Free Secrets of the Prairie by Joyce Carroll Page B

hiked the Adirondacks?” Despite my mood, the idea of another one of our adventures delighted me.
     
    “Yes, honey, after I finish that piece.” I looked over at the clock. It was already noon.
     
    “Don’t you want to get there before the sun goes down? It’s going to be really hard to find in the dark.” I frowned.
     
    “Yes, but I really need to finish this before tomorrow, if we want to have any time for our anniversary dinner tomorrow.”
     
    “I thought this was going to be part of our anniversary weekend. Don’t you think it deserves more than one day of celebration? I mean, we already missed the actual day.”
     
    “Yeah, because you had to go into work early, Jen.” He started to get defensive.
     
    “Because that’s my job, Elliot. Unlike you, I have to be there at a strict time or Nancy will have my ass.” I unknowingly had begun to raise my voice in annoyance.
     
    “This is my job though, Jenny. I thought you understood that.”
     
    “I do understand that. But if you spent less time trashing ideas that you half-assed and trying to create new ones halfway through your deadline, you’d have more time!” I stopped. I wasn’t an angry person, I hated yelling. I breathed.
     
    “You don’t understand what it’s like to be creative, Jenny. You have a set of rules that you have to follow and that’s it, no more thinking involved after that.” He realized how offended I now was, and held his hands up. I turned away from him.
     
    “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that, Jen.” I huffed in response.
     
    He stood up and put his palms on my shoulders, resting his head between my shoulder blades. I didn’t react.
     
    “I wouldn’t want to deal with Nancy’s face if you had said no, either.” I unsuccessfully fought off laughter at this, and gave in as we both exchanged Nancy impersonations.
     
    “I love you,” I said, still chuckling a little.
     
    “I love you too, Jen.”

***
    I went into work on Monday feeling refreshed, my adventurous weekend with Elliot having taken my mind off of the stress at the studio. We had reconciled that night with a long, romantic romp in the sheets, and a movie marathon that followed.
     
    I was putting my hair into a bun when Luis strolled in, looking preoccupied.
     
    “Good morning, Luis.” I said cheerfully. He looked up, seeming worried.
     
    “Heads up, Jenny. Nancy is stressed out, so she’s a little testy today.”
     
    “What else is new?” I laughed. He looked surprised, and smiled. I cursed my heart as it reacted by speeding up its beat.
     
    “Well well, have you lost the fear ?” his tailored vest clung to his slender form, and I had to concentrate on his words.
     
    “No, I think I just got a good night sleep for once!”
     
    “You worked hard last week, you deserve it.” He stopped and stared at me for a moment. I felt my cheeks get warm.
     
    “What?” I said, shyly.
    “Do you wear blush?”
     
    “Not really, I don’t wear much outside of eye makeup, why?”
     
    “Huh. I guess you have naturally rosy cheeks.” I must’ve looked embarrassed, because he followed up with: “it goes well with your fair skin.”
     
    I was elated for a moment, and before I could stop myself, I blurted out “you too.”
     
    He began to laugh, a little too loudly. Nancy opened her office door and strutted out.
     
    “Jenny, I need you to start your confirmation calls.” The expression on her face was unreadable. My smile faded and I nodded.
     
    “Oh, of course, Nancy, sorry, I was just putting my hair up.” She looked at me for a moment longer and then walked back into her office. I looked at Luis briefly, and we both held back amused laughter.
     
    I sat down at the computer and begin my task. Luis followed, reaching out from behind me to take a pen from the cup in front of me.  His voice was low and soft now.
     
    “Jenny, what are you doing tonight?” I thought of Elliot engrossed in his comics.
     
    “Nothing that I know of.