Chapter 14

Starlet waited on the couch in her husband's office as he worked. She had come to the office and he'd been unable to take lunch with her just then. She wasn't doing anything important so she was waiting for him. She fished around her purse until she found the little plastic box that encased her wireless earphones. She flicked the lid open, put them in her ears, connected them to her phone and began watching a show she'd been wanting to catch up on for a while.

She was so invested in her show that she didn't notice when Lucien got up from his seat at the desk and moved to crouch in front of her. Not until he was in front of her. She gave a squeaky little yelp and dropped her phone. He grinned at her as he picked up her phone and gave it to her. She took off her earphones and looked at him sheepishly.

"Your volume was too high," he told her, a slight smile playing on his lips, "I spoke to you twice but you didn't hear me."

"I'm sorry," Star said embarrassed, "are you done?" she enquired looking from him to his desk.

"Yes," he told her, "We can go eat now."

Starlet put her phone and earphone charging case in her purse. Lucien straightened up and went to stand by the door. She moved behind him as she zipped up the little bag. He opened the door and offered his hand to her. Starlet was taken aback and stared from his face to his hand.

He made a little gesture with his head telling her wordlessly to take his hand. She put her hand in his slowly and he grasped it firmly and they both walked out of his office, to the elevator, in the elevator and across the lobby.

Starlet could feel people watching them. She did know this was the first time that most of them saw him holding her hand. She felt like doing a victory dance but she held it in. She also held in the loopy grin that wanted to come out. Instead, she kept a schooled facial expression and kept in step with her husband. He pushed the door open and let her walk out of the building ahead of him while keeping her hand in his.

"Where do you want to go for lunch?" Lucien asked his wife.

Starlet glanced at him and said without giving it much thought, "I want a greasy burger and fries."

"There's a nice burger place in the mall," Lucien said looking at the building in question which was just across where they stood.

When they got to the burger place Lucia went to the till to order and Starlet waited for him at an empty table. She loved how every woman's gaze turned to admire her husband. He didn't notice and that made her proud.

You can watch ladies, she thought proudly, as long as you don't touch because that's my husband.

Her gaze ran over her husband's attractive form. Her eyes were admiring his derriere when he suddenly turned and caught her gaze. He grinned knowingly at her and she blushed and dropped her gaze to her lap. Neither noticed the women swooning around them.

Lucien swiped his card and received their food. He balanced it precariously in his hand and took it to Star who rushed to meet him halfway and took half the load.

"You could have dropped it, you know." She said giggling.

"I was careful," Lucien responded with a grin.

They moved to their table and sat across from each other. Star realised they were smiling at each other and her mood couldn't have lifted even more. She treasured this simple moment they were having with each other. Every little smile he gave to her was worth a lot more to her than anyone else in the world. She had lived without those smiles; she knew to treasure them in case he took them away again.

Starlet opened her burger and placed some fries at the top she put a liberal amount of ketchup and sprinkled some vinegar on top. She then replaced the top bun and dug into her messy creation. She looked up and her husband was grinning at her.

She resisted the urge to look away and raised an eyebrow at him.

"You're cute," he said humorously as he got some tissues and reached out to wipe the corner of her mouth.

Starlet flushed, took the tissues from his hand and used them to wipe her mouth.

They continued their meal and when they were done, they left the mall hand in hand. Lucien walked Starlet back to her car. She unlocked the door and he opened it for her. Star looked up at him to thank him and realised how close he was. She was caged between his body and the car. The distance between their bodies was minuscule. He was looking at her and when he noted she was staring at him he playfully raised an eyebrow at her.

Starlet blushed and slipped into the car. Lucien closed the door and then bent down to look at her through the window. Star rolled her window down all the way and Lucien leaned on it. He reached into the car and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Drive safe," he told her and then he straightened up.

Starlet smiled at him and then strapped on her seatbelt. When she drove off, Lucien was standing there with his hands in his pockets looking after her.

Star felt happy enough when she got home, she wanted to sculpt, so she went to her studio. She wanted to memorialise the light emotions playing in her heart. She felt she needed to do that before the tide turned and things got dark again. She stayed there long enough that when Lucien walked into her studio she was surprised. He had changed out of his suit into sweatpants and a tee shirt. He'd had time to change meaning he'd been home for a few minutes at the very least.

"You are home," she stated the obvious and he nodded.

"What are you working on?" he asked her.

"It's in the oven," Starlet said as she wiped down her sculpting desk.

"Ms Wade said you've been here since you came back," Lucien said as he perched himself on the armrest of a loveseat in the corner of the room.

"I had an idea I wanted to work on," Starlet said as she stood back from the desk and inspected her work then began wiping a spot she'd missed.

Lucien watched her as she worked and it made her a little nervous. The timer she'd set dinged and Star went to turn off the heat on the oven. She opened the oven door a crack and some hot air wafted out. Starlet turned around to look at her husband wondering why he'd sought her out. She wasn't complaining, she rather liked it when he dressed like this. Few people got to see her man like this. And she enjoyed the view.

"Did you need me for anything?" Starlet asked him.

"Not particularly," Lucien said his dark eyes on her and she cocked a brow at him even as her stomach did a few flips.

"Can't a man come round to just admire his wife while she works?" he asked and she rolled her eyes at him. Inwardly she was awash with pleasure. She was certain he was flirting with her.

"Since when did you admire me doing anything?" She said to him.

"Just because you don't notice me do anything doesn't mean I don't do it," he told her winningly.

Starlet was about to respond to that and his phone buzzed in his pocket.

He fished the offending thing from his sweat pocket and answered it. Starlet paid him no mind and went to her supply shelf where she played around with paints wondering which one would do well on her current sculpture. Lucien hung up the call and looked at his wife who seemed to have tuned him out while he made his call. He sighed; the moment was gone.

He realised that he couldn't have their marriage stay in the state it had for the past two years. He needed to build a relationship with his wife that was at least friendly. In a little under six months, they'd have their third marriage anniversary. She was part of his family now and he needed to work with her. He also needed to make up for the pain he'd caused her these past two years. She was his wife and he had tender feelings for her.

The landline in the room rang and he picked it up before Starlet could. She stood by his side as he put the phone on his ear.

"Hello?" he spoke into the receiver.

"Mr Blade," Ms Wade was flustered.

"Yes, what is it Ms Wade?" he said flatly.

"Dinner is ready to be served when you and Mrs Blade are ready."

"Should they serve dinner now or do you need more time to finish here?" Lucien asked his wife.

"Serve," Starlet told him in amusement.

"We're coming down now," Lucien told the housekeeper and cut the call.

Starlet removed her apron and placed it in the basket at the corner of the room. It would be taken out and washed then returned to the coat stand that was just full of aprons. And towels.

The pair walked together in comfortable silence. Starlet wasn't sure how to start a conversation with her husband. It had been a while and she was afraid of saying the wrong thing and having him hate her again. They started down the stairs and Starlet kept throwing little glances at him. Due to this, she missed the next step landed hard on the one after it and her ankle gave out on her and she started to fall. She grasped for anything and managed to grab the rail and her husband.

Lucien immediately moved to steady her. She righted herself and put weight on her bad ankle. She felt a little pain but it wasn't bad.

"Be careful," he told her then tucked her hand into his arm. He guided her the rest of the way down the stairs and to the dining table.

He pulled out a chair for Star and she gracefully sat down. And gave him a grateful smile over her shoulder. He resisted the urge to bend down and press his lips to the base of her neck.

He resisted doing so many things during their meal and by the time they were done eating, he was proud of his self-restraint. He was certain now. He was a lost cause. He loved his wife and he was going to make this marriage right.