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me. I feel a cold shiver go through my body.
    "Jeni?" he asks, concerned.
    "I'll be fine knowing you're there with me."
    He moves my hand up to his mouth to kiss it tenderly. "A toast," he announces.
    I raise my glass to his.
    "To the most beautiful, caring, and life-changing woman I've ever met."
    I clink my glass to his.
    "To the best boyfriend a woman could ask for."
    We both take sips from our flutes. The champagne tastes crisp, clean, and is chilled to perfection.
    I look at the time on my cell; it's ten forty-five p.m. I look around the dining room, and to my surprise, we're sitting alone in the great expanse of the room. He notices me looking around and does the same.
    "I guess we'd better let these guys close up for the night." He stands and walks around to my chair, pulling it out for me to stand up.
    "Thank you."
    He takes my hand and leads me to the maître d' desk.
    "Thank you, Thomas. Sorry for keeping you here late this evening."
    "No, not at all, Mr. O'Connell. It was our pleasure."
    "Thank you, Thomas. Everything was lovely," I say.
    "Glad you enjoyed your time here."
    "Give my regards to Georgia and the kids," Aiden says.
    "Yes, sir, I will. Goodnight, sir, ma'am."
    "Goodnight." We both say as we walk to the elevator and I push the button.
    The door opens, and we walk in. He puts his arm around me, pulling me toward him so we are face to face, our lips millimeters apart.
    "What would I do without you?"
    "Get more sleep."
    He gently kisses my lips. "Who needs sleep anyway?"
    "Not you apparently."
    "It's over-rated."
    I lean in closer and kiss him, hard. The elevator chimes, and the doors open. I quickly back away and probably look about as guilty as the young girl did when the elevator doors opened on them. He chuckles at me, takes my hand, and leads me outside.
    "Thank you for dinner. It was wonderful."
    "Only the best for my girl. You should know that by now." He pulls out his cell from his pocket and sends a text message to Mike. He positions himself behind me, embracing me closely and resting his chin on my shoulder. I wrap my arms over his as he holds on to me tightly.
    "I thought ..." He pauses, making me turn my face to the side to meet his. "I thought I was going to be in there for seven years and I was going to lose you."
    I turn my whole body to face him, wrapping my arms around his neck.
    "Stop it, don't even think like that. You're out now, and I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. I love you, and I mean it when I say it."
    "I can't believe they set me up like that."
    "Listen to me. They're out of our lives; you have nothing to worry about. I know it's hard to think that someone you've known for so long could do this to you, but you have to let go of any anger you have toward them. If you don't, it'll bottle up inside you, and then it'll eat you from the inside out. Trust me. I know how bottling up misery can be bad for you," I say, thinking of my ex, Jason, and the mess I was in.
    "I love how you always keep me focused. You help me just by being here with me, now, in this moment together."
    Mike pulls up to the curb. I lean forward and gently kiss Aiden, stoking his face. We hold each other closely. Mike walks around and opens the door. Eventually we part and get into the car. By the time we get back to the apartment, it's after eleven p.m., and even though we've been sleeping on and off all day, we decide to go to bed, completely exhausted.
    ***
    Time passes quickly. We spend our days and nights with each other in the apartment sleeping, watching movies, or making love. We never lose sight of each other or move from within the other's grasp. The time is spent holding each other tightly. The time spent apart has taken its toll on our relationship. It's as if we can't get enough of each other.

 
    Chapter 3
    A sense of nervousness engulfs me. I remember today is the day we go back to the office. I can't help but feel worried about how he'll react. As a matter of fact, I can't help wondering how I'll