“That’s one way to describe it.” Nick leaned in to kiss my cheek. I saw the flecks of gold in his brown eyes, and it reminded me of someone I’d met before. “Brenda was out most of the day, but she made the most of her few minutes of supervisory time. Only she could casually drop that the CEO wanted to see me tomorrow.”
Tension started to build in his shoulders, so I tried to cut it off. “So she swooped in, said hello, asked about your day, andsaid, ‘by the way, the CEO is coming to meet you tomorrow,’ and then ran off?”
“Pretty much,” he said leaning against the counter. “She didn’t even ask me to take her to get coffee. I still don’t get why he picked me.”
It sucked that I knew the truth, but couldn’t tell him. “Why are you so nervous? Didn’t Brenda say it was a good thing?”
“Yes,” Nick said quietly. He picked at his fingers, something I’d come to recognize as a sign of his anxiety. “It’s just, every time things start going well in my life, something happens to mess it up. What if Ralph finds fault with my work? I’m just a low-level account manager. It’s not normal for us to meet with the CEO.”
I hated the secrecy was causing him this much angst. Knowing what Uriel told me helped, but it still hurt seeing Nick in such distress. Checking the food was okay, I faced Nick and took his slightly clammy hands in mine.
“It’s normal to be nervous, but don’t let it turn into anxiety. One of the things I do at work is research people I need to meet.” I pointed toward a slim stack of papers on the end of the counter. “I had my staff pull together some information on Ralph Mancini. Why don’t you read through it while I finish up dinner?
“Okay.” Nick looked skeptical, but picked up the papers.
“Everything I’ve found points to Ralph being a good person.” It was another half-truth but hopefully it would calm him. “Read through it. It should help put your mind at ease.”
Nick settled into a seat and started to read. Smiling, I finished making our dinner. The occasional rustle of pages confirmed Nick was absorbed in reading what I’d had prepared.
Vicky had been right. Uncle Raphael wasn’t going to make things worse. He knew what was at stake as well as anyone. Hewas also the best person to assess where Nick was and how to keep him from hurting himself or others.
If the visit hadn’t caused Nick such anxiety, I’d have welcomed my uncle’s visit. I had no experience controlling an angel’s emerging powers. Failing could have dire consequences for Nick and others. Uncle Raphael being here took some of the weight off my shoulders.
I finished dinner and set two plates on the counter. Nick looked up, seeming more relaxed than when he started reading. His new attitude lifted my spirits. “Find anything helpful?”
“Yes. This helped a lot,” Nick said, setting the papers aside. “Thanks. You always know exactly what I need.”
I smiled, leaning in to kiss him softly. The brief contact sent a spark through me, reminding me of our connection. “That’s what I’m here for. Now, let’s eat. After dinner, we can go over the information some more if you want, and then get to bed early.”
“Early to bed?” Nick raised an eyebrow suggestively, a mischievous glint in his eye. “I like the sound of that.”
My body responded to the implicit invitation, but I regretfully shook my head. “Sorry, hot stuff, but no sex tonight. You need a good night’s sleep to be your best tomorrow.”
Nick looked deflated for a moment, but then he nodded. “Will you at least hold me again?” he asked, his voice soft and vulnerable.
The request tugged at my heart, reminding me how much I wanted to make him happy. “Of course. And you can hold me too if you like.”
“I’d like that,” he said. “You don’t always need to take care of me. I want to support you too.”
The tacit admission that he wanted to be my partner, not a dependent woke something inside I hadn’t felt before. I always assumed I’d be the dominant one in any relationship I had. My position as a future archangel gave me a status only three otherswould attain. Nick, however, was just as powerful. The idea we could share everything might seem improbable at that moment but once he came into his full powers, he’d be my equal. That future thrilled me.
“Good, because I’d really like that.”
We ate dinner and quietly discussed Nick’s meeting. He’d calmed down considerably and gestured with his fork as he spoke. His eyes were bright with a mix of excitement and a tiny hint of nervousness. Not only were his powers awakening, so was his confidence. I saw glimpses of the remarkable man he’d soon become.
I liked the person I saw and couldn’t wait to share my life with him.
Nick
The office was eerily quiet. The usual hum of conversation and clicking keyboards was absent, replaced by an anticipatory silence that seemed to hang in the air. I wasn’t that early and I figured with the CEO coming people would want to get in early to make sure their workspace was neat. Instead, only a few of my colleagues were at their desks, and all but one was eating breakfast.
I’d woken before the alarm, too nervous to sleep any longer. Henry and I switched off holding each other and it was incredibly comforting sleeping next to him. It wasn’t nightmares, or insomnia that kept me up at night. I hated that I was twenty-five and never had even a semi-serious boyfriend. Alone at night I’d spend countless minutes wondering what was so wrong about me and how I could change.
The way Henry treated me made me feel special. There wasn’t anything wrong with me. He even tried to take care of me. Not like a parent, but as a partner. I wasn’t embarrassed to say I liked the attention.
“You’ve got this,” Henry had said between kisses before I left for work. “Just be yourself. That’s more than enough.”
I hoped he was right.
