“And if I weren’t ill… what would you want now, Tay?” she asked softly.
Tay, however, was not prepared for such a question.
“I guess…” he answered uncertainly. “I guess I’d want things to stay as they are. Just like this. Sometimes I thought about asking you for another year or two, but it didn’t feel right. You would’ve wanted to extend the agreement and keep playing Mrs. Taris, wouldn’t you?”
“No,” she knew immediately. “I wouldn’t.”
Tay had expected the refusal and, with his conscience heavy on his tongue, immediately offered:
“I know I ruined your plan. You wanted that assistant position. But it really isn’t a good idea, Mishi. So if you ever have some other plan, just say the word and I’ll do everything I can to help you with it.”
That pulled Mishi out of her resigned brooding.
“Any other?” she asked perfectly seriously, and Tay nodded in agreement.
She brightened at such an offer and unexpectedly stood up. “Then I’m glad you’re saying that. Don’t forget it for the next five minutes. I have one.”
She took the yellow folder with the agreement from the table, walked to the fireplace, and decisively tossed it into the glowing embers. The flames flared up instantly, lighting her contented pale face. She turned back to Tay with a smile, surrounded by a halo of light. Tay, astonished at what had come over her, could only stare.
She returned, picked up both glasses, and handed one to him.
“All the way down,” she ordered.
Tay took a cautious sip, but when he saw Mishi watching him with complete seriousness, he drained it in one go and grimaced like a true abstainer.
“And now this one too,” she handed him the second.
“I’m going to feel sick when I get up tomorrow morning. Very,” he protested.
“Don’t worry, it’s almost tomorrow morning already, and you definitely won’t be getting up anytime soon. It’s part of the new plan. So help me with it.”
“I hope your new plan has some kind of point—besides wanting to kill me,” Tay drank the second glass as well and was glad there was nothing left to refill.
“Yes. It does. The point is,” Mishi took the glass from his hand and set both aside, “that it’ll help you not go crazy when I do this…”
And before she could finish the sentence, she straddled him, wrapped her arms around his neck, and pulled him to her with such passion that any protest was lost before it even began.