Page 37 of The Maid

“You know this isn’t ten years ago, right?” It occurred to him that things seemed all too similar. “I am coming back. I’ll be back in a week.”

She nodded and he pulled her in and kissed her tenderly. “And Addie?”

“Yes?”

“Don’t you dare give up on us.”

She opened her mouth but he kissed her again, effectively shutting her up. He kissed her hard and deep, not able to get enough of her. When they finally separated they were both breathless.

9

Roses started piling up Monday morning and continued the rest of the week. Gun texted every day and they spoke daily, and even though there was still some uncertainty within her, she could see how hard he was trying. He'd never treated her like the hired help. That wasn't even the kind of person that he was. Judging him by the sins of his father (and mother) made her just as bad as them. Maybe it was time she took a real leap of faith, since she'd been holding back so much since they'd reconnected. It was, after all, not all Gunther's fault that things had ended between them all those years ago. She was just as guilty as he'd been. Gun was scheduled to fly back Friday, and she was looking forward to it. She was going to have a real talk with him and let him know she was ready to try. Really try.

As she was leaving work on Friday afternoon an email notification came in advising her that Gun had tried to charge something higher than his limit allowed. She pulled up the information but all she was able to ascertain was that it was done from a bank in Miami, which was concerning because he was supposed to still be in New York.

She was about to call him and ask, when he sent her a text.

GUN: Hey baby, something came up and I’m not going to be able to fly back until tomorrow morning. Miss you.

He was lying. Plain and simple. Just when she had been prepared to tell him how she felt about him, he lied to her. She was so upset, she shut her phone off and put it in her purse refusing to talk to him until she processed everything. Had even left for New York, at all? And the amount he had tried to retrieve was so great it had been declined. What the hell? Was he back to partying? Was he with another woman? She had so many questions she refused to think about it because it hurt too much to think.

Addie wore an emerald green dress that flowed to the floor and tied around her neck like a halter top. Her hair was up in a messy chignon. She had more make- up on than usual. She had floundered all day between going to the event and ditching it. She wasn’t sure what she wanted to do. She wasn’t even sure if Gun would be there, especially since she had yet to turn her phone on. At the end, she had decided that if there was one thing she could rely on, it was her job and she needed to go to the event with a smile on her face and do her work. If Gun was there, she’d confront him, if he wasn’t…well, she’d had to wait until she saw him to give him a piece of her mind.

She grabbed her keys and as she opened her front door to step out, Gun, in a full tuxedo, walked in, forcing her back inside, and closed the door behind him.

"Gun? I don't want to see you."

“Your phone?” He looked around. “Is it broken?”

“No.”

“So, what, you’re just not answering my calls?”

“It’s off. Didn’t know you called.”

He growled deep in his chest. "What. The. Fuck., Addie. We're going to talk."

"We’re going to be late. Plus, I don’t think we have anything to talk about. "

"Babe, we have so much shit to talk about, we may never leave your house!"

"Gun…"

He pushed her further into her house.

“Gun, look. I know you were in Miami yesterday. You’ve been lying to me. I knew it was just a matter of— –”

“I was in Miami.” He admitted without missing a beat. “I had to buy something.”

“Yeah,” she rolled her eyes. “I saw that. What? You bought the whole damn club?”

“If I didn’t fucking love you so much, I swear to God, I would put you over my lap and spank you right now.”

“Yyy-y—ou, what?”

"Was going to do this at the gala. But this needed to be done in private."

"What?”