Howard thinks wistfully of his (ex) wife and kids, and how they moved away after the divorce and cut off all contact with him. He thinks of Annette, the VP of operations with whom he had the affair that ended his marriage, and flashes back to their last private conversation:
Snuggling in the afterglow, they lay together in her bed. His worries and regrets momentarily forgotten, Howard caressed her neck. "I wonder if anyone else in the office even suspects..." He felt Annette stiffen. "I hope not."
He chuckled. "Would it be such a bad thing? I'm proud to know you, proud to love you."
She rolled away and started to get dressed again. "Haven't you learned from your divorce? We can't let anyone know about us." He looked at her, pained. All of his emotions were wrapped up in this woman, and it was hard to think that she wasn't, somehow, rejecting him. "We could both lose our jobs, Howard! There's so many violations of business ethics here...until you get that transfer to another office, we can't go public with our relationship. Tell me you understand, Howard!" He'd agreed, and she'd kissed him again. "Love you. I'm glad you understand; it's gotta be secret so that we can stay together until your transfer goes through and I'm not your boss' boss anymore. Then we can admit our relationship without violating any serious business ethics. I want to be open with you, but we can't keep on the way we have been. That time in the Maintenance closet...! That's why...that's why I think we need to take a break, until you get that transfer. It's just too tough to keep it a secret." He stared at her in shock; was she also trying to get rid of him?? "Just until your transfer is complete. You said it'd go through by the end of the month, right?" He nodded, unable to speak. "I can't wait...but I'm going to have to."
That was two nights ago, and Howard is torn: he desperately wants to see Annette, and make sure that she's OK, and yet he still feels some reluctance to admit to the rest of the group that he's been having an affair with their manager. But her apartment is so close...He tries again to text Annette on the sly: "Where R U? Home? R U OK?"
Then, to keep himself busy while he tries to decide whether to get the group to go to Annette's apartment two blocks away, he makes sure to check the other dead cop for its gear.
Last edited September 23, 2015 3:23 pm