"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."
