"I'm sorry sweetie, I'll be running late tonight."
An exasperated sigh answered Mary from the other end of the phone. It was a sound she'd gotten all too familiar with over the last few weeks. Not that she could blame her wife for being fed up -- this would mark the tenth time this month work kept her well past the expected 9 to 5.
"I know, I know. I promise this'll be over soon. There's just so much crunch going on to get this big project greenlit. I swear I'll make it up to you, love."
"Yeah, I get it. Just...it gets lonely here without you."
"Aw babe, do you have a crush on me?"
"Maybe. Certainly makes marrying you for the money a lot easier to stomach. I guess."
Mary giggled softly, smiling at the phone. As tough as all this overtime was, it was comforting to know Katherine was still her rock. She made a mental note then and there that the day this "Big New Contract" was finished she'd take her wonderful, patient wife out for the night of her life. Which unfortunately meant getting back to work.
"Well I love you too. I'll see you tonight just as soon as my meeting with the client wraps, 'kay?"
"Alright. But be sure he doesn't talk your ear off. He might be paying for your time but you're still my wife, got it?"
"Got it," she said, sending Natalie off with an obnoxious smooching noise before hanging up. No sooner had she set her phone down than her office intercom chimed to life.
"Hey boss, Mr. Remiel is here. May I send him in?" came the voice of her assistant. She could tell from the tone of voice he was itching to go home just as much as she was.
"Yes, that'll be fine, Terry. And you can head out now -- this is my last meeting of the day and we shouldn't need any help. Have a good evening."
"You too, Mrs. O'Hare!"
Mary quickly stood up and walked from behind her desk, giving herself the once-over to make sure her pantsuit was neither mussed or wrinkled from the workday. Moments later, Nico Remiel stepped through her office door, with all the confidence a multi-millionaire businessman could command. He was tall, with closely trimmed dark hair and a well-groomed beard to match. He cut quite the figure in his dark blue suit, casually straightening his tie as he entered -- more for show than anything, she was sure -- before offering his free hand to her.
"Mrs. O'hare, wonderful to finally meet your acquaintance," he said, barely waiting for her to respond before gripping her hand for a firm shake. That was when she noticed his ring.
It was a rather simple piece of jewelry -- nothing like the heavy and gaudy "man rings" most of the men Mary worked with loved to sport. It was a thin silver band with a small but brilliantly blue stone set inside. The gem itself was polished to a mirror shine, catching every ray and beam of light from either the office lights, the waning sunlight in the windows, or both. It was quite beautiful really, and surprisingly elegant for such a young man. Mary was used to meeting cocksure upstarts or bitter husks in her line of work, and they loved to carry big chunks of ugly gold and gemstones on their hands. She decided to take it as a good sign that Mr. Remiel wasn't so insecure.
Then Mary realized she'd been staring in silence for a few seconds, her hand still gripping his. Embarrassed, she withdrew her arm and pretended to clear her throat before bringing her attention back to sharp, brown eyes.
"It's quite nice to meet you as well, Mr. Remiel. I'm sure you're quite busy, but I appreciate you making time to speak with me."
"I'm more than happy to -- and please, call me Nico. I'm glad to talk business, but no need to keep things too formal, right?"
"Oh, o-of course," Mary stuttered. Again, the men she worked with usually
insisted
on being called "sir" if anything. But if Nico was comfortable enough to be on a first name basis, all the better for their business relationship. "Please call me Mary, then, if you don't mind."
"Not at all, Mary," replied Nico with a soft smile. "Now, let's get down to business, shall we?"
From there the meeting went so swimmingly Mary could hardly believe it. The new contract was a large undertaking for her firm, and typically clients wanted to micromanage every last detail to death. Yet Nico was an absolute breath of fresh air -- he asked questions not to second guess her professional opinions, but to assure he understood her intentions. He was attentive and humorous and by god he actually kept eye contact with her instead of trying to undress her while speaking. Things went so well, it was only when she noticed how dark the office had grown that Mary realized they'd been talking for hours.
"Goodness, I hadn't realized it had gotten that late. I'm sorry to have kept you so long, Nico."
Nico merely smiled, fishing his phone out of a jacket pocket to check the time himself. "Don't think anything of it. Time flies when you're making money, no?" He cocked his eyebrow to tell her he was joking, and Mary giggled softly in response. "But it's probably best to call it here for tonight. I don't want to keep you from your husband too late."
"Husband?" Mary furrowed her brow.
"I noticed your wedding band, earlier. Unless I'm mistaken about that ring on your finger?"
"Actually, you are mistaken, just not about the ring," Mary answered, holding her left hand up to show off the simple golden band on her finger. "It's my wife I'm keeping waiting."
"Oh!" Nico said, embarrassed for the first time since he'd entered the room. "Well that's what I get for assuming. I do beg your forgiveness." He smiled slightly, before grasping her outheld hand in his own and placing a kiss on the back. It was a sudden, overly familiar move and Mary felt the spark of an urge to yank her hand from his grasp. She held back though -- it wouldn't do to upset a client over a single faux pas -- and as she fumbled for a response she noticed his ring again, on the same hand still casually holding hers.
It really was beautiful. Even in the low lights of her office, it seemed to glow with a faint aura. What kind of stone was it? And how did Nico take such good care of it to keep it unblemished? It made for such a perfect image there, with his neatly trimmed nails and strong, smooth fingers.
"Don't worry about it," Mary mumbled. "It's not the first time, honestly."
"All the more reason for me to apologize. Please, let me make it up to you by treating you to dinner." He punctuated the offer with another peck on her hand, just below the wrist. His beard tickled. His ring sparkled.
"Well actually, I really do need to be getting home to Katherine. I've been working late so often that I'd hate to keep her up without warning." Mary felt a little letdown. It would have been nice to go out but...she couldn't do that to her wife.
"Of course, of course. Then how about tomorrow night? I can pick you up right after office hours, show you a good time, and have you back home after a nice, relaxing evening. How's that sound?"
"That sounds...lovely, actually."
"Wonderful. It's a date."
* * *
"Sorry sweetie, I'll be late again tonight. I've got another meeting with that client, and I'm not sure how long I'll be." Mary grimaced at her phone. It was a good thing Katherine hated video chatting -- even with a little white lie, Mary could never keep a poker face.
Katherine groaned over the line. "You know, I've half a mind to head down there to have a word with this client of yours. They can't keep you all to themselves."
"Oh please no," Mary chuckled softly. "So long as tonight goes well this should seal up everything with the contract, and I'll be getting home on time every night for a good long while. Just one more night, and I swear I'll make it up to you."
"Fiiiiiiine. But I'm holding you to that. I expect to be treated to an unimaginable night on the town after this."
"We'll paint the town red, love. Bye-bye."
As she hung up the phone, Mary couldn't help squirming a bit. She'd never been one to lie -- especially not to Katherine! -- but she also wasn't up for the potential fight telling the truth could bring. How could she explain that the deal was already inked, and she'd let herself get prodded into a dinner rendezvous? Especially since she was so excited to be treated. Much as she wanted to spoil her wife, Mary was in the mood to let off steam and relax too. If Nico was willing to oblige for his -understandable -- mistake, who was she to deny?
As if on cue, there was a short knock at the door before the man himself walked in. He looked just as sharp and confident as the day before, though he'd lost the tie for a more casual look. His silver ring glittered just as much as always when he reached out to bring her offered hand to his lips again. Mary giggled a little -- she wondered if he'd picked up that habit overseas, or if he was just always that forward with coworkers.
"Wonderful to see you again. And may I say, you look positively lovely." And he certainly seemed to mean it, giving here the once-over more than once. Mary couldn't blame him, she'd spent quite a while the night before picking out her dress -- black, long enough to be professional but still fashionable, with perhaps a hint more cleavage than was strictly advised by the company dress code. She'd complemented it with some lacy stockings that dared to show their garters just past the hemline, and a pair of red heels she hadn't touched since attending her cousin's wedding last year.
It was altogether a more flirty look than necessary, and if Katherine hadn't slept in that morning she'd surely have had questions about her wife getting so dressed up for work. But Mary prided herself on looking her best on a date, and that included polite playdates with a client. She'd even redone her makeup at the end of the day to look the part.
"Flattery will get you everywhere, Nico. And may I say, you look quite nice yourself."
"It's the finest my personal stylist could drag out of me, thank you. Don't spend too long staring though, or we'll miss our reservation." With a smirk he offered his arm, which she readily took with both of her own. Giggling, she walked with him towards the elevator.
