spend together."
They sat in silence for a moment, their hands intertwined on the table. After a moment, Marcus broke the silence, his tone lighter. "So, what's on your agenda for the rest of the day?"
Astrid smiled, grateful for the shift in conversation. "More emails..." she replied, her smile shifting to a wry one as she recalled the state of her inbox. "A couple of reports to review and sign off on and then I've got a video conference with the global initiatives team later this evening. We're discussing the latest developments in our African projects." She sighed, feeling the tension of her job. "It's been rescheduled three times already. This was the only time we could get everyone together."
"Another late night?" Marcus asked, raising an eyebrow at her. Astrid nodded glumly. "Erik's going to take Ingrid to the movies tonight...they'll probably be home before I am!" she said with a sigh.
Marcus reached out and took Astrid's hand in his again. "You need to take it easy, Astrid...you're an exceptional person, but you're going to run yourself into the ground with work, family, everything...if you want me to back off...with us, with this...I understand..." he said with a sympathetic expression, his brown eyes locked on her blue ones.
She gave him a grateful look. "Thank you, Marcus...I'll be fine, trust me...and I don't want us to back off...but maybe we just need to be discrete, ok? I can't afford for anyone to find out that we're having an affair. It would be the end of my marriage and my career."
"I understand...and believe me, I don't want to do anything to hurt you, your family or your career," Marcus replied.
Marcus reached across the table, taking her hand in his. "I don't want you to feel like you're just another option, Astrid. You mean a lot to me."
She squeezed his hand, her eyes softening. "I know, Marcus. And you mean a lot to me too. But we have to be realistic about what this is."
They fell silent for a moment, the weight of their words hanging between them. Finally, Astrid broke the silence, her voice tinged with curiosity and a hint of nervousness. Other than the risk of being caught, there was one other risk that weighed on her mind. "Can I ask you something else?"
"Of course," Marcus replied, his tone encouraging.
She hesitated, her fingers tracing the rim of her wine glass. "On Wednesday...when we spoke about..." Her voice dropped lower. "About you knocking me up..." She paused, trying to find the right words. "It...it was something that really scared me...but I can't deny, it did excite me..."
Marcus looked into her eyes with a steady gaze. "Astrid...we discussed this...it was the heat of the moment and, well...people say things in the heat of the moment."
Astrid slowly nodded. "I...I know...it's just...I wanted you to know that something like that, well...it could never happen...not with my life...my marriage, my career..."
"I understand," he replied. "And I certainly don't want to ruin anything for you."
She looked at him, her azure-blue eyes sparkling as she gave him a little smile. "Thank you, Marcus. I trust you...with everything..." she told him. He smiled back. "Look...if you want to take things slow, just let me know...you set the pace with all of this. I'm ok with that..." he told her before pausing, his smile turning into more of a grin. "But I do get the impression you're enjoying what we're doing."
Astrid couldn't help but grin back, despite the seriousness of the last few minutes. "You can say that again...it's more than just enjoyable!" She leaned back in her chair. "Despite the workload, I am actually feeling quite refreshed. I certainly slept well on Wednesday night," she told him.
"See, I am good for you!" he joked. She laughed back. "Sure...if only we could bottle you, we'd make a fortune! The Marcus Tonic -- guaranteed to make all women feel good!"
