Meddling in Manhattan

by Kirsten Osbourne

  "You'd look a million times more beautiful." His words were sincere. "Let's go to our room and get unpacked. Do you want to go in the waters, or swim in the pool? We could go for a horseback ride? Or we could nap. Napping is always an option." He waggled his eyebrows at her in a way that told her there would be no sleeping done if she chose the nap option.

  Addie yawned dramatically. "I'm really tired. I think a nap may be in order." They'd reached their room by that point, and he unlocked the door with the key he'd been given. Unlike most hotels, the resort still used regular keys.

  Once she'd preceded him into the room where their luggage was already placed, he pulled her close. "Nap sounds good to me too. Do you want to nap on top of me? Or do you want me to nap on top of you?"

  She giggled as he kissed her, knowing exactly how this nap would turn out.

  Chapter Four

  By Saturday evening Jake and Addie had done a bit of everything the resort had to offer. She had shopped in the old mercantile, ridden horses, gone for a romantic carriage ride one evening, and spent more hours than she could count partaking of the healing waters. She felt closer and closer to her new husband every day, so happy they were getting along so well.

  For their last night, Jake had requested a picnic hamper from the kitchen and they had taken two of the horses on a ride across the rolling hills. Finally, they'd found a place for a picnic, and they'd spread the quilt the resort had provided onto the ground.

  Addie dug into the hamper finding plates, glasses, a carafe of lemonade, fried chicken, potato salad, and pickles. There was even a pound cake for dessert. She piled food onto both plates, and handed him a fork to eat with. "They really outdid themselves with this. I didn't see on any of the brochures that we could request a picnic," she told him.

  "Oh, it's not a regular service they provide. They just do it for me, because I'm friends with the owner." Which was part of the truth. The other part was that he bribed them a more than respectable sum to do it for him. "Are you ready to get back to the real world?"

  She shrugged. "I'm ready to see how my assistant did while we were gone. I'm surprised she didn't text even once." It had been everything Addie could do not to text and check in on her, but she knew that Bailey was a capable woman, and she didn't want her to think she was watching over her shoulder. "What about you?"

  He shrugged. "I've had a wonderful time here. I'm glad we were able to get away to get to know one another, but I'm starting to get itchy to get back to work." He'd taken a paper and pen into the bathroom the day before, and written a couple of pages the old fashioned way. He didn't want her to know how much he needed to be working while they were on their honeymoon.

  "Will you work as soon as we get home tomorrow? Or will you wait until Monday morning?"

  He hadn't even considered waiting. "Would it offend you if I got to work tomorrow evening?" He hoped it wouldn't, because he didn't want to start their marriage off by sneaking out of bed to go to his other love—work!

  "Oh, not at all! All of my stuff was moved to the apartment while we were gone. I'm going to have unpacking to do, and I know I'll want to call my assistant manager. No, home means business as usual." She shrugged. Just because she was married, didn't mean she could neglect her duties.

  Jake breathed a sigh of relief. Good. She had the same kind of work ethic he did. They would get along just fine.

  *****

  When Addie unlocked the apartment the next day, she looked around in amazement. She'd asked her former roommates, sisters, and brothers to help with the move. Obviously they'd done so much more than she'd expected. She'd thought to walk into an apartment with boxes everywhere, but it was neatly arranged, even her knick knacks were out.

  On the counter was a note, saying that Danielle had done it as part of her wedding gift. She suggested they use the time they would have spent unpacking wisely. Addie grinned, knowing she would do just that.

  Jake had shipped a bunch of things from Montana, sending them to Lachele. The two women must have gotten together, because his things were put away neatly as well. He spotted his laptop at a desk in the corner of the room, and as soon as he saw it, he was mesmerized. He sat down, turned it on, and he forgot about everything around him.

  Addie laughed as she watched Jake become reunited with his computer. She went into the bedroom and called Bailey, catching up on the happenings from the store while she was gone. Once that was finished, she went to her own laptop and did the paperwork from the week using the information Bailey had emailed to her daily.

  When she was finished, she called Jake's name, but he didn't even notice, so she walked into the kitchen to fix something for supper. She frowned. There was nothing to fix. She walked back to her computer and ordered groceries to be delivered. There was no point in living in a huge city if you didn't take advantage of the delivery options there.

  She went into the bedroom to call her mother while she waited for the groceries to be delivered. "Yes, everything's fine. We just got back from South Dakota. The resort was amazing. It was like stepping back into the 1870s. Truly a once in a lifetime experience."

  "He didn't hurt you, did he? He treated you all right?"

  Addie blushed, knowing her mother was talking about the wedding night and wanting to have no part of that discussion. "He was great. I have no complaints. Really, I think Dr. Lachele found the right man for me."

  She could hear her mother sigh. "Well, I hope it continues that way. Most marriages don't last, and you're starting out with a huge handicap not knowing the man you married."

  "I'm getting to know him quickly. Don't worry."

  "Well, your father checked him out, and he says he's a good man."

  Her dad got on the phone then. "You have a good time, Addie?"

  Addie smiled, happy to hear her father's voice. "Yes, it was wonderful. South Dakota is beautiful. We stayed near the Black Hills, and I had no idea they were so pretty."

  "I checked out the area when he gave me the name of the resort. I'm sure it was nice. Did they really make it feel like you were in the nineteenth century, like they said?"

  She laughed. "All except the indoor plumbing. That made it pretty obvious what century we were in. I felt like I had the best of both worlds."

  "Good. Do you go back to work tomorrow?" he asked.

  "Yes, I do. I've already talked to Bailey. She said everything went well while we were gone. I've caught up on paperwork. Just waiting for groceries to be delivered now."

  "That's my girl, always throwing herself at work and getting things done. I'm glad you're home."

  "I am too. I had a lovely time, but you know what they say. The best part of getting away is always coming home!"

  "You'll have to come for dinner one night this week, so we can see for ourselves he didn't murder you in your sleep." Her dad's voice was full of laughter, but underneath it, she knew he was concerned.

  "Well, it's going to be a busy week at the store. How 'bout on Sunday when we're closed?"

  "I'll tell your mother to expect you then. After church?"

  Addie hesitated. She and Jake hadn't really talked about going to church. She knew he was a Christian, but he gave her the impression that he typically worked seven days a week until his eyes bled. "I'll let you know about time later in the week. Will that work?"

  "Yeah, that's great. We'll see you Sunday."

  Addie hung up the phone and wandered back to the kitchen, familiarizing herself with where everything had been put. She'd chosen a tiny apartment, barely six hundred square feet, so Jake was writing in the living room. She walked up behind him and peered over his shoulder, curious about the story he was writing.

  Jake was in the middle of a huge scene when he felt her behind him. "What are you doing?" he asked, trying to keep the irritation out of his voice.

  "I'm just curious about what you do," she said with a shrug.

  "I write words. Lots of them. But I can't do it with someone watching over me like that. It's creepy."
He knew his words would sound harsh to her, but he hated to be interrupted, and the sooner she learned that the better. His work was the most important thing in his life.

  Addie bit her lip, wondering why he was upset with her. "I'm sorry. I'll find something else to do."

  She wandered into the bedroom, trying her best not to get upset. She hadn't expected the harsh reaction to just seeing what he was writing. She couldn't believe it was such a big deal to him.

  She found a book from the shelf beside the bed, and laid down on her stomach to read it. It was a science fiction book by her favorite writer, Roger Holiday. She hadn't gotten to his three latest, but they were lined up on her shelf just waiting for her. Within minutes, she'd forgotten all about her new husband's surly attitude and was deep into her book.

  The doorbell ringing startled her, but she hurried to the door, opening it wide for the groceries to come in. She looked over and saw that Jake was still tapping madly away at his keys. He sounded like a machine gun, and she wanted to ask how fast he typed. He was truly a speed demon.

  Once the groceries were paid for, and the tip had exchanged hands, she put the groceries away, trying to decide what to make for dinner. She quickly decided on one of her favorite chicken dishes, and started the preparations. She sang softly as she worked, enjoying the idea of eating her first meal at home with her new husband.

  She sat at their tiny bar, the only table in the apartment, reading her book while she waited for the food to cook. When it was finally ready, she served it on two plates, put a candle in the middle of the bar, and set everything just so. She wanted everything perfect. It was their first meal in their new home after all.

  When she was finished, she called his name. "Dinner's ready!"

  She waited a minute, and when there was no response, she walked over to Jake, saying it a bit louder. "Dinner's ready."

  When he didn't respond again, she put her hand on his shoulder. He looked at her with a confused expression. "Yeah?"

  "Dinner's ready!"

  Jake nodded. He always ate while he worked. "Oh, good. Thanks. Would you bring it to me?" There was a clear spot to the left of his keyboard. That would be perfect.

  Addie stood wavering for a moment and finally walked to the counter, blew out the candle she'd lit, and brought him his plate, fork, and a glass of Coke. "Anything else I can get you?" she asked in her best waitress voice.

  "No, that's good. Thanks." He didn't even look at her as he continued pounding away at the keyboard. She wasn't even certain he knew she was there.

  She sighed, walking back to the counter and sitting down to eat. Their honeymoon had been great, but she wasn't certain if she could handle him ignoring her all the time.

  She ate in silence, rinsing her dishes and putting them in the dishwasher. She put up the leftovers, thinking he could eat them for lunch the following day, before looking over to see if he was ready for her to wash his plate and utensils. His food looked untouched, though, so she went to the bathroom to take a bath with her book. It was going to be a long night.

  She'd made it through more than a third of her book before she stood up to go to bed. She'd been reading on the couch, thinking that if she was in the same room with him, he'd realize she still existed.

  Finally she stood, walked to where he was, and again put her hand on his shoulder. Obviously she was going to have to touch him to get his attention. "I'm going to bed," she said in a soft voice. She'd put on a new nightgown she was certain he'd like and waited for him to look at her in it. At least he knew she was there when they were making love.

  "Good night. I need to finish this chapter before bed." He didn't look up.

  Addie stared at him in disbelief. "Good night." She went into the bedroom, feeling more rejected than she ever had in her life. She shut the door, not wanting to hear the keyboard, and climbed into bed. Closing her eyes, she wished for sleep. Who would have thought it would take only a week of marriage to become invisible?

  *****

  Addie woke alone the following morning, surprised to see the spot on the bed beside her untouched. Had Jake slept on the couch? She couldn't imagine why he'd be mad at her.

  She got up and wandered into the living room, and there he sat, typing just as frantically as he had the night before. She didn't ask any questions as she fixed breakfast, making him a plate of eggs, toast, and bacon. She wondered if he'd gotten up, but she could tell he'd gotten himself more water, and his plate from last night was lying in the sink. There was an empty bag of chips beside him.

  She walked over and put the plate beside him and went to get him a glass of orange juice. When she set it beside him on the desk, she put her hand on his shoulder. "I made breakfast."

  His eyes flickered to her. "What time is it?"

  "Eight. The store opens at ten, so I try to be there by nine-thirty."

  "Oh. I guess I wrote all night." He took a sip of the orange juice. "Thanks for breakfast." He turned back to his computer and started typing again.

  "Would you mind starting dinner this evening?" she asked. "I have it all made up, you just need to put it in the oven at seven. It's a foil wrapped glass baking dish on the bottom shelf in the fridge. Cook it at three-fifty for an hour."

  "Yeah, sure." He kept typing.

  Addie shrugged and ate her own breakfast, getting ready for work. Her employees had a uniform, but she tended to dress in slacks, comfortable shoes, and a nice blouse. She glanced at him as she was leaving. "Don't forget to start dinner at seven, all right?"

  "Yeah, sure."

  While she was gone, he worked. He took a break around noon and napped for two hours before getting back to it. He'd promised the book would be completed by the end of the month, and taking a week off for his honeymoon had put him way behind.

  *****

  On the subway ride home, Addie couldn't help but wonder if she'd done something wrong. Jake had been perfectly attentive during their honeymoon, and she'd even thought he was starting to care for her, but as soon as he'd arrived home, he'd started typing like his life depended on it.

  Everything had gone even better than she'd expected at the store while she was gone, so she took the plunge, deciding to give up the six day work week she'd had for years, and drop down to only working Monday through Friday. Her assistant could easily handle the store on Saturdays.

  She couldn't wait to tell Jake that they'd have two days together every week instead of just one. Yes, she knew that a lot of the housekeeping chores would need to be done on Saturdays, but at least they'd be able to work on them together.

  She opened the door, expecting to smell the dinner she'd worked hard to put together the previous evening. Instead, she saw Jake sitting at his computer, typing madly, and she could smell nothing. "Did you start dinner?"

  He ignored her, typing away. She took a deep breath and counted to ten, walking to him and putting her hand on his arm. It took him a minute, but finally he looked up. "Oh, you're home."

  "Yes. Did you put dinner in the oven like I asked?"

  "Dinner? You didn't ask me to put dinner in the oven. What are you talking about?"

  She frowned. How could this be the same man she'd spent last week with? "This morning, after I gave you your breakfast, I asked you to put dinner in the oven at seven."

  "I didn't hear you."

  "You said, 'Yeah, sure.' You had to have heard me!" Why was he lying? If he forgot, he should just tell her he forgot to do it.

  "I never heard you. Did you ask while I was typing?" he asked, frowning, trying to understand what had happened.

  "Yes, but we had just been talking, and you responded!"

  He sighed. "If I'm typing and you need me to do something, you need to have me repeat it back to you, so you know I really heard you."

  "Are you kidding me? So you're responding to me without even listening to my questions? Why would you do that?"

  He shrugged, realizing he was in over his head. He got to his feet and reached out to hug her. "I'm s
orry. I've learned to ignore everything that happens around me when I work. I call it 'being in the zone.' It keeps me from being totally derailed by distractions."

  She stiffened in his arms. "So not only did you stay up working all night instead of coming to bed with me, you spent all day working and didn't even start dinner. You realize that we're married, and it has to be a partnership, right?"

  His first thought was that she should be staying home, cooking all the meals, and doing the cleaning anyway, but he bit his tongue. He couldn't say that to her. He'd married her knowing she was a career woman, and he needed to support that. "I do realize that. I'm just on deadline..."

  "And your deadline makes it all right for you to ignore me and pretend that you heard me? Are you kidding me?" She put her hands on his chest and pushed him away. We've been home for twenty-four hours, and you've done nothing but sit at that computer. That's not how marriage works! I put dinner together, you could have at least shoved it in the oven so we'd have a hot meal!"

  Jake rubbed the back of his neck. "I've lived alone for ten years. I forget sometimes that there's life outside of the stories in my head."

  "Well there is! I—" She took a deep breath, realizing she was going a little off the deep end. "I hope that you'll be more understanding of what I need you to do in the future."

  "I will. I promise." Jake hoped he could live up to his promise. It was hard to remember there were others around, though. Why, he'd forgotten about his best friend's wedding, and Scott had packed his clothes for him, while he finished a scene. They'd barely been on time for their flight.

  Addie needed to calm down before she said something she really didn't mean. They were never going to be able to work things out if she was constantly angry with him. "Would you put dinner in the oven at three hundred fifty degrees while I shower?" she asked, keeping her voice calm. Showering always worked to calm her.

  At his nod, she went into the bedroom and chose an old pair of pajamas to change into. She needed to be comfortable, because he seemed to be over sex anyway.