Lovers' Rendezvous

By Jala Summers

~~ A Novella~~ 

Veronica seems to have the life that many people would die for. She has a fiance' who loves her and a brand new promotion. But the demands of work and the fact that her fiance is away more than he's at home with her, has caused her to experience a new, overwhelming level of stress in her life. 

Veronica's uncertainty about the strength of their relationship only seems to grow with each passing day. And soon she wonders if what they have will be strong enough to survive the storm.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Summers Publishing
• Release date: Feb 2, 2016
• ISBN: 9781524200756

Book preview

Chapter One

VERONICA ROTATED HER head, stretching her tense neck muscles, as she pulled out of the laboratory parking lot. It had been a long day at her job, and she was glad it was Friday. Time for the weekend and time for a few moments of relaxation. She didn't get much of it lately since taking on the supervisory role at her job as a clinical laboratory technologist at Memorial Hospital.  

Now, there was always some instrument that needed repairing or some tech experiencing personality clashes with another coworker. And then there were the endless meetings, and a number of other administrative duties that needed her attention. And she realized now that this new position, which she thought would allow her to sit at a desk more throughout the day, was anything but a desk job.  She was on her feet all day, running back and forth, putting out figurative fires. But Veronica felt as if they were more like literal fires, with the way her coworkers launched into hysterical fits over even the most minor of offenses. Her forty-hour work week had easily turned into sixty. And that was being generous.

But Veronica was ambitious and knew that taking on more responsibilities was part of advancing in her field. It was just going to take a while for her to adjust to the new demands on her time.

Veronica was going to go home and soak in the hottest and bubbliest bath that she could prepare, while enjoying a glass of white wine. She knew she deserved that, at a minimum, after the week she'd had.

She felt the tension already leaving her shoulders as she thought about the warmth of the liquid surrounding her when she arrived home. But her momentary relaxation was replaced by a new anxiety. What she wanted more than anything was to have someone there waiting for her when she did get home.

But unfortunately, that wouldn't happen tonight. And there were countless Friday nights that hadn’t happened, since her fiancé, Darian, had also taken a promotion at his own job as a salesperson for a pharmaceutical company. He had been beyond excited about the chance to move up in his career. At thirty-one and with only two years of employment at his present company, he was quickly moving up the ranks.

And although initially, Veronica had rejoiced over his good fortune, now months later, doubt had begun to creep in. For the majority of the week, Darian would be out of town. This week it was Orlando, Florida. Last week it had been Reno, Nevada. And next week it was going to be Denver, Colorado. He was rarely at their shared condo in Arizona.  

And now with them only four months away from their wedding date, she wondered if this was the life she was destined for in a marriage to Darian. Not only would she have to deal with the stresses of her own job, but now she'd also have to deal with only seeing her new husband a grand total of four months a year.

She'd dreamed of being married and having a husband to call her own; but this, this wasn't what she'd envisioned.

VERONICA SAT ON THE edge of the tub and placed her hand under the running water. She closed her eyes, anticipating the pure bliss she would soon experience in her extra-large sized jetted garden tub.

She'd insisted that they splurge on an upgraded unit when she'd gone condo shopping with Darian two months before, with precisely nights like that one in mind. She needed a space of her own, where she could unwind and decompress. And now she was more grateful than ever for Darian’s willingness to give her whatever it