Rhapsody (Part 2 of Medley).

22: TEMPERAMENTAL LOVE.

It's been a week and a half since I last was in Harry's arms.

We've been away from each other for longer before, but it's different now. Once a person becomes part of your routine, they leave a hole in your daily life when they're gone that can't be filled with anything or anyone else.

Paloma, the housekeeper, came in for the first time last week, and then two more times after that.

She seems very nice, was very professional and polite in the way she conducted herself and talked to me (but I hope she warms up to me soon because if she keeps calling me 'Ma'am' I don't know what I'll do!), and she has Harry up in a pedestal. Just like everyone else.

On the eleventh day at home, alone, my phone rings and it's a call from a contact that hasn't popped up on my screen for quite some time.

"Kai! How are you?"

"Hi Emi! I'm so glad I could reach you. Guess where I am?" He sounds overly excited and there's a lot of background noise coming from his end of the line.

"Where?"

It's Saturday morning here, so it's very early morning in Baltimore. I have no clue where he might be at 5:00 AM.

"I'm at a café here in London!"

Wait. What?

"You are?!"

"I'm on a business trip with the firm, we came for a meeting yesterday in Paris but it got postponed until Monday. So, I thought I'd come here and surprise you!"

Well, consider me surprised!

"Oh my god! Kai, that's awesome!"

"Please, tell me you're free for the weekend?"

"Yeah, yeah, I am. I'm off work. Tell me exactly where you are, I'll come get you!"

And so I do.

With all the lessons I've gotten from Augie in the past ten days on how to drive on the wrong side of the road (I say that because it bothers him), I'm now comfortable enough to do short runs to the stores nearby and to and from work.

The café where Kai is waiting, is luckily within that range.

After a long embrace, I take a minute to stare at his face and rejoice in the familiarity of it.

"God, I haven't seen you since-"

"Since April the 14th, your birthday." He finishes the sentence for me.

"Wow, I can't believe it's been three months already!" They say time flies when you're having fun. "What do you say we order some food to-go and head to the house? I'd rather us enjoy some peace and quiet so we can catch up without all the noise."

"Sure... but would Harry be okay with that? I don't want to disturb him at his own house."

"First of all, it's also my house for the time being and I can bring whoever I want. And second of all, Harry is on tour right now."

"Hmm, he's on tour and you're not there with him?" I can sense his question is full of other implications.

We walk to the restaurant next door to get our food and keep talking while we wait for our order to be ready.

"I know what you're thinking, and no, everything's fine. It's just that I decided to get a job and be productive instead of being a full-time groupie." I wink at him and he smiles.

"Is he making you pay half of the bills?" Kai jokes.

"Yes. He also makes me do all the house chores the way he demands and gets mad if dinner isn't ready by the time he gets home." I play along.