Office Affair

Guilty, yet pleasant feelings

Dominic stood reluctantly in front of the door of his apartment, with a key in his hand. He wondered if tonight he would step into a whole new reality, where his wife would be in the living room, waiting for him. Oh, if only alternative realities existed, he would almost go as far as trade Rima. Hunger nudged him forward, so he stepped inside and listened carefully. There was no sound, even though the lights in the apartment were turned on.

"I'm home...Kayla...," he called. Nothing. He sighed. Not that it was a possibility, but would it kill her for once to be there, being honestly happy that he came home? Unfortunately, that was something that they never shared. 

His feelings for her didn't change too much, but hers did. It hurt him to remember  the times when they both enjoyed the company of each other, and he couldn't decide who was guilty of that uncomfortable change. Probably nobody, but it didn't make him feel any better. He felt like they were strangers who shared the same place and, rarely, the same bed. 

He threw his jacket on the sofa and turned off the main light. He walked to the big electric fireplace and turned it on. It would take time for it to heat up to the expected temperature but he had time; he stood there, looking at the fire consuming the artificial wood. It looked so real, so comforting. Comfort was the thing he was constantly looking for, ever since he was a boy. That's why he knew what kind of an apartment he wanted. He wanted the one that will serve as a place of security and ease. And he got it. It took him a while, but now it was his and he used every second he spent there to appreciate it in various ways.  

The fireplace warmed considerably and he stretched his fingers in front of it, letting the heat burn them a bit. He loved watching fire spread its flaming tongues all around. He felt its heat in his bones, and the sensation was beyond words. After 15 minutes of meditating in front of the fire he looked at his wrist watch. It had already passed midnight. He closed his eyes and decided not to wait for Kayla to come home. It wouldn't have made any difference if he did. 

He was tired and he yawned as he walked into his bedroom. It was a chilly night, but he took his clothes off and remained in his underwear. He huddled under the blankets and took a deep breath, trying to fall asleep. Usually it would happen right away, but tonight he just couldn't bring himself to a state of complete comfort. His mind was so alive that, no matter how much he tossed and turned, he couldn't find a position where his body would relax completely. He turned around on his back, put his arms under his head and tried to figure out what was making him so tense.  

It wasn't Kayla's behavior; it could no longer make him feel nervous or excited. He was used to her being gone at night. Those rare times that she was home they wouldn't talk about important things, so whatever was going on inside of him; it was something new. It was something that he'd never felt before. He went through his day again.  

He woke up as early as any other day. He felt good, he was happy working with a new client...he took a break, made himself some coffee...went to see what Anya was doing...and then he remembered the moment when he stood behind Anya's back. It was that moment when he was struck with that strange current out of the blue. He thought it was the ventilation system but now he laughed at that idea. It couldn't be, because, if it were, he'd have felt it in every other room in the office. No, it was her. 

What was it about her that made her stand apart from everybody else in the office, he wondered. She was petite almost as any other woman in his office, so it couldn't be that. Her red hair was long, thick and fell down her back in such a wonderful form that he swore he could look at it the whole day. She wasn't too tall or too short. In fact, if she hugged him, her chin would fit perfectly on his shoulder. Her eyes were dark green. The way her lips curved in a smile was adorable. No, her appearance had nothing to do with it, he decided.