It’s been two weeks since my parents’ party, and every day with Emma is like a dream. We switch off where we have sleepovers a few nights a week while also spending some nights apart, doing things on our own or with our friends. We make sure to check in and share how much we miss each other—turns out I miss her a whole fucking lot when she’s not around. We go out to dinner then hit up dollar bowling night. Sometimes we forgo going out at all, staying in to order delivery and lounging on the couch in our sweatpants, laughing over mindless television shows.

Being with her is effortless. Easy. I wake up excited to see her and talk to her. I message her when I’m free because I want to, and I always look forward to wrapping my arms around her and kissing her forehead.

This relationship is nothing like I thought it would be. I was expecting eye rolls and arguments, disappointment about missing time with my friends, or feeling forced to do chores and activities I don’t enjoy. Those moments might come, sure. It’s early. Right now, everything is perfect. It can’t get much better than this.

At work, we sneak off to enjoy a few moments together. I press her into my door, untucking her shirt so I can feel her skin under mine for even just a second. She yanks me into the supply closet, asking for my help finding paperclips while she kisses me senseless, and I’m left tucking my dick into the waistband of my pants as I leave the enclave, hard as a rock for thirty minutes afterwards. I bring a plate of food for her and leave it in her office while she’s out, and I come back to cute sticky notes hidden on the inside of my desk. My eyes watch every male colleague like a hawk, ready to swoop in and destroy them if they so much as look at her the wrong way.

And if they open their mouth and speak to her inappropriately? I’m going to have a lot of blood on my hands.

The only looming issue we have is the partner announcement, which should be coming a week from Monday. We try not to talk about it when we’re alone together, preferring to not acknowledge the elephant in the room until the last possible moment. According to the employee handbook, partner/attorney relationships are explicitly forbidden and grounds for termination. I know we’ve enjoyed sneaking around secretly up to this point, but the threat of being fired isn’t a fun addition.

So. Yeah. We’ll deal with that next week. For now, I’m basking in the bliss that is Emma Burns and enjoying the here and now. Nothing more.