A/N: I wrote this one for the National Nude Day contest, because what even is a break? I couldn’t help it, my brain has too many ideas and hopefully I could soon channel that again into the series I’m writing. Anyway, I hope this stand-alone short story doesn’t disappoint! Loved writing this and parts of it made me feel emotional, at least. Hope y’all can feel it, too.

Chapter 1

Her husband, Jason, sat across from her at the table as they dined silently. His gold band gleamed on his finger and Sayeh’s eyes drifted to the one on her own, embedded with a ruby. They’d been married for almost a year now and their anniversary was coming up, but she wasn’t really looking forward to it. Their marriage was an arrangement by their families, but they were mostly indifferent to each other.

“What did you get up to today?” Jason asked.

Snapping out of her thoughts, Sayeh chewed and swallowed before answering. “Nothing much.”

Silence fell again and she thought Jason winced, but it might have been her imagination. He was far too focused on his meal, not looking up at her as he continued eating. When they finished, she stood and began packing the dishes. His fingers twitched but he made no moves as she took his plate. This was how it was between them. He never offered to do this kind of thing. Once, he’d even tried to get her to wait for the house staff to do it, but she just wanted to do something. Anything, if only to deal with the silence in this house.

When she was done loading the dishwasher, Sayeh went to their room. Jason was changing and she did the same, putting on a black nightgown instead. He followed her to their bed, and they lay next to each other, pulling the blankets over themselves.

“I have that meeting tomorrow morning,” Jason said, rubbing his eyes and sighing. “The one with that Japanese rep. Not sure if I’ll even take him up on his offer and it might be a waste of time.”

“You should do it, anyway,” Sayeh said. Hitoshi Sanada was someone she’d recommended but Jason didn’t fully agree. Mr Sanada could do a lot to help them with their technology business, seeing as it wasn’t doing as well as either of them hoped. She didn’t understand why Jason wasn’t happy about the idea.

“Right. Anyway, I need you to go to our London company while I’m stuck at that meeting. There are a few things that need to be picked up-“

“You don’t have any delivery drivers to do it?”

Jason gave her a wry, crooked smile. “You’re the one who keeps talking about how you don’t do enough. Thought you could do this.”

Sayeh looked at him for a second before shaking her head and turning her back on him. She was about to say no but then thought maybe it wouldn’t hurt to get out of this house for a while. Most of her days were spent in front of her laptop while being cooped up here, making calls and responding to emails, among other things. She didn’t get to see anyone else as much as she liked.

“Fine.”

She heard him sigh but he said nothing more.

——

Chapter 2

The drive took a couple of hours. Sayeh parked her blue car in the garage, then made her way into the building and towards the reception desk. The man behind it – tall, with cropped dark hair and hazel eyes – smiled. Her eyes swept over his muscular body, something he couldn’t fully hide beneath that white dress shirt and black vest he wore. She couldn’t help but smile back. Kyros. She hadn’t been sure that he was still working here but had seen him over a year ago and had liked talking to him.

“Mrs Hollingworth. You’re here for the packages, right?”

“Yes,” Sayeh said. “And please. Call me Sayeh.”

The man beside him, a bit shorter, pale with dark brown hair and light blue eyes, raised an eyebrow but said nothing. His name tag told Sayeh that his name was Aaron and Sayeh didn’t like the slight smirk that was tugging at the corner of his mouth even as he tried to reign it in. It wasn’t her fault that Kyros was attractive enough to draw most people in. For Sayeh, it was his warm tone and the hint of an accent that slipped in whenever he talked.

Trying to ignore the heat beneath her thankfully high collar, she cleared her throat and made herself remember what she was here for. The packages.

“Are they ready?”

“Yes. Just one moment.”

Still smiling, he told Aaron that he’ll be back in a moment and disappeared to a room just behind the desk. Aaron turned away quickly and went about his work. Kyros returned with two medium sized boxes.

“I’ll help carry these to your car.”

Sayeh nodded and they made their way to the garage. Inside the elevator, Sayeh pressed the button and sighed internally. She wouldn’t have minded spending a bit more time around Kyros or anyone else for that matter. This meeting was too short, but she couldn’t think of any more reasons to stay. Besides, Jason would be back by the time she returned, and he’d be expecting the packages to be there when he was.

“How’s life these days, Sayeh?”

“Oh, same old. Business as usual,” Sayeh said, smiling up at Kyros. “How’s yours?”

“Same, too. Will be going to a rock concert tonight.”

Rock concert. Sayeh herself wasn’t as big of a fan, preferring mostly folk pop. The elevator doors opened and they walked to her car. She unlocked it and opened the trunk. Kyros put the packages carefully inside and closed it. He turned to her.

“Alright. Have a safe drive, Sayeh.”

He held out his hand and Sayeh took it in her own, giving a polite shake before he let go and turned back to walk to the elevator. Sayeh watched him go, her face falling a bit. Back to their lonely apartments. Back to her husband.

Kyros pressed the button. As the doors closed, he glanced her way, frowning slightly when he saw her still standing there. Sayeh quickly turned away just as the doors fully shut. Oh, God. He’d caught her staring. Heart racing, she got into her car, then drove away.

——

Chapter 3

“How’d the meeting go?” Sayeh asked as she took another bite of food.

There was a pause before Jason answered. “Fine.”

“Just fine?”

“Yep.”

Sayeh’s grip on her fork tightened slightly, a little impatience seeping into her tone. “Well, what did Mr Sanada say?”

She waited for Jason as he downed his wine in one gulp. His eyes remained averted when he finally spoke. “I had to reject his offer.”

“What?!” Sayeh put down her knife and fork, staring daggers at him. “Jason, he could have helped! Why did you do that?”

Jason sighed in exasperation. “His views didn’t align with ours, Sayeh. He wants to take the company in a direction that we don’t have the budget for.”

“We can do something about that! We can sell stock-“

“No. I have a better idea.”

It was hard to keep the venom out of her tone. Even if he was the son of the CEO, most of his ideas weren’t that good. “And what idea is that?”

“Just trust me on this. It will be good.”

Sayeh grimaced and stopped talking. When he got like this, she couldn’t talk him into anything. Instead, she told herself to breathe. To try again later. Maybe when they both had time to think more, she could convince him to reach out to Mr Sanada again.

Silence remained as she packed the dishes away. And in the kitchen, where he’d followed her, staring as she put them in the dishwasher. Then upstairs, in their bedroom as they changed. But she didn’t join him in bed yet. Instead, she went to the window and looked out at the city. The lights of the buildings all around them, the cars driving by, the people walking along the streets. It always calmed her down.

She heard shuffling behind her, then Jason walking to her. Sayeh didn’t move even as his bare chest pressed to her back and his arms wrapped around her. He leaned his face against hers, staring out the window with her. But his touch did nothing to comfort her. She wanted an explanation, though she knew he would never give her one. He never did.

Jason kissed her cheek and trailed down to her neck, pressing up against her more. Sayeh stilled as his hands travelled down her arms and came to rest on her belly. After a moment, she pulled away from him and walked to their bed.

“I’m tired. It’s been a long day,” she said as she climbed in. Pulling the covers over herself, she turned her back to him and heard a quiet sigh before he joined her.

——

Chapter 4

A knock at her in-home office door interrupted her thoughts as she kept staring at the email to Mr Sanada. Her fingers were poised over the keys, but the contents were still empty even after fifteen whole minutes. Sayeh took off her reading glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose before telling whoever it was to enter. In all honesty, part of her didn’t mind being pulled away from this for a bit.

Their red-haired housemaid entered and smiled. She was an older woman in her 40s, her own diamond wedding ring shining on her finger as she made her way towards Sayeh with that usual spring in her step.

“Hi, Mrs Hollingworth. I brought you some of that jasmine tea you like,” Addy said. She set down the red porcelain cup, and Sayeh breathed in the comforting smell as the steam rose. Next to it, Addy also set down the pot along with a plate of lamington cakes.

“Thanks, Addy,” Sayeh smiled up at the other woman.

“Let me know if there’s anything else. I’ll be around for another hour before having to go home.”

Sayeh nodded and, still smiling, Addy left and closed the door. A while later, after spending some more time going back and forth between other work, calls and the still empty email to Mr Sanada, Sayeh gave up and deleted the draft.

Turning to the tea and cakes, she finally picked up the cup and sipped, letting the lukewarm liquid slide down her throat before following it with one of the cakes. She finished the plate and the entire contents of the pot before hearing the door of their apartment open. Jason’s voice called out a greeting, and she reluctantly did the same.

Turning back to her laptop, she stared at the screen before sighing, shutting it down and looking out at the darkening sky outside. She wanted to fix this somehow but wasn’t sure if she should go behind Jason’s back to do it. Even if she was his wife, he was the one who held more of the shares than she did.

Jason knocked once right before he entered and she turned to him. He gave her a tight smile.

“Let’s go out somewhere for once.”

“…Fine.”

——

Chapter 5

“Mrs Hollingworth! Back again so soon?” Kyros greeted. Next to him, Aaron also greeted her with a smile and she did the same.

Sayeh nodded. “Yes. I have some things I need to take care of here today.”

Kyros frowned a little and glanced at his computer. “Oh. Is there a meeting? I-“

“No,” Sayeh answered quickly. “No, it’s nothing like that. Nothing you need to worry about. I’ll head off upstairs now.”

Smiling again, she walked past them and to the other set of elevators as they stared after her. What in the world was wrong with her? She couldn’t just have said the truth? That she had decided to work here for once instead of her dull home office?

Jason was home today and she’d rather be here, after last night. Sayeh had tried to talk more about the Sanada deal, but Jason still wouldn’t budge on his stance or explain himself. So, here she was, two hours’ worth of drive away. She’d disappeared before he’d even woken up. It had been very early, and she’d carefully pulled away the arm he’d wrapped around her waist some time in the middle of the night before quietly dressing and walking out.

Setting up her laptop in his office, she got to work. At 9:34am, her phone rang and she glanced at it. Jason. She stared at it for a few seconds before rolling her eyes and picking it up.

“Hey. Where’d you go?” His sleepy voice came from the other end.

“I’m at the office,” Sayeh replied flatly.

That seemed to wake him a little more. “The London one? Thanks, Addy.”

“You’re welcome,” Addy said cheerfully in the background before Sayeh heard the door close.

“Yes. I’m working here today,” Sayeh said.

“Why not at home?”

Sayeh was silent, struggling with telling him how upset she was.

“I just…wanted to get out of the house for a little bit. I spend too much time there, anyway.”

Now he was silent. After a moment, he spoke, his voice clipped. “Well, will you be home by dinner?”

She stifled a sigh. “Yes, Jason.”

“Alright. Drive safe,” he said curtly.

Before she could think of an answer, Jason hung up and Sayeh stared at the phone. The silence pressed in around her and suddenly her eyes filled with tears. It took a while for her to realise someone was knocking at the door.

“Mrs Hollingworth?” Kyros called from the other side.

Swallowing, she quickly blinked the tears away before telling him to come in. He was smiling, carrying a small stack of papers in hand. He frowned a little at whatever he saw on her face. Sayeh quickly tried to smile back, but her cheeks felt a little tight.

“Is everything okay?”

“Yes,” Sayeh said quietly.

“Right. Uh…Abigail asked if you didn’t mind taking these files to Mr Hollingworth for review? Or we could wait for him to come here next-“

“No, it’s alright. I’ll take them,” Sayeh said quickly, motioning for him to come to her. He did so hesitantly and she reached out to take them. Kyros turned to leave but paused at the door.

“Uh…some of us were thinking about going to the café next door for lunch. Since you’re here today, would you want to join us?”

Sayeh thought about it for only a few seconds before nodding. Smiling fully again, Kyros nodded and closed the door.

——

Chapter 6

Lunch was…interesting. Kyros was joined by herself, Aaron and two female co-workers. Even if they were a bit guarded around her, Sayeh listened as they talked about their day and what they would do after work. Eventually, she even joined in and opened up a little when they asked more about her life, though they still asked work-related questions every now and then. She smiled a little after they’d gotten back to the building and parted ways. It was then that she’d realised that she couldn’t remember the last time she’d gone out like this.

Entering Jason’s office, she looked at the files sitting next to her laptop and inhaled. She should set off now if she wanted to get back by dinnertime.

Dinner was silent with the occasional glances and trivial small talk she didn’t care much about. In their room, he tried again to start something when they lay in bed, but she pulled his hand away as it rubbed her thigh.

Three days in a row, she went back to the London office. Kyros invited her out to lunch every time and she was glad for it. The others became a little more comfortable around her and talked about other things they liked to do. Concerts, bars, restaurants, people they personally liked at work or didn’t like.

Sayeh ignored most of that last bit, part of her wondering if they had some kind of agenda or if it was just innocent small talk. Either way, she wouldn’t let it influence her views of their employees or tell Jason unless she really did see something herself. At least once, Kyros looked like he was going to smack his forehead but quickly stopped and changed the subject smoothly enough that the others didn’t seem to notice.

Later on the third day, the sky was steadily darkening as she typed a response to the last email she would take care of before leaving. A knock came at the door, and she called out for whoever it was to enter. When she looked up through her reading glasses, Kyros was in the doorway, smiling.

“Are you planning to leave before we lock you in the building?” He teased. Sayeh let out a laugh and glanced at her laptop. She would send the email at home. Taking off the glasses, she rubbed her eyes and nodded.

“Mr Hollingworth asked for a few more of those packages. I’ll help bring them to your car.”

“Right. Thanks, Kyros,” Sayeh murmured as she packed her laptop away and followed him downstairs. To her surprise, the entire building was empty now. She looked at her phone and saw that it was 5:47pm. Way past the time others usually finished work and went home.

“Oh, God. I’m sorry. I kept you here too long, didn’t I?”

“Nah, don’t worry. I decided to stay back. I know how busy you are. Didn’t want to disturb you.”

They were near her car now and Sayeh smiled back at him, her eyes sweeping his back as he loaded the trunk. After he closed the door, she turned to him. Kyros held out his hand and she took it, relishing the warmth of it, the contrast of his slightly darker skin against her lighter one. She looked up at him, thinking back to all the group lunches he’d invited her to. His eyes flickered for a moment, but he made no moves to let go of her and go home.

It was always him, she realised. He was the one to always invite her to their gatherings. Others had come by every now and then to ask about work-related things, but Kyros was the one who came to check on her the most. Sayeh wondered if anyone else had noticed.

He cleared his throat. “Well, you have a safe drive, Sayeh. See you next week.”

Kyros began pulling his hand away, but her grip tightened a bit, making him pause. Before she could really think it through, she had gripped his collar and pulled his face down to hers, her lips crashing against his. She felt him go still before his arms wound around her waist and he kissed back.

A minute later, he suddenly let go and pulled away, averting his eyes. Sayeh also came back to her better senses and looked down, her arms wrapping around herself. What in the world had she just done?

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that,” she whispered, cheeks hot.

Her wedding ring was a weight pressing around her finger. Before he could say anything, she fled to her car and reversed. She looked at him one last time, taking in his conflicted expression, before she drove away.

——

Chapter 7

The day after, Jason was due to fly out to their Glasgow office for a few days to meet his father there. He’d given her some instructions, kissed her cheek and left without another word. Though he looked like he’d wanted to say more, he didn’t. He entered the cab and off he was. She turned back to go into her apartment, where she would be working in her home office again. On the way, she greeted her parents as they rushed out the door, only stopping long enough to hug her.

Days blurred into nights. When Jason got back, he was with his father and Sayeh remembered that they were supposed to have a family gathering the next night at his parents’ apartment just above theirs. She’d forgotten until then. As they lay in bed, she reluctantly listened to Jason complaining about other work things she didn’t much care about, his family and hers, their expectations of their union.

That last part caught her attention and she nearly recoiled when his hand glided up her thigh, disappearing beneath her nightgown and to her belly again. He finally shut up when he trailed kisses across her shoulder, towards her neck. She stared at her wedding ring, resting on the bedside table. His own band pressed against her breast. Sayeh swallowed when his erection pressed to her from behind.

“I’m tired, Jason,” she murmured.

The hand on her breast stilled.

“You always say that,” he said quietly. “Maybe if you didn’t spend so much time working, or driving back and forth to London, you wouldn’t be. We still have this part of the marriage contract to fulfil.”

Sayeh clenched the bedsheets. “I don’t recall a time limit being set, or anything saying that we can’t adopt.”

Jason’s fingers tightened a little against her body, but without another word, he pulled away. When she glanced back, he’d turned away from her.

Dinner the next night was the same as usual. At the very least, she got to catch up with her parents and sister. She’d missed them so much. Even if they lived in the same building, they were more adventurous than she was and often went out or travelled when they weren’t busy with work. Sayeh held her newborn nephew as she talked to her sister.