Chapter 3

"Hello?"Rebecca tossed her keys on the table beside the door and set her briefcase down. She kicked off her shoes with a sigh of relief. She knew Cassidy was home since her truck was in the driveway, but no one answered. "Probably in the shower," Rebecca told herself. She was tempted to go and join Cassidy, but her fingers were still wrinkled from this morning's shower. Rebecca smiled. What a wonderful start to her day. If only it had stayed wonderful. If only McEnroe hadn't reminded her of someone from her distant past.

She checked the time and saw she had a few minutes to spare before her five o'clock date. And since Cassidy's enticing naked body was upstairs in the shower, Rebecca thought it best to stay downstairs and occupy herself. Just send Eve and Lainey the business plan and shut down, Rebecca ordered herself.

Rebecca frowned when she walked into her office. There was a faint scent she didn't recognize lingering in the air. She shook it off as she settled behind her desk, reaching for her trackball mouse. Her frown deepened when it wasn't in its usual place and her computer was on. Again, she shook it off. Cassidy probably needed something. Doesn't explain the scent.

"Babe?"

Rebecca looked up into Cassidy's bi-colored eyes. She was dressed in basketball shorts and a tank top, her feet covered in fluffy socks. It was such a ridiculous outfit. Rebecca couldn't help but smile.

"Hey, baby. Have a nice shower?"

Cass walked further into the office with a sly grin. "Not as nice as this morning. You were pretty far away just then. Everything okay?"

The bad meeting is still bothering you. Your brain is playing tricks on you, Rebecca. "Yeah, everything's fine, baby. Were you in here earlier using the computer?"

Cass shook her head. "Nah, I don't like touching your stuff. Well, I like touching your stuff, but not this stuff," she grinned. "Why?"

"You know you can, right? I don't care if you're in here. I have nothing to hide, and you won't hurt anything if you need to use my computer."

Cass walked over to the desk, propping her hip on it as she addressed Rebecca. "I know, babe. But I wasn't in here. I left my site around three thirty, stopped by Ellie's, grabbed some food, and hightailed it home. Then I hopped in the shower to get the paint off me. Nothing I needed was in here until you came home. Is something wrong?"

God, she's so sweet. "No, not wrong. Do you smell that?"

Cass sniffed the air. "Sorry, babe. But I've either been wearing PPE or sniffing fumes all day, so don't trust my nose. What is it?"

"It's a perfume or something I don't recognize. And my computer was on. I could swear I turned it off last night before we went to bed. Or put it in sleep mode."

Cass's brows furrowed. Something was bothering Rebecca, and Cass didn't like that. She knew Rebecca wasn't secretive about her office. There wasn't anything the two of them didn't share. But Cass still asked for permission most of the time out of respect.

"Oh! The maid service was here today, right? Maybe one of them knocked your mouse while they were cleaning? That could explain the perfume in the air, too. Or maybe it's some cleaning stuff they used?"

Right. The maid service. They had only recently hired a service to keep up with the housework when they were too tired to do it themselves. Rebecca had forgotten they were scheduled today. She relaxed, chuckling at her paranoia.

"Sorry. I forgot they were here today."

"It's okay, babe, so did I. Did you check your computer? Is it still locked?"

Rebecca glanced at her screen. The lock screen was there, the cursor blinking in the box to input her password. "Still locked. I… I don't know why I got so bothered." Rebecca sighed. "That's not true."

Cass slipped off the desk and got to her knees in front of Rebecca. This was a far cry from the last time she was in this position. "Becca, something has you rattled. What happened today? You said you had a meeting. Did it not go well?"

Rebecca took Cassidy's face in her hands and kissed her. "Can we talk about this after I've changed and get some of Ellie's food in my belly? I think I'm a little hangry."

"Of course, babe. Do you want to take a shower while I get dinner set up? I'll make some flower tea, too. That always seems to help calm you."

"Yeah, that sounds wonderful. I will email the Sumptors and then shut down everything for the night. I'll only be a few minutes."

"He said what?"

Rebecca laughed softly at Cassidy's muttering about kicking his balls up into his throat.

"I made sure he knew I was married, baby. But that's not really what bothered me."

"Bothers me," Cass grumbled. Then she remembered to stop being a selfish prick and apologized. "What was it that upset you?"

"I'm not sure upset is the right word." Rebecca shook her head. "He was… arrogant."

Cass fed Rebecca a bite of banana cream pie before taking one herself. "You've worked with arrogant people before. In fact, you're one of the best at putting them in their place."

Rebecca wiped her mouth, swallowing the superb pie and immediately wanting more. She was stalling. Rebecca had felt this way before but didn't want to mention Samantha's name ever again, especially not in front of Cassidy. Nevertheless, they swore to be open and honest with each other. Good and bad.

"Something about him reminded me of… He was just so condescending. My ideas weren't good enough to even look at. Most of what he said focused on my looks or was sexual in nature. It's stupid to think, but it was like he called me for the sole purpose of trying to break me down."

Cass had set the pie aside the moment Rebecca said sexual, unable to stomach eating anything. What kind of fucker would speak to her wife like…

"Samantha," Cass managed, her throat tight with emotion. Rebecca nodded. "Shit, baby, no wonder you're on edge." Cass scooted closer, wrapping an arm around Rebecca's shoulders and pulling her into a loving embrace. "Baby," God, Cass didn't want to ask this question. "Did he… try something with you?"

"No." Rebecca sat up, looking Cassidy in the eye. "No, Cassidy. He was all talk. You know I would tell you if something happened. I've learned my lesson on keeping things like that to myself. Nothing physical happened…."

"But his attitude was enough like… hers that it was unsettling. Do you think that's why you were feeling a bit off in your office?"

Rebecca frowned. Was it? Did she make more of a simple situation? "Probably." She inhaled, holding it while she counted to ten, then let it out slowly. "I don't want to think of her. We've been so happy. I don't want to ruin that."

"Becca…"

"Wait. I've been keeping busy because I thought I needed to. But I think this is one area where our ages come into play." Rebecca held up a finger when Cassidy wanted to interrupt again. "I'm not saying anything negative, baby. Your career is just starting, and I'm so damned proud of you. You have no idea how proud I am. That being said, I've been working my ass off for more than twenty-five years. Almost as long as you've been alive. I'm tired, baby. I think today showed me just how tired I am."

"You want to retire?"

Rebecca's nose wrinkled in disgust. The same way it always did when they discussed their ages. "I'm not that old, Cassidy. I don't want to retire. Just… slow down. Our friends keep me busy enough. Ellie wants to expand, Blaise has her non-profit she's starting up, and Eve and Lainey will continue to buy the planet."

Rebecca rolled her shoulders, the tension headache she'd been feeling all day slowly beginning to fade as the idea of semi-retiring — that word still sucked — began to take shape. This conversation wasn't even on Rebecca's radar. Yet, here she was, making a case to get Cassidy's approval. Not that she needed it, nor would Cassidy ever tell Rebecca what to do with her life. But Rebecca would prefer to have Cassidy's support.

Cass drew random patterns on Rebecca's bare arm with the tip of her finger. "Babe, I'm all for you slowing down if that's what you want. And once this mural is finished —maybe in another ten days or so — I can slow down with you."

Rebecca looked back at Cassidy, her head resting on Cassidy's shoulder. "Do you really want to slow down on your art?"

Cass lifted the shoulder Rebecca's head was currently lying on, apologizing with a chuckle when Rebecca's head bobbed. "I want to spend more time with you. If that means slowing down, so be it."

"Baby," Rebecca sat up to face Cassidy. "That's not what I want. I…" She blew out a breath. "I mean, I want to spend time with you, but not at the expense of your career or art. Listen, I can pick up yoga again. Or learn a few dishes, so I can make us dinner… oh, Ellie is going to love me," she laughed. "My point is I can entertain myself until you get home. Then I can entertain you."

The smile that spread across Cass's face was beautiful and bright. "Yoga, food, and sex. Now that is my kind of retirement."

"Can you stop saying retirement," Rebecca scolded. "It makes me feel old."

"Sorry, babe. Slow down. Wait. That doesn't mean slowing down with me, does it? Shit, that sounded insensitive and selfish."

"Cassidy…"

"I hope you know I'm not with you just for the sex, Becca."

"Cassidy…"

"I love you with everything I am. And if you needed a break from sex, too, I would respect that…."

"Cassidy!"

"Yeah?"

"I think that by slowing down the stress of my outside world, I can give you more of my… inside world."

Another smile graced Cass's lips. "We should totally get a hot tub."

"Excuse me?"

"A hot tub! Picture it: I come home from a long day of painting, you're home after loosening up in yoga and cooking a wonderful meal, we slip into the hot tub to relax, we're naked, the hot water bubbling around us, oomph."

Rebecca slapped a hand over Cassidy's mouth. "I will agree to a hot tub if you stop talking. Tonight is about relaxing and just being. Think we can do that without marathon sex?"

Cass nodded her head, kissing Rebecca's palm. She took Rebecca's hand and removed it from her mouth. "We can totally do that. As long as I can snuggle with you and fall asleep with you in my arms, I'm golden."

Rebecca smiled. She leaned in to give Cassidy a kiss when her phone rang. "Rude," she muttered, glancing at her phone on the coffee table. "It's Eve."

"Get it, babe. I'll go heat up more water for tea." Cass kissed Rebecca's cheek as she popped up to go to the kitchen, taking dishes with her. "Tell her we're getting a hot tub!"

"Hello?" Rebecca snickered as she answered the call.

"Well, you sound much better than you did earlier," Eve said, a smile evident in her voice.

"That's what love does for you, right?"

"Don't I know it? I don't want to keep you away from Cass and wedded bliss for too long. We got your email. Rebecca, how deep of a dive did you do with this company?"

"I didn't do one at all," Rebecca confessed. "It was a last-minute meeting. McEnroe called, I asked for quarterlies, and I met him. I would have done my usual in-depth assessment if the meeting had gone better. Why?"

"Because we can't find any records of that company or…." Eve paused to flip through some papers. "Buck McEnroe."

"T-that can't be right. I was just there. I certainly didn't meet with a figment of my imagination, Eve."

"You went to his office?"

"Yes. His office that was at the warehouse."

"And you saw inventory?"

Why the hell was Eve interrogating her? Rebecca breathed in, calming herself. The damn headache she was just getting rid of was returning. "I didn't take a tour, Eve. I wasn't there that long. But I was there, in an office, with McEnroe, so I know they exist."

Cass returned at that moment, a frown plastered on her face. "What's up?"

Rebecca shook her head, taking the tea Cassidy handed her and pressing a button on the phone. "You're on speaker with Cassidy."

"I apologize for interrupting your night," Eve said softly. She hated upsetting Rebecca, but this could potentially be a situation if she and Lainey were right. "Becca, I had Jules look into this when Lainey and I couldn't find anything on this company. No public records, no state filings, nothing. And no one named Buck McEnroe is listed as a proprietor of such a business. I'm sorry, Becca, but I think someone deceived you."

Cassidy stood up to pace while Rebecca absorbed that information. "For what purpose?" she asked finally.

"We don't know, honey." This was from Lainey. "We're having Jules keep an eye on it. According to Reghan, there's nothing else we can do since lying isn't illegal."

"Can we at least find the prick and cut his nuts off?" Cass yelled.

"Cassidy."

"No, babe. I wanna know who gave him your number. The way he spoke to you? That's unacceptable. And it makes me think someone knows your, um, other business."

Unfortunately, what Cassidy said rang true. Rebecca grabbed Cassidy's hand as she paced by. "Sit with me, baby. Eve, Lainey? I would appreciate it if Jules kept an alert on this, but other than that, I'd like to forget about it." Rebecca held a hand up when Cassidy opened her mouth to argue. "If he contacts me again, we will deal with it."

"I don't like it, babe."

"I'm sorry. But I won't spend my… slowing down time worrying about this asshole. He's probably harmless."

"And if he's not?" Cass asked, her gaze never wavering from Rebecca's. Samantha probably seemed harmless at first, too. But if someone thought they could harm Rebecca while Cass had breath in her lungs, they were sorely mistaken.

"Ahem," Eve cut in carefully. "May I just say there were no criminal records found for Buck McEnroe, either? Believe me, Cass, I understand your concern. I promise you we will keep an eye on the situation."

"Fine," Cass sulked.

Rebecca rolled her eyes but still held onto Cassidy's hand. "Now that Cassidy approves, we're going to go. Thank you for calling. I'm sorry I wasted your time with this."

"You didn't waste anyone's time," Lainey said. "Jules loves using Sumptor, Inc. equipment to do things like this. And mine and Eve's lives have been so boring this past year. We could use the excitement." Lainey's sarcasm sparked a fit of laughter from her audience of three. "Get back to your night of relaxation, you two. Eve and I are going home to our kids. We'll talk to you soon."