Jared was in a bad mood— or should he say infamous— mood.

Dahlia had sneaked back to her room while he was still sleeping and he didn’t even feel her leave. Now he was sixteen patients in before noon, his nurse was scared of him, and his wife was nowhere to be found. Well, charge nurse, since no one at work knew what was going on between them-- that they were married . Company protocol stated dismissal of one or both parties in case of a work relationship.

He was oddly upset with her. Their fake marriage hadn’t really mattered to him until last night when suddenly everything seemed to have fallen into place, but not quite making sense, since nothing about last night made sense to him yet. He scoffed. She had—what was that word—hit and quit it?

That felt shitty. The nurses eyed him nervously as he kept muttering under his breath. Fuming, he walked back into his office. His phone got him in an even worse mood. One missed call from his mother, three from his grandfather, but not a single call or text from Dahlia.

He texted her, Hey, where are you?

MEETING. WILL C U LATER.

MEETING and see you later??

Can you call me when you have time?

IDK WHEN. TTYL.

What the—okay. She didn’t want to speak to him? Fine. If she wasn’t going to make a big deal out of it, then neither was he. Except it bothered him she could just walk away, no comment, no questions asked. He felt a little hurt.

Ouch. He felt used.

He tossed his phone across his desk.  He had never felt so stupid and confused as he did now. Like what was he supposed to feel?

“Hey, doctor, your next patient is ready for you.” Nurse Mary Anne said as she peered into the office. She was nice, but with a jittery personality.

“Yeah, okay,” he said and sighed. He was so ready to go home. "I’ll go see that patient now.” Taking one last look at the phone on the corner of his desk, he stood up and left. 

......

“Well, what are you going to do this Christmas? Are you going to finally join us at the Christmas party?”

“What?”

“I don’t think she's really listening.”

“Of course, I am…” Dahlia stared at Mindy, another supervisor. “I’m not going. I don’t know why we must discuss it now. It’s too early.”

“You didn’t go last time either,” Larry from the ER department said. “FYI, it’s already September.” 

“I don’t even celebrate Christmas.” She hadn’t been home for a Christmas since she was twenty.

“Come onnn! Even Dr. Dale parties and he can be a party pooper.” Larry complained making Dahlia roll her eyes.

She knew Jared went to the parties. The company network page (kind of like Facebook but CONTROLLED) had pictures from last year’s parties and she’d seen tons of pictures of Jared dancing with different girls. 

“I don’t know. I just…have things to do.”

“Yeah, like sit at home and be bored.” Mindy said. “You really should go. We'll rent a room and get drunk. Maybe you'd even meet someone.” She said winking.

“I don’t think a company party is a good place to meet someone,” Dahlia muttered. That was ironic.

“Well, things happen. Don’t be a bore, Dahlia. You work hard and deserve a little fun.”

“I'll think about it, okay.” But I won’t go, she though to herself.

“Okay, fine. Now about this budget….”

…

“It's kind of quiet around here…”

“Hmm?” Jared looked up from his laptop to his mother who was sitting on the couch across from him. She was knitting and as demure as she appeared, he knew she was plotting.

“I said it's quiet.” She raised an eyebrow, “Where is that wife of yours?"

Looking down at the clock on his laptop, he shrugged. “She had a meeting at corporate. I’m sure she went to meet with the other supervisors.”

“You know, or you’re sure?” Camille smiled to herself. As usual, she was trying to instigate trouble.

“I’m sure, mother. Please let me finish these notes because I have to send them off.”

“I’m not doing anything, Jared. You always think the worst of me.”

“I know you.”

“Hmm.”

As if she had been summoned, Dahlia walked through the front door heading straight for the staircase, car keys and water bottle in her hands. Her hair had been pulled up in a messy pony tail, her cheeks flushed, she looked to have been in a haste.

“Well, look what the cat dragged in.”

She stopped in her tracks and looked into the living room.

“I didn't think you'd still be up.”

“Why?” Camille raised an eyebrow at her, “Wanted to sneak past your husband?”

“No. Because he’s usually upstairs reading.” Dahlia muttered. Damn nosy woman.

“Long day?” Jared asked, cutting off his mother, knowing she was about to say something nasty back to Dahlia. 

“Yeah. I met up with Larry and Mindy and some of the other managers. We stayed over a little longer because they started asking about the Christmas party. I got stuck at work afterwards.” Heart racing, she wondered if she was still a little nervous after last night. “I stopped by the gym on the way back.”

“I figured. Had dinner?”

“Not yet. Had a big lunch though. I'll grab a quick snack and head upstairs.”

“Okay.”

“Night everyone.” Dahlia said, giving Jared a look he couldn't decipher and blatantly ignoring his mother, who pretended to not have heard her.

..

Throwing her keys on a chair, she let out the breath she was holding.

Man, his mother was a piece of work.

What did she even have against her? She just hated her for some odd reason. Just because she wasn't a doctor? Or didn't have her own house and a time share, or a boat? Camille needed to calm the fish the down.

“What a viper,” Dahlia muttered to herself as she stripped and climbed into the shower. She sighed as she felt the warm water hitting her back. She was sore. Her legs were aching, as well as other muscles she hadn’t felt in quite some time. As she shampooed her hair, her thoughts wandered back to Jared. He seemed calm, didn’t look too concern about her coming home late. He understood and she bet his mother was the only one concerned about where she had been. Her stomach clenched as she remembered how he'd looked her over, head to toe and back when she'd stopped by the doorway to the living room. His eyes had a little heat to them.

“I’m going crazy already!” She mumbled to herself as she shut off the water and stepped out to dry herself. “There’s no way he'd do that. It's Jared we're talking about!”

Last night it was Jared, too.

It wasn't going to happen again.

But It did happen twice, though...

“Gah. Stop it, brain!” She muttered angrily. “It was an itch that needed scratching, has been scratched, and won't be repeated!”

Pulling on some clean clothes, she stared at herself in the mirror. Pale face, brown hair, she looked tired and confused. She knew that she'd made her choice, but she hadn’t realized that it would make her feel this bad. What if Camille was right and she didn’t belong in his life?

“I am not marriage material” She sighed as she brushed her hair. She didn’t feel that pretty, or classy, wasn’t a good cook, didn’t even like makeup! She didn’t resemble his usual women friends, those tall blondes who would visit him at work. He always said they were his friends, but they had hunger in their eyes. His personality left a lot to be desired, but his money was a different story.

Had they ever tried to make a move on him? How far had they gotten?

“Stupid!” She scowled, throwing her hairbrush across her bed. “I don’t even care.” She really needed to calm down. She had made a choice, now she was acting like a lovesick girl.

Slamming the door to her room, she walked downstairs to get a snack.

She was in the middle of making herself a sandwich when he came into the kitchen.

“Hey, Dahlia.”

“Jesus!” The butter knife clattered into the counter when she jumped. Hand on her chest, she turned to face him. “Please don't sneak up on me!”

He was leaning against the doorway, a big grin on his face, “I did call your name before. I thought you'd heard me.”

“I didn’t.” She went back to her sandwich. “Can’t sleep?”

“Nah. Got lots on my mind.” He eyed the back of her head, long hair falling over her shoulders and back.

“Tough day at work?”

“We saw tons of kids.” He could tell from her tone that she was only making conversation. “I worked with Mary Anne today.”

She chuckled, plating her sandwich. She grabbed a mug and poured some of the boiling water into it. “She's a sweet girl.”

“A bit jittery. She’s nice, though.”

She dipped a small bag of black tea into her mug. “Sorry I left her with you. I didn’t even know there was a meeting until this morning. She was the only available nurse on shift today.”    

“Yeah, no worries.”

She went back to her sandwich. She looked around their usually messy kitchen, which was clean today because Camille probably got to it, being the clean freak, she was.

She sat on one of the counter stools and ate her sandwich in silence. Neither one of them knew what to say to the other. He fiddled with the place mat, and when he realized she wasn’t going to say anything else, he took a seat next to her.

“You didn't have to leave this morning.”

“I did, I had work, remember?”

“That’s not what I meant.”

Dahlia said nothing. Of course, she knew what he'd meant.

“I had to…I imposed myself on you.” She looked down at her half eaten sandwich. “It was inappropriate of me.”

“You are my wife. What’s inappropriate about that?” He glanced at her from the corner of his eye to see her just staring at her plate.

“It wasn't supposed to happen. This marriage.. last night shouldn't have happened.” Finally, she faced him. “I got tired of your mom and her comments about me. I was angry... It can’t happen again. She makes me so mad with all the sex comments, how I can’t even make you want me. I wasn’t thin-.”

“You decided to have sex with me because you were angry at my mother?"

“I didn’t say that.” Now that she listened to him saying, it sounded really stupid.

“But you just implied it.” Well, there went his ego. His own wife didn't want him. “You had your little test, got results, and that’s it?”

“It wasn’t like that! You're just twisting my words around.” She ran a hand over her face in frustration.

He swirled in his bar stool to face her. “What happens now that you got results?”

She gaped at him. “We weren't supposed to do that! I don’t know why you are making it a big deal!” She stood and dropped her plate in the sink. This was turning out bad.

“We had sex. Can't you at least call it for what it is? And I care because it was a big deal at least to me. Just because you were more liberal with your body doesn’t mean that I- .”

“More liberal with my body? Excuse me?” She turned angrily to him. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“You know what I mean.”

“No, I don’t, because all I’m getting is that you’re calling me easy. Is that it?” She growled, turning towards the door.

“Now you’re twisting my words around.” Reaching out, he got her by her upper arm, turning her towards him. “I didn't call you easy. I am just saying last night was a big deal to me.”

“Well, I regret climbing into your bed. I wasn’t thinking straight and didn’t think it would become such a mess.” She pulled her arm out of his grip. “What does it matter anyways? Your mother doesn't care. We both know you can get it up, and now we move on.”

“Are you listening to yourself? We both know I can get it up?” He laughed bitterly. “Wow. You were so hurt, you decided to throw yourself at me just to boost your ego. Well, congratulations, you fixed the cripple. Thank you for having mercy on me and giving me a pity f**k. Should I feel special? Or is that a nurse thing—.”

She slapped him. He didn’t even see it coming.

“You are an asshole.”

He touched his stinging cheek. For a little person, she sure packed a punch. Standing up straighter, he stared down his nose at her.

“Nothing I haven’t heard before from you or anyone else.”

Eyes brimming with unshed tears she glared at him. Her hand was stinging from the slap.

“I didn't pity f**k you. I would never do that. If you must know, I was feeling bad for myself. Why?" She motioned around the kitchen and then finally to themselves, “Because this is the only type of relationship I can apparently have. One where my husband doesn't want me without me throwing myself at him. He then goes ahead and insinuates that I am easy because I came onto him, and wasn't a virgin? Well, I’m sorry that I thought I was in love before and made the decision to give my innocence to the man I thought would someday become my husband. Now I have to deal with that and being married to someone who doesn't care for me.”

He snapped. Walking towards her, he pressed her up against the fridge with his body. Putting his hands on either side of her head, he caved her in. Looking down, he saw she was breathing hard, felt her hot palms open on his chest. When she looked up at him, her eyes were wide and angry,

“Well, clearly I care about you enough to...” He pressed into her more, “And you were not thinking about that other man last night…”

She glared at him, cheeks flushed. “I hate you. You don’t even like me.”

“Maybe my brain doesn’t, but my body has different ideas.” He murmured as he leaned against her, making her gasp nervously.

“Well, I don’t agree with its ideas.” She swallowed hard. “Dang it, I think the slap rattled your head.”

“Yeah, we’ll good thing I'm thinking with another head then.”

She paled. "I'll scream!” She whispered furiously. “Why are you acting like this?”

“If I kissed you right now, you know you’d let me,” he said hotly, “As for the screaming, be my guest.” That was all he said before he leaned down and closed his lips over hers. Pressing against her, he took hold of her face while he plundered her mouth.

“I hate you.” Yet she was holding him tightly, feeling his lips on her neck.

“I know.” He kissed her mouth again.

Letting go of her face, he pushed her against the counter, attempting to touch everything he could within his reach. She didn’t want to react, she didn't ... She moaned and his hand moved between them to pull the tie of her shorts loose…

“What’s going on here!?”

Jared and Dahlia pulled apart, Dahlia untangling herself from Jared's as she stood up straight and fixed her clothing.

Camille stood at the doorway, empty glass in hand.

Jared swore and pulled Dahlia in front of him. He wasn’t about to face his mother in his current...state.

“Care to explain?”

He was not in the mood for this. “It seems you walked in on my wife and I, having a moment.”

“Apparently.” She eyed Dahlia. “Can’t you two even wait to be somewhere private?”

“Well, it was private until you came in.” Jared grumbled, wishing his front to deflate. “You interrupted us.”

“Well, I'm off to bed.” Dahlia finally piped up, yanking her arm out of Jared’s grasp, rushing past Camille who still stared at her.

“Hey!”

“Night!” she called back, quickly heading upstairs.

“I see.” Camille raised an eye brow at him when she turned.

“Well, that’s that." Brushing past his mother, Jared rushed upstairs to his room, heading straight for the shower. If his mother hadn't...

He groaned.