ONE

The elevator doors dinged open and Cate sighed with relief.  Finally.  It had been a damned long day, and she was ready to collapse on the couch and stare mindlessly at the television. 

Working on Saturday sucked.  But when you are in the employ of Uncle Sam you go where you’re needed, when you’re called.

She exited the private lift and crossed the apartment’s outer foyer, then punched in the code for the door.  The click of the bolt sliding open was a welcome sound.  Cate sighed again, feeling her tired body automatically relax as she stepped through the front door.  A little smile played over her lips as she waited to hear another beautiful sound.  She would never tire of hearing him say her name.

“Cate!  Where the fuck have you been?  I’ve been calling and texting for over an hour!”

Cate’s jaw tightened at Jon’s impatient demand.  She knew that tone.  The annoyed, narcissistic, borderline-whiny, Why-Weren’t-You-Here-With-ME tone.  She didn’t feel like dealing with that side of Jon’s ego right now.

She tossed her keys on the half-round table against the wall before calling out her reply.  “I was at work.  I told you I didn’t know how long it would take.”  Cate snorted softly and wandered into the living room, relieved to see flames flickering in the fireplace.  She was exactly three steps into the room when Jon stalked around the corner.

“Why didn’t you call me back?  Or at least answer my text?” His clipped speech was just short of accusatory.  Jon stopped on the other side of the seating area, bracing his hands on his hips.  He stared expectantly at her.

Cate raised an eyebrow at Jon’s tone and turned to face him.   “BeCAUSE.”  She emphasized the last syllable of the word, drawing it out.  “I didn’t get your calls or texts.  I was in a classified briefing.  No electronics allowed.  I turned off my Berry and stowed it in a locker, and after the briefing I apparently forgot to turn it back on.”  She crossed her arms over her chest and stared back at Jon, daring him to challenge her further.

Jon read her annoyance and wisely backed down.  “Oh.”  He dropped his hands from his hips and walked around the couch, stopping in front of Cate.   “I was afraid you weren’t going to make it home in time to get ready.”  His voice softened and he gave her a little smile.  “Guess I didn’t have to worry.”  He brushed a gentle kiss across her lips.

“Get ready for wha… Oh.”  Cate groaned softly.  Crap.  She had forgotten all about their evening plans.  And after the day she had, she was in no mood to go to a Halloween party.

Jon’s brow furrowed as he watched her reaction.  “Cate?  You do remember the Mischief Night party, right?”

Cate gave him an apologetic half-smile.  “I’m sorry, Baby.  I totally forgot.  But it’s not like I could have gotten away from work any sooner.”  Her smile turned to a little grimace.  “And actually…. I’m really not up to a party.  It was a really, really long day.”

Jon’s lips curved into a frustrated pout.  “But Cate, you promised you’d go with me.  Christ, you never go to any of these events anymore.”  He waved a hand as Cate opened her mouth to protest.  “I know, I know… you have a job and you’re traveling and you can’t tell me… yadda yadda yadda.  And I know you hate posing for the press and the paparazzi.  But Dammit, Cate, you married a rock star.  Sometimes we have to do this shit, even when we don’t really want to.”

Cate dropped her chin and gave Jon a stern look.  She could not believe he was lecturing her.  “I know full well what I got myself into when I married you.”  Her tone was chilly.  “And this isn’t one of those ‘have to make an appearance’ things.  It’s a Halloween Party, Jon.  For celebrities and socialites and hangers-on.  We have no obligation to be there.”

“It’s a Mischief Night Party,” Jon corrected her.  And maybe we don’t have to be there, but would it be so awful to go out and do something fun for once?  As a couple?”  Jon stared accusingly into Cate’s eyes.  He could see her temper roiling in the sapphire pools, but he pressed on anyway, his voice hardening as his own anger rose. 

“We never do anything just for the Hell of it anymore!  When I’m home you’re always working or out on some TDY.  And when you aren’t working you don’t want to go out.”  Jon waved a hand toward the floor-to-ceiling windows on the far wall.  “We live in fucking New York City, Cate!  There are a million things to do here!  Why don’t you ever want to do any of them with me?”

“Because, Jon, I don’t want to share precious time with my husband with three hundred of our most casual acquaintances.”  Cate snapped, glaring at him.   “Call me selfish, but when I’m with you I want you all to myself.” 

“Well, maybe I wanna go out and show you off a little.”  Jon countered, his ice-blue eyes sparking with temper.

Cate growled at his phrase.  “Great.  You wanna show me off? Like some kinda possession?”  She knew that wasn’t what he meant, but she felt like pushing back.  Dammit, he wasn’t the only one who got to be snarky.

“Oh Christ.  Here we go!”  Jon rolled his eyes.  “Jesus, you on the rag or something?  ‘Cause then maybe I could understand why you’re being so bitchy about this.”

Cate’s jaw clenched.  Now he was just being an ass.  “No, that was last week,” she retorted sarcastically. 

“Yeah, I know.  I keep track.” Jon shot back, his chin jutting out stubbornly.  With an indignant snort he crossed his arms over his broad chest and glared back at her.

Cate snarled at his retort, her tired mind unable to formulate one of her own.  Frustrated, she turned toward the fire.  She took a couple steps away from Jon and sank down onto the leather couch. 

Cate ran her hand through her thick chocolate hair and let out an exasperated sigh.  “Look.  I’m sorry I had to work all day.  I’m sorry I didn’t get your messages.  I’m sorry I’m dead fucking tired and don’t feel like going to a party.  I don’t want to argue about this.”  She raised her eyes to meet Jon’s.  “But I’m not going out tonight.  You can go if you want to.  All I want to do is take a hot bath, pour a glass of wine, and stare at this fire.”

Jon’s lips pressed together in a firm line.  “Fine.  I’ll go alone.  I hope you have a relaxing evening.”  He turned and strode for the bedroom.

“Fine, you stubborn, egotistical Piece of Fuck,” Cate mumbled, closing her eyes and raising a hand to rub her temple.  So much for curling up with her husband and a nice bottle of wine and some old music on the stereo.  Tonight it would just be her and the television.

Too weary to move, Cate sat staring at the fire and brooding over Jon’s petulance.  After about fifteen minutes she heard his footsteps on the hardwood floor of the adjoining dining room.  They hesitated for a moment, then Jon appeared around the corner.  He softly cleared his throat as he crossed the living room to where Cate sat slumped on the sofa.

Cate looked up at Jon as he stopped in front of her.  Her heart skipped a beat as she took in the sight of him.  He looked almost supernaturally handsome, clad in dark denim jeans and a black embroidered snap-front shirt that was open from the neck to the top of his abs.  Cate’s eyes lingered on the heavy platinum pendant nestled in the silver fur blanketing his pecs. 

God, he looked gorgeous.  Why couldn’t he just stay home, holding her and crooning in her ear and letting her peel those perfectly-tailored clothes away from his perfectly-sculpted body…

“I don’t know what time I’ll be back.”  Jon leaned down to drop a kiss on Cate’s forehead. “Get some rest.”

“Have fun.” Cate answered flatly.  Damn him, was he trying to make her feel guilty for not wanting to stay up all night after working a full day?  “Is Alex driving you?”

Jon shook his head as he straightened.  “No. I gave him the weekend off so he could spend Halloween with his kids.  I called a car service.  It’s downstairs now.”

Cate nodded, sighing softly.  “See you when you get home.”

“See you in the morning,” Jon countered, just a bit snarkily.  “I’m sure you’ll be asleep when I get in.”

Cate’s eyes narrowed at his passive-aggressive reply.  She raised her gaze to meet his.  “Probably.” 

“Love you.”  Jon gazed back at Cate for a moment, then moved for the door.

“Love you too,” Cate answered to his back.  A minute later she heard the click of the lock as the front door closed.

*****

The buzz of her Blackberry on the coffee table made Cate jump.  She blinked at the television; the movie she was watching was still on.  She couldn’t have dozed off too long ago.

Cate reached for her phone and looked at the little screen.  Her brow arched with surprise when she saw who was calling.  It was only half-past midnight… had something happened?  Cate quickly pushed the button to answer before the call kicked over to voicemail.

“Jon?”  Cate’s voice was laced with concern.  “You okay?”

“Hey Baby.  I’m such a prick.  I’m sorry.”  Jon’s slurred apology filled her ear, over the party noise in the background. 

Cate rolled her eyes.  Jon must have wasted no time hitting the bar when he arrived at the party.  “Are you okay?” she repeated.

“No!  I’m not okay!  I’m an asshole and I love you.”  Jon’s declaration was loud and emphatic.  “I’m so sorry, Baby.  You have to come get me.”

“Why do you need me to come get you?”

“ ‘Cause I miss you,”  Jon slurred sappily.  “I wanna come home and take a bath and drink wine with you.”

“I already took a bath and had a glass of wine.  I’m watching a movie.”

“Come get me, Cate.  Pleeeeeeease?”  Jon issued his plea in a sing-songy whine, followed by a giddy chuckle.

“Jon, just call the car.” Cate yawned.

“Can’t.  Gave Alex the night off, ‘member?”  Jon laughed throatily again and mumbled something to someone at the party.  Cate stifled a chuckle as she heard him say the word “doghouse.”  Then he was back.  “Baby, please…”

Cate rolled her eyes again and smiled in spite of herself.  She knew what Jon was trying to do; he was trying to lure her to the party.  She would bet her next paycheck when she arrived to pick him up he wouldn’t want to leave.  “Jon, you took a car service to the party.  Didn’t you make arrangements for them to pick you up?”

“No.  Didn’t know when I’d be ready to leave.” 

Cate detected a trace of stubbornness in Jon’s tipsy reply.  She chuckled again.  “Well then, take a cab.”

“Cate!  It’s fucking Saturday night in Manhattan!  It’s Mischief Night!”  Jon’s response was adamant.  “I’ll never ever ever get a fucking cab!”  Again Cate heard Jon mumble something to another person.

“Oh Jesus,” Cate sighed.  She really didn’t want to get dressed and drive all the way uptown in Saturday night traffic.  Then again, Jon didn’t sound like he was in any shape to be on the street trying to hail a taxi, either.  And he certainly didn’t need a bunch of paparazzi photographing him in his inebriated state.  Jon was pretty good at hiding himself away when he wanted to tie one on, but he was also prone to lapses in judgment.

Cate looked again at the clock.  “Jon,” she said into her phone.  “Listen.”

“Yeah, Baby?”

“I’ll come get you.  But you need to be downstairs waiting for me when I pull up, got it?”

“Gotcha.  Downstairs.”  Jon laughed and again mumbled something unintelligible.

Cate frowned.  “Jon, who are you talking to?”

“My friend,” Jon answered.  “My buddy.”  He laughed again.  “My drinkin’ buddy.”

Cate couldn’t help but chuckle at Jon’s forthright response.  “Okay, well… tell your drinking buddy to be sure you’re in the lobby in 30 minutes.  It will be that long before I can get up there in traffic.  Okay, Jon?  You understand?”

“ ‘Kay Baby.  Thirty minutes.”  Cate heard Jon repeat her instructions to whoever was his “drinking buddy” of the evening.  Then his voice was back in her ear, low and sexy.  “I want you, Baby.”

Christ, drunk AND horny.  Cate shook her head and chuckled again.  “I’ll see you in half an hour.  Look for the Benz.  No way I’m driving the Chevelle in midtown traffic on a Saturday night.”

 “Gotcha, Baby.  Hurry.”

“Bye, Jon.  Be careful, and be waiting.”

“I will Baby.  Can’t wait to see you.”

Cate closed the connection and sighed deeply.  A little smile curved her lips as she shook her head.  The things that man could convince her to do.  With another soft chuckle she heaved herself off the couch and shuffled toward the bedroom.