Free Whisper Through The Pain (A Novella) by Renee Wynn

slowly as if he knew what had happened between her and Jake.
    “My husband is off limits.” She took a deep breath. “Look, I have to go.”
    She was glad they had come to an amicable place. They didn’t belong in each other’s future.
    “Brent, thanks for calling. Have a safe flight.”
    She severed the connection without giving him another thought.
     
    ###
     
    “Where in the hell is he?” she murmured, as his private phone line continued to ring in his office.
    She had walked to Jake’s office three times within the last hour and also called him. He still wasn’t there. Where could he be, she pondered again as she hung up the phone.
    She didn’t want to ask his assistant. For one thing, the man would’ve given her an inquisitive stare. He and Jake’s personalities matched—cranky, curt, and brooding. That’s probably why they got along so well.
    Her assistant, Joan walked through the door. “Melissa, since Jake is in New York, could you sign these documents? I need to Express them overnight to the client.” She handed the papers to Melissa.
    Shock caused her to stiffen. “Jake’s in New York?”
    Joan frowned. “Yes. You didn’t know?”
    Melissa rubbed at the tension in her temples. “Ah, I must’ve forgotten,” she lied. “I have so much on my mind and too many deadlines.”
    “You two live in the same house, don’t you?” Joan joked.
    “We are so busy, we barely see each other.’
    At least that was the truth.
    “Is there anything I can do to lighten the load?  I could stay a couple hours after work this week.”
    Melissa signed the contracts and handed them to her. “No. You don’t have to. I’m fine.”
    “Okay.” Her assistant turned to leave.
    “Joan.” Melissa stopped her. “Ah…uh…Could you tell me which hotel Jake is staying?”
    Her friend and employee looked at her.
    A riot of emotions were churning inside Melissa, one of them being embarrassment.
    “He’s staying at the Waldorf.” She paused for a moment. “I could get more information from his assistant.”  She waited.
    Melissa slowly nodded. “Thank you. I would appreciate that.”
     
    ###
     
    “I should call Jake and let him know I’m coming,” Melissa said to Sheila, as she folded lingerie in the suitcase. It had been a week since she last saw Jake. She admitted to herself that she missed him a great deal.
    “No, you’re not. Surprise is the best medicine for my cousin. It would do him good. His life is too orderly. The axle he sits on needs to be tilted a little.” She laughed.
    Sheila grabbed a handful of grapes from the bowl she’d brought into the bedroom. She munched loudly. Melissa grinned. Her pregnant friend thought it was her right to eat anything she wanted. It was good she had a high metabolism. 
    “Has Jake called?”
    “He left a message,” Melissa said.  She didn’t want to say it was a note left on the nightstand by their bed. The note had said he would be in meetings and unavailable, but nothing about the meetings being in New York. It bothered her he didn’t at least phone when he’d arrived at his hotel. Something was wrong. She just didn’t know what was going on in Jake’s head right now.
    “A message? Is that all?” Sheila inquired.
    She ignored the questions.
    “Jake wants to open an office in New York.”
    Sheila frowned. “I thought it was only in the planning stage.”
    “He moved up the negotiations.”
    “I didn’t know that. But that shouldn’t have stopped him from calling.”
    She agreed but didn’t voice it.
    Melissa offered, cautiously. “Maybe there was a snag in the negotiations. I don’t want to go and get in the way.”
    “You won’t get in the way. He could probably use your negotiating skills.”
    “I don’t know. Maybe—”
    “What’s wrong? You act as if you don’t want to go.”
    “That’s not it.”
    “Then what is?”
    She snapped the suitcase shut and put it by the bedroom door.
    “This thing with Brent caused a serious