At No Time || Bruno Mars

6

Peter's home was erstwhile when he finally arrived home. Though Kimioko was there, she hadn't bothered to leave on a light to allow any incomers easy guidance. If it hadn't been for his knowing his house like the back of his hand, he would have stumbled against the table in the hallway.

He headed up the stairs and saw that the bedroom light was on. Peter was sure Kimioko had heard him arrive, and it wasn't until he entered the room and he'd changed from his earlier attire that she chose to regard him.

"Why were you home so late?" Kimioko was propped up against the headboard, her bifocals perched on the tip of her nose as she read a Danielle Steel novel.

"The session lasted longer than expected." Peter wasn't sure why he lied. "And then we went to get something to eat afterward." At least it wasn't a complete lie.

"That's nice," Kimioko commented, setting a bookmark in the novel before closing and lying it on her lap. "While you were off frolicking with your playdates, you missed our appointment with Karen."

Peter's head fell back and he groaned in realization. Though he loathed the idea of doing any wedding planning, he hadn't purposely overseen the assignation.

"I'm sorry, Kitten. It's just that this time is crucial in the studio and it slipped my mind."

"Studio time is more crucial than us getting married?"

Peter stifled a grouse as he got into his side of the bed. "Don't do that."

"Do what?" Kimioko feigned ignorance with a shrug. "I'm simply asking why you always put your work before our relationship."

"I don't put my work before us, Kim. Like I've told you a billion times before, I'm under a lot of pressure. I want to get married and you know that, but I can't just put my work aside, especially right now. Why is that so hard for you to understand?"

"It's "hard for me to understand" because I have a schedule just as demanding as yours but I manage to make the time for it. I set a reminder on your phone and called you when you didn't show up on time." Kimioko's dark brow furrowed at her fiancé's incompetence.

"I had my phone turned off; you know I don't keep it on during studio hours to lessen distractions."

"God, Peter!" Kimioko rubbed her temples. "Can you for once get something straight? I'm tired of being the only one putting effort into making everything official. I don't want to do this by myself. It's your wedding, too. I need your input. You have work and I understand that, but I don't want to do this if you don't want to."

Peter turned toward her, a brow cocked. "Do what? Get married?"

Kimioko nodded, and Peter could see tears brimming her eyes. "You put a lot of things before me and sometimes I just feel like . . . like you don't really want to marry me."

"Kitten, no." Peter brought her into his arms and she lied against his chest. "If I didn't want to, I wouldn't have asked you. When I gave you that ring, it was because I want to be with you until my last breath. I'm sorry if I haven't made that obvious."

Kimioko wiped her cheeks, satisfied with his response. She reached up to kiss his cheek. "I forgive you."

Trystan sat in the passenger seat of Angelique's car, cradling a cardboard cup-holder containing three Vienna coffees in her lap, with one hand checking messages on her phone and with the other sipping hot chocolate from a tumbler. If it had not been for the bombardment of texts and e-mails she'd received from her boss and other associates from the company back in New York, asking of her settlement in the opposite coast and progress with the project, she would have already sent Peter a text thanking him for the dinner and conversation the night before. Considering it appeared the two had found common ground at the diner, Trystan did not find it aberrant. She asked Angelique if the idea was far-fetched.