From: Eric Miller
Subject: Almost Stateside
To: Ana Thompson
Ana,
My flight is departing shortly, so I should be back in the states late this evening. Though I've enjoyed our phone conversations and email exchanges over the last few weeks, I can't wait to see you in person.
My only concern is that the easiness we've managed to attain will disappear, and I'll somehow fuck things up. I don't want to fuck things up with you again, Ana. Tell me how I can keep from doing that this time.
Eric Miller
CEO Miller Enterprises Holdings, Inc.
Ana bit down on her lower lip as she skimmed Eric's email for the ninth time. Gone was the teasing tone from his previous messages. It was obvious from his words that he was as nervous to see her as she was to see him, and while the thought was comforting, she didn't want things between them to be strained. They'd settled into a routine while he'd been in Tokyo, emailing back and forth several times a day. And Eric had called every evening to say good-night. Granted her evenings had been smack in the middle of his meetings, so their conversations had been brief, but he'd called every evening without fail.
She liked how things were progressing with them; she was tired of moving backwards. From here on out, she only wanted to move forward.
From: Ana Thompson
Subject: You Can't Be Stateside Soon Enough
To: Eric Miller
Eric,
I'm so glad you'll be home this evening. I can't wait to see you!
Stop over-thinking things. I know it's hard to just let things happen because everything has been either highs or lows with us, but I think we might be (fingers crossed) on the right track this time.
If things are uncomfortable, then we'll just have to revert to the email phase of our relationship until we get over it. And if that fails...well, I seem to have accumulated an overabundance of Japanese Rice Wine. It's fairly potent and a few sips should help with the awkwardness.
I miss you. I can't wait to see you. Nothing else matters.
Ana Thompson
General Manager of the hotel in which she shagged her boss
The Lux
Ana took a deep breath, hit the send button...and prayed for time to fly.
Eric's layover in New York City should've been three hours. He should've been home by six o'clock. Instead, it was eight-forty-five, and he was just climbing into the back of his limo. He gave Taylor Ana's address, and with a single nod, the jack of all trades shut the door, leaving Eric alone once again. His mind was racing as he contemplated Ana's email.
"Stop over-thinking things," he muttered to himself. Ana was right.
But that was easy for her to say; she wasn't the one keeping secrets. He had yet to tell her that he hadn't gotten her the job at The Lux—he grinned as he remembered the signature she'd left on her last email—and he didn't want to. Not yet, anyway. Things were finally looking up between them. But if he didn't tell her now, when would be a good time? If things kept getting better, he'd never want to tell her. He couldn't spent the rest of his life—or their relationship—lying to her. A few weeks. He'd give himself a deadline. He was good with deadlines; he dealt with them on a daily basis.
Two weeks. He'd allow himself two weeks with her, and then he'd make himself tell her the truth.
She wasn't home. He'd rung the buzzer to her apartment—they were going to have to have a talk about the security in this building—three times, and she hadn't answered. It was nine-fifteen on a Thursday night. Where the hell was she?
He'd called at nine on the third night he was in Tokyo, because she'd been asleep at ten-thirty when he'd called the first night, then at nine-thirty when he'd called the second. Nine had seemed to be a good time. She'd claimed to just be climbing into bed. Maybe she was already asleep. He hadn't called her because he'd wanted to surprise her.
Eric felt his phone vibrate and thinking it might be her, he snatched it out of his pocket.
You in town yet?
Elliot. Eric groaned. Not the person he'd been hoping to hear from.
Yes.
Where are you?
Eric used the index finger and thumb of one hand to massage his temples. He wasn't going to answer that question. You don't want to know.
Are you kidding? Now I REALLY want to know.
Too damn bad. I'm not telling you.
Fine, then. Don't. Hey...Ana looks sexy in tight jeans, don't you think? She just bent over to pick up my beer bottle, and I swear...mmm.
Dick. Where are you?
Kate's. And chill. Ana's not even wearing jeans.
'Chill?' What are you? 16?
She's naked.
"Bastard," Eric muttered. I'm on my way.
Ana felt like a fool as she looked down at her phone for what must have been the hundredth time in the last thirty minutes. It was nine-thirty; Eric had to be back in town by now. She'd expected him to call her at nine o'clock to say good-night—had even put her phone on vibrate so she could sneak into the bathroom when he called—but it hadn't rung once. The screen hadn't even lit up to indicate she'd received a text.
Maybe he was having second thoughts. Maybe she should be having second thoughts. Ana picked up her phone with a sigh. "I think I'm gonna call it a—"
The sound of Kate's doorbell, followed by Elliot's 'Come in!' interrupted her.
Whoever was on the other side of the door must not have heard, because the doorbell rang a second time. Kate stood and crossed the living room to open the door. As she stepped back to permit her guest entry, she turned to Ana with a wide grin.
Ana felt her heartbeat accelerate when Eric stepped inside. His gaze met hers, and she bit down on her lower lip. The awkwardness she'd been so desperate to avoid reared it's ugly head.
"One more step inside, Eric, and I could close the door behind you." Kate's tone was teasing, but he didn't seem to realize she'd even spoken.
"How was your trip, little brother?"
Eric didn't bother to acknowledge Elliot as he strode into the room. He headed straight for her, and Ana found herself mesmerized as his Miller eyes darkened until they were almost black. She'd just made her way to her feet when he came to a stop in front of her.
"To Ana Thompson," he said gruffly as a wide grin spread across his face. "Subject—you. From Eric Miller." He reached forward until his palms were resting gently on her cheeks. "I fuckin' missed you."
Ana laughed softly as every ounce of awkwardness slipped away. "I missed you, too," she whispered as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him.