Elise sat at her dining room table slowly circling her finger around the outside of her glass.  It had been a long tiresome day as usual.  Her life was full of happiness; she knew that.  She had many things to be thankful for, but her longing for something more nagged at her all the time.  She quickly finished her dinner, did some quick housework and settled into bed.  Sleep came hard these days.  Watching the hours drag by she tossed and turned, "tomorrow" that was always the last thing she thought of as she fell asleep.
     
     The sound of her alarm came screaming into her head.  "Not again!" she cried as she jumped out of bed.  It was already seven thirty and it took her at least twenty minutes to get to the office.  This would be the second time she had been late in two weeks.  Tristan would be furious.  The thoughts of her partner screaming at her haunted her drive to work.  Speeding down the highway she made a quick stop at the café. A little coffee and I'll be just fine, she thought.  Forty minutes later and she was there.  She parked her car and stepped out. 

It was a beautiful day.  The sun warmed the morning air.  There was still a little fog out.  She stared at the looming building.  Jacobs and Dellant Legal Firm. It was a bleak building, but comforting.  Elise had worked here for four years now.  She ran into the building almost colliding into the mail boy who adjusted his hat in defiance at her as she stumbled past.  Up the stairs, down the hallway, first door on the right.  There was her office.  She fumbled in her briefcase for the keys.  "Elise Dellant Attorney at law," the sign on the door almost scoffed at her.  She finally found the keys in enough time to put them into the door as it was ripped open.  Elise almost fell right into him.

"Tristan, Oh...Hi!" she was able to squirm out.  

"Morning Elise," Tristan almost sang through a wry smile.  "I almost thought you weren’t coming."

  "Traffic was insane this morning," she cried out as she pushed past Tristan and made her way to her desk.  "You should have seen it." She threw down her briefcase, better trying to show her frustration.  

Tristan started laughing uncontrollably. "Was traffic bad in the cafe too?"

 She looked down at her coffee, as the blood ran to her face she quickly tried to think of a retort.  

"Well....the a...It was..."

  "Don't worry Elise, it's not a big deal, you need to relax," Tristan replied as he straightened the pens that were knocked all over the desk. 

She let herself fall into her chair.  

"I know it's just..."

 "It's just what?" Tristan waited for an answer.  

"Oh, nothing." She looked up to realize he was intently staring at her. 

 After four years she suddenly felt like she was really looking at him.  He was a well-built man.  Very tall with dark hair he always kept tied neatly back.  His eyes shone a brilliant azure.  He always wore darker tones, which made his eyes that much more striking.  Elise brought back the memory of when she first met him.  

His eyes struck her first.  He always had that look like he knew something she didn't.  

"Elise…Hello!"  

"Oh Sorry. I need to get to work Tristan I am already behind."