My Husband's Boss

Chapter 10: Departure

"Lena, hey, wake up. Last call, I'm about to leave without you! Are you going to ride with me to the airport?" Sterling's voice says as he shakes me awake. "What baby?" I mumble drowsily slowly stringing his words together in my head. "I said I'm about to elope with Amanda in Japan. So I was asking if you would give me your blessing." he quips. I crack my eyelids open and glare at him. "Shut up." I say closing my eyes rolling onto my back to sit up. "You know I'm just messing with you sweetheart, but no seriously will you please drop me off at the airport?" he asks in a babyish tone. 

"I guess..." I grumble sitting up. "You da' real mvp!" he says laughing.He can really be corny at times, but I have to admit it's kind of cute. "What time is it?" I ask taking my time to sit up expecting to have a hangover - or at the very least a headache. "It is currently, five forty three and exactly twelve sec-, no thirteen, no fourteen sec- , no fif-" he says before I cut him off. "What time is your flight?" I ask rubbing the corners of my eyes ridding them of eye boogers. "In about half an hour give or take." he says. I open my eyes in surprise "Holy crap why didn't you wake me up sooner? You're going to be late!" I cry out. His face twists into a hard smile as he turns his head towards the door motioning to two already packed suitcases. 

"I'm just kidding it's in two hours, but the airport is only about ten minutes away so don't worry. And I've been ready since four o clock, I've just been watching you sleep." he says creepily offering me a wink. "You are such a creeper." I say noticing that he is kneeling by the bed. "That might be so but, you love it." he says proudly swiping his finger on my nose. "Maybe, I'm still debating that." I joke sliding legs to the edge of the bed pushing him away. I place my feet onto the wooden floor and a coldness sneaks into them. "You might be ready but I need to get ready. I probably look like crap." I state standing up stretching my arms to the ceiling still expecting a headache but instead a soreness burns in my stomach from last night, ow. "Lena you look gorgeous, as always." he declares smiling at me as I walk away. "Of course you'd say that!" I announce over my shoulder as I walk through the bathroom door to examine the damage. Oh god, I wasn't far off from the truth. My hair looks like a dead birds nest, I grab my aluminum hairbrush off the sink counter and brush as quickly as I can. 

"Hey Lena, I'm going to go put my suitcases into the car, do you want me to make you some coffee really quickly before we go?" he yells to me from what sounds like downstairs. "If you don't mind yes please!" I yell walking back into the bedroom noticing an outfit lying on the bed, thanks again babe, I toss my brush onto the bed, and put my clothes on quickly. I should probably grab my phone, I reach over to the nightstand and pick it up. I doubt I have any messages, I press the power button as I walk downstairs looking at my screen to check for messages. Oh god, two missed calls from yesterday I knew I shouldn't have left my phone at home. Calm down they're just from Kerry. I wonder what she wants? 

I look up to see the front door opening and Sterling walking through. "Goodmorning pretty lady, I don't remember bringing you home last night." he says with a smile. "That's funny, I was just about to say the exact same thing to you." I add returning his smile as he walks over to the kitchen counter grabbing a cup of coffee for me. I'm kind of glad he's in a good mood, but that just means I'll miss him more while he's gone... I walk up to him, happy to enjoy him before he leaves, smiling like a kid in a free candy store. I wrap my arms around him and squeeze as I look up into his life-filled green eyes longing for this moment to have been two months ago or even two weeks ago... "Stop being cute, you're just trying to get wrinkles in my suit and make me miss my flight." he says kissing me on the forehead.  "Okay, let's go." I offer with a frown, he hands me my coffee, we walk out of the house to the car in silence holding each others hand. I look up past the windshield studying the dark morning sky.

"Are you excited to go to Japan?" I ask as he pulls off out of our driveway. "Uhm, that's a good question. I guess you could say that?" he says, I cock my head watching our house get smaller, it's nice but not nearly as grand as Mr. Primrose's. "So you're scared?" I ask teasingly. "No, not really scared just... I'm not sure what to expect you know. There are particular things I can and can't do." he says troubled. "I guess that would be a problem. I'm sure you'll have no problem doing everything to present yourself and the company well. Just relax, you're not a vice president for nothing." I say reassuring him by grabbing his hand and running my thumb over his knuckle.