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JOSH: I had a good day. David and the band practiced and recorded all afternoon, so it was me alone by the pool. I'm on the plane and will be home soon. See you tomorrow in the photocopy room at some point for a squeeze and kiss, and more if I can manage it.
Then, I closed my cell and leaned back, planning to catch some shuteye after the plane taxied down the runway for takeoff and we were finally in the air.
I arrived back at JFK at eleven o'clock the next morning and was met by Reg, who drove us back to the apartment.
He told me about the small bit of intrigue when Ella saw a man wearing a fedora in the back alley behind her apartment in Chelsea and I thanked him for being there to calm her fears.
"No sign of Mr. Fedora since the day you spoke with him?"
Reg shook his head. "No sign. We'll keep an eye out for anyone or anything suspicious."
"Thanks," I said. I went up to the apartment and had a quick shower and then made my way to my office to try to get a few hours of work in before I popped in to see Ella. I'd been away for three days and while I was on top of my email, there were papers to sign and reports to read. Plus, editorial meetings I had to attend and prepare for.
Just before two o'clock in the afternoon, I sent a text to Ella.
JOSH: Come up to the apartment if you can on your break for a kiss and squeeze.
Ella responded right away.
ELLA: No can do. I'm in a meeting with Sharon until four, but I could see you then.
JOSH: I'm in a meeting at four with the finance guys. How about we order dinner in at seven and call it a day in my apartment, so I can ravish you several times.
ELLA: I'll meet you up there at seven, ready to be ravished several times.
I smiled and put my cell away, then found something else to do for the next hour until my meeting.
The rest of the afternoon went by quickly, and finally, seven o'clock rolled around. I checked my watch and packed up my laptop, cleaning off my desk before saying good night to my receptionist. I took the elevator up to the penthouse and was surprised to hear water running in the bathroom when I arrived.
I went into the bathroom, already unbuttoning my shirt, and saw that Ella was naked and bending over the bathtub, her back to me.
She was there and preparing to be ravished.
So, I ravished her.
Later, we sat in our bathrobes at the dining room table and ate Chinese take-out by candlelight.
"So," Ella said and played with her chopsticks, trying to pick up a shrimp but failing. "When are you going to tell me about your mysterious trip?"
"Oh, that," I said and sighed heavily, not sure I wanted to get into it at that moment. "Can we wait on that? I don't want to ruin the evening."
She didn't look happy at my request to delay discussing it. "It's that bad, is it? You're making me nervous."
"Don't be," I said and reached out to take her hand. "It just cuts close to the bone, that's all. I'd rather talk about something positive."
"Okay," she said, and then we moved on as easily as if she'd never even asked.
I was glad. I still felt this incredible sense of guilt about how I'd treated Penny -- callous and instrumental, treating her like she was a toy I enjoyed playing with rather than a person with a mind and heart of her own.
We slept in late, deliberately turning off the alarm so we didn't rush out and instead, took our time, enjoying a shower together, another round of lovemaking, and then breakfast together.
"So, what's up for you today? More meetings?"
"More meetings," I replied. "I sometimes wonder if I do anything else. What about you? More manuscripts?"
She laughed. "More manuscripts. I never wonder if I do anything else. I don't. That's all I do, and I love it."
"Do you really?" I asked, watching her while she poured herself a cup of coffee in her travel mug. "Don't you get sick of all the dreck?"
