DORISAnother package arrived for me. It was a really beautiful gold necklace that matched the bracelet Arthur gave me a few weeks ago. There was a note from Arthur. He apologized for being absent since the Italy trip and promised that he won’t do it again.I held the note in my hand for a while. Again, I wondered if this was a pattern. Was Arthur retreating for a few days after a period of intimacy?It hurt less this time, and I thought I understood it more. Arthur's promise that he wouldn’t do it again made me feel better.I continued to scour all of the New York City government websites, especially all of the ones regarding building news and building permit departments.I found one that announced a small charity ball that was celebrating some private donations. With Arthur’s help, I managed to get myself invited.I wore the Dior limited edition dress. I was very glad that I had it back in my possession.Arthur said he would make it to the ball if he could but told me the possibilit

ARTHURIt was 5:30 p.m., and for once, I could wrap up my business day at a decent hour.I looked out my office windows from AmeriCapital. It had been a good business day.I leaned back in my deluxe office chair. I took a moment to breathe deeply and think about how the past few weeks had gone. Not bad overall.My phone pinged to let me know I had a text. I pulled it out of my pocket and looked at it. It was from Doris.'I’d like to talk to you about a few things. Do you have time tonight or tomorrow to meet?'Even though the text should be neutral, it didn’t sound good. When a woman said I want to talk, that was never good.I paused for a minute. 'Today is better.' Who knew how tomorrow would go?'Sure, do you want me to come to your apartment?' I texted.The three dots indicated she was typing. The dots appeared and then disappeared. After a minute, they reappeared again.'Can we meet at the diner? I’ve barely eaten all day.''Of course, and you better take better care of yourself,

  DORIS The limo stopped, and the chauffeur opened my door. I got out and looked around. We were in front of the Baccarat Hotel, the most expensive, luxurious, and nicest hotel in all of New York City. "We’re going to dinner here?" I asked. "We are, and I rented the Executive Suite for the night. Nathan is babysitting Mia, and I am going to give you a night you’ll remember." I reached out and held Arthur’s hand. "Every night with you is a night I’ll always remember." Arthur's smile was tender and sweet, and so was the kiss he gave me. "I feel the same way, little dove. Come, let’s start our date and have a wonderful meal." Just like every moment with Arthur, the date was magical. He fed me dessert and then showed me again he was a creative and attentive lover. He held me in his arms until sunrise. * Friday at lunchtime, a big bouquet of red roses arrived for me. Kate, my mentor, came

 DORIS Saturday morning, I was smiling when I got to the penthouse. I still hadn’t made many deals at Heritage Properties, but I was so glad to see Mia that my happiness overflowed. “I’m so glad you live here now,” Mia said, taking my hand. “Well, here in New York, it would be better if you lived here…” Mia said, letting go of my hand to point at the floor, “…at home.” “Mia…” Arthur growled a reprimand at her. “I know. Six weeks.” Mia looked at me. “Has it been six weeks yet?” I bent down so I was at her level. “Not yet, sweetheart.” “But you are going to move in then, right?” My heart lurched. I looked at Arthur over the top of Mia’s head. His eyes were pleading. I looked back to Mia. “We’ll see.” I stood up. Arthur, Mia, and I began our day. The streets were teeming with energy. We stopped at a bakery to get croissants and ate them as we walked

 DORIS I stepped out of the subway station, inhaling the myriad of smells in the morning air. I walked quickly to where I had agreed to meet my biological father, Joe, outside a busy café. We had planned to spend some quality time together.  I decided I would let myself get to know him without resenting that is missed out on him my whole life.  “Hi, Doris. Long week?” “Long but mostly good.” “Tell me about it.” As we settled into our seats, a comfortable silence hung between us for a moment. Then, my father's eyes twinkled with mischief as he leaned forward, breaking the silence. "Okay, what’s up? How's life treating you these days?" I chuckled, appreciating his casual approach. “Life has its ups and downs, but I can't complain. Noah woke up for a brief moment." I didn't think I'd ever mentioned Noah to Joe before, so I told Joe all about how Noah had saved me, and I brought