Sunset

Laying in bed Sam thinks about her day, it had not ended as it had started. It hadn't even started the way she intended. She went to work with the objective of keeping her relationship with Steven professional. She’d been vigilant for a couple weeks about not allowing herself to slide into casual conversation with him. He’d tried a couple times and she’d route the conversation back to something that needed his attention, but it wasn’t easy. She’d grown fond of their relaxed time together. She’d wanted more of it but knew how busy he was running a company. She understands the demands of so much responsibility. She was never a CEO, but she had been a VP. It was nice to step away from being on everyone’s radar for a while. At Foresight she isn’t important enough to be on anyone’s radar, except if they need a meeting with Steven. However, she's starting to miss feeling important.

Staring up at her ceiling Sam recounts how thoughtful it was that Steven organized the picnic. She was beyond surprised by the gesture, but more surprised how she reacted to their co-conspirator breaking and entering escapade. She was so taken in with the beauty of the garden she didn’t hear the guards approach until right before Steven grabbed her hand and ran. She thought for sure they were going to be arrested and asked never to return. When he tripped and she landed on top of him her heart was beating so fast she couldn’t breathe. Her head lying on his chest she could hear his heartbeat. He was eerily calm, which helped her to calm down. As she became cognizant that she was lying on top of her boss she shot her head up and tried to scurry off him. When he grabbed her hand and shooshed her she remembered why they were there. She laid her head back down and became aware of his firm chest.

Slowly she slid her thumb back and forth over the ridge of his pecks. Electricity spiraled across her chest. Her breath caught and thumb froze as she regained her faculties. “You have to stop that”, she thought to herself. “What are you doing?”

In the privacy of her bedroom, she feels her heart rate elevate again just thinking about the close interaction. “Wow, you are so stupid,” she said out loud to only herself. “He’s your boss.”

After the guard checked Steven’s ID and called him “Mr. St. Cloud” she was very confused why he called him by that name. That’s not his name she thought, it’s St. George. She tried to get Steven to talk about the mix up, as well as why he brought a gun to the picnic. Nothing. He kept changing the subject back to the garden.

She kept looking down at her hand in his and back up to his eyes. She waited for him to realize he was holding her hand and let go. Instead, he turned and walked gently pulling her through the middle of the garden asking who gave the Queen that tree or those flowers as a royal gift. They walked back and forth through the garden multiple times talking until they found themselves sitting on a bench. Steven pointed at something and Sam followed his finger. The setting sun’s rays were slicing through a purple wisteria bush. They sat there watching till the sun disappeared over the horizon. They were in awe that the garden could be even more beautiful in the soft lighting of dusk.

Sam caught herself smiling as she recited the lovely sunset in her memory. A perfect ending to a captivating day. One she never expected and one she can never have again. Sam and Steven talked about so much today. She'd told Steven about being married once and about her daughter, Sarah. She did not divulge how Sarah died. She wasn't ready to share that piece of herself with him. Plus, she didn't want to bring down the mood of the day. However, one thing Sam never brought up was her former company, SAP, had reached out to her asking her if she’s ready to come back. She’d planned on telling Steven that morning when she went into work, but he distracted her with the meeting invitation.