“It’s about time you came back to bed.” T.C. said wrapping his arms around her.
“What?”

“I woke up earlier for a moment and you were gone, did you get a glass of milk?” he asked.

“You could say that.” She said smiling, at the thought of Julian.

“Must have been some glass, you look like you are practically glowing.” T.C. said.

“Oh, I see.” Eve said simply.

She wasn’t in the mood to get into such details about anything with him, she could only think of Julian and how he made her feel, how wonderful he was, caring, sweet, everything she wanted in a man, a lover, a husband. Eve was surprising herself with such thoughts with T.C. lying right next to her, but Julian had weaved his way back into her heart and she couldn’t change the feelings she had for him. When Julian returned to the mansion for the millionth time it seemed, Rebecca glared at him.

“What?” he said, with a snotty tone.

“You were out with Eve weren’t you?”

“Whatever, goodnight.”

“Julian?”

“Yeah?”

“You are playing with such fire, I am your wife and you are going to get burned by not only T.C. if he doesn’t kill you, but me. I already saved your sorry ass already, don’t ask me to do it again.” She said, with crossed arms.

“My ass doesn’t need saving by you, in fact, I prefer to fight my own battles thank you very much.” He said, saluting her.

“Quit with such remarks, I could have easily let T.C. kill you.”

“Yeah sure, you could have, but what would you have done without me in your life to sponge off of?” he asked.

“Sponge!” she said, her eyes becoming quite cold with fury.

“Yes, sponge, this is a marriage of convenience for you, remember? If I died, oh my God, the first thing you would wonder was which pocket my credit card was in. You Rebecca, digging through my tuxedo, my lifeless body on the ground.”

“How insensitive, I was very worried about you, I do love you Julian.”

“You love my money, plain and simple, now go back to bed, I am tired of looking at your sour expression.”

She turned her nose up at him and did just that, storming up the stairs. Julian wasn’t in a hurry to head to the bedroom, he could hardly look at her and he certainly didn’t love her, so what did it matter how often he actually joined her in the bedroom. It was quite late but he sat down and put his feet up, taking a sip of some hard liquor, which always seemed to block out any thoughts of living such a life with Rebecca. He put on his tape of Eve, which he had more than once rescued from Rebecca’s paws. Listening to his sweetie’s voice was so soothing, being able to think of her, even if she wasn’t there made Julian quite happy and content. Julian sat there for quite some time, until he had dozed off, woken up by Rebecca practically deafening him in the wee hours of the morning, asking him if he was ever coming to bed.

“I will be there in a minute.”

“A minute, you have been down here for a few hours now and there you go, listening to that damn tape of Eve again. I swear one day I am going to burn that and you will never have it back.” She said.

“You’re just jealous of her naturally beautiful voice, can I help it if the coyotes start howling when you sing even one note?” he said smiling slyly.

“Shut up!” she said annoyed.

“Why, did I hurt your precious feelings?”

“Julian, I am warning you, I will bring you down in a heartbeat if you don’t start being nicer to me, I have the upper hand right now, remember?”

“Oh grow up already, quit wasting your life on blackmail and revenge, you are getting more like Liz every day.”

“Just come to bed already, will you?”

“Why, nothing is going to happen, that bed isn’t going to get even lukewarm, so don’t even try.”

“Maybe not now, but you will be putting it out very shortly, or else.”

“Here you go with the threats again, husband or no husband, I don’t love you, I never will.” He said.

The next day, Julian knocked quietly on Eve’s door and when she opened it to him, she studied him for a moment.

“Julian, what happened to you?” she said touching his cheek.

“What do you mean darling?”

“You look so tired.” She said concerned.

“Oh Rebecca kept me up.”

“What?” Eve said astonished.

“It’s not what you think my love, I just mean she was being her annoying self and yammering in my ear, I have a headache. Besides you know you are the only one for me, the true love of my life Eve.” He said hugging her in the doorway.

Eve tensed up for a brief moment, knowing that anyone could walk by at anytime and see them together. She shut her door and locked it, taking Julian’s hand to the couch to sit.

“How was your night, everything, uh, okay Eve?”

“Yes, but T.C. noticed the glow I had after seeing you.”

“He didn’t ask any questions, did he?”

“No.”

“Good, but tell me more of this expression you had after seeing me, I am very interested to know your thoughts.”

“Julian.” She said smiling and looking away.

“Honey, if you were beaming after spending time together, I want to know.” He said caressing her tresses.

“It’s not a big deal.”

“It is to me.”

“Julian, you know I love you and you know I love being with you, so let’s just say I was rather sad when you left, but I get this feeling when I am with you.”

“What would that feeling be?” he said moving her back against the arm of the couch.

“You already know the answer to that.”

“You’re right, I just wanted to hear you say it.”

When he kissed her quite softly upon her neck, Eve closed her eyes. How she wanted him to stay with her all day, but unfortunately she had work to do and the patients wouldn’t check themselves.

“Thanks for stopping by, but I have to go and you should get some rest Mr. Crane.”

“Only if it’s with you, how I would love to hold you again and fall asleep in your arms, wouldn’t that be great Eve? I want more of what we had at your place last night.”

“When we go away perhaps?”

“Speaking of that..”

“Julian, I am rather busy with work at this point.”

“But darling, work is work, mix some of that business with pleasure, it will do you good.” He said smiling.

“You mean for you, but I am still a doctor.”

“I will show you a wonderful time, stress free days my love, you will be so happy.”

“Julian.” She said shaking her head.

“You know you want to Eve, come on, let’s plan this.”

“I can’t go far right now.”

“Well that’s fine, but the least we can do is get out of Harmony right? Away from work, stress, T.C., Rebecca, just time for us.”

“Alright, we will go.”

“When?”

“Well I do have a few vacation days I can use.”

“Use them Eve, how about tomorrow?”

“You are awfully persistent.” Eve said.

“I know because I know what I want and that’s you, I love you with all of my heart, look, just tell T.C., you have to work.”

“Easier said than done Julian, I don’t know, I will have to think of something.”

“Darling, I know.”

“Yes?”

“You tell him that you have to show a new doctor the ropes. That you have to spend more than a day with them.”

“T.C. won’t buy that.”

“Sure he will, just be convincing, come on love, do it for me, but more importantly, do it for us, and you my dear Eve.” He said, kissing her.

“Okay Julian, but if this backfires, I swear…”

“It won’t, let me take care of everything, we will have such a great time.”

He kissed her softly and then shut the door. Now he was glowing more than she was at the thought of some alone time with her. This was a chance he had waited for, he had tried so hard to give her the courage to just leave with him from the dance, but this way would be better. He really wanted Eve to feel just as comfortable with the situation so that was how it was going to be.