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My brain short-circuited for one intense moment. I was enthralled.

I stroked her silky hair, leaning closer to her.

“Wake up, sleepy head,” I breathed into her ear. “The massage is over.”

“Don’t wanna,” she mumbled, clearly still half asleep.

I smelled her hair in one long inhale and resolutely shook her awake.

“Go away so I can sit up and get dressed!” she finally snapped at me.

“You sure you don’t need a hand with that?” I asked.

“Get out!”

“You’re no fun,” I told her as I left.

“Slytherin,” she muttered not quite under her breath.

“Hufflepuff,” I shot back.

“I’m obviously a Ravenclaw,” she retorted.

Of course she fucking was.

I began to hate Sundays. She was gone too much. For too long and leaving me no notion of when to expect her back more often than not.

When she was gone, every time I’d think of something amusing there was no one to share it with.

I’d think, Ro would get the humor of this.

It was just no fun without her. Nothing was.

It was one of the reasons I found myself planning a pool party on a Sunday right after my most recent deadline.

Well, I didn’t plan it. I had Ro to do that.

I did give her a guest list and attempt to brainstorm it a bit with her.

“It’s a lot more women than men,” she noted as she looked at the list.

“Well, yes,” I said, frowning.

“I didn’t think you liked parties. You haven’t had anyone but Dair come over almost since I started here.

I frowned harder. She had a point, and I didn’t like that. “I consider myself to be a social recluse. I like people, but I also like to stay in my house a lot. I actually have these parties fairly often, I’ve just been on deadline.”

She took that without comment, though I was curious to see what she thought, as usual.

“What about food?” she eventually asked. “Anything in particular you want to cater?”

“Whatever sounds good.”

“Does it have a theme? Anything special you want to do or to celebrate?”

“Let’s have a party entrance fee: Tops.”

She just rolled her eyes and took charge of the whole thing.