Sleeping with the Enemy. (Business and Pleasures) by Valentina Lovecraft

 
    Chapter 1
     
     
    M onday was cold and miserable; the whole weekend had not been much better but the sad news Rin had received had made it that much gloomier. Now that it was the day of the funeral, she had passed from the shock and numbness phase into mild disbelief and the beginnings of panic. Her boss and mentor had died suddenly the previous Wednesday, but the office had not been informed until Friday morning. The funeral was today; apparently, he had had a preexisting heart condition but had told no one, family included.
    Rin sighed for the fiftieth time that morning and got dressed slowly, picking out a simple figure hugging black dress; scoop necked with long sleeves. She didn’t want her usual suit ensemble as she wore them to work every day. After applying minimal make up to avoid having to clean up a mascara disaster if she cried, she slipped on her favorite black peep toe heels and left her house.
    The funeral service was filled with loved ones and colleagues; Michael Altman had commanded a vast workforce but had a genuine personality and made friends easily. He was not your typical boss, he and Rin had worked together for the last six years, and she had grown to count on him as one of her closest friends. She could not believe he had gone.
    The wake was being held at the prestigious Imperial Hotel in the city center. Family and friends consoled each other, and the atmosphere began to morph from somber to happy and nostalgic as people remembered their own stories and experiences with the late Michael Altman.
    Anaise Altman sashayed through the crowd towards Rin, a look of defiance hardening he r usually soft features.
    “ Rin, I've been looking for you.”
    They briefly embraced.
    “It's a great turn out; this place couldn't hold any more!” Rin exclaimed.
    “ Yeah, that was dad, friends with everyone.” Anaise smiled.
    “ How are you doing? I don't think it’s really processed for me yet,” Rin asked.
    Anaise's chew ed her lower lip for a moment.
    “Ahh. It's surreal. One minute I am crying my eyes out, the next I am in a daze. I keep thinking how is the world still turning?”
    S he closed her eyes and sighed.
    “ I can hardly deal with such emotion. At least, Jensen has returned; he has been my rock these last few days.”
    Jensen ? Every muscle in Rin's body momentarily stiffened hearing his name.
    “ I didn't see him at the service?” Rin thought aloud.
    “ Oh he was sat with our cousins, Mum and I wanted to be at the front of course,” Anaise said distractedly, she had spotted a group of well-wishers making their way towards them.
    “ I'll catch up with you in a bit, ok?”
    S he then disappeared back into the crowd.
    Rin drained the glass of wine she had been holding and deliberated on whether she wanted to see him or not, she had respected his father and didn't feel it was right to leave yet.
    Before she had come to a decision, Michael's wife Juliet Altman and … Jensen Altman approached her.
    Ohmygodohmygod!
    “Ah Rin, Lovely to see you.” Juliet smiled.
    Her eyes rimmed in red from days of crying but her appearance was as immaculate as ever.
    Rin placed her hand on her arm.
    “Mrs. Altman, I… I don't even know what to say, 'my condolences' seems like such an empty gesture.”
    Juliet just smiled and kissed Rin's cheek.
    “ There will be a toast for Michael in the next ten minutes, have you seen Anaise?”
    Rin pointed the direction, and she followed. Jensen, however, did not.
    Jensen did not speak; he just looked quizzically at her. Rin felt rooted to the spot.
    Even with the formality of the occasion, h is style was easily casual in his partially unbuttoned white shirt and black waistcoat. He was taller and more muscular than she remembered him being. His hair was long enough to cover his ears, so dark it was almost black and his eyes were gorgeous, the colour of melted chocolate.
    Damn .
    He did not remember her, or he did, and he was being a jerk. Well he was a jerk, there