Charles & Phiona (Part 3)

Charles was in another work meeting when Phiona knocked at the door frame. He turned to look and motioned her to come in, but she started to shake her head and gesture/mouth that she would be back later. Charles gave her a stern look, turned to the meeting, interrupting the current speaker, “I’m sorry, folks, I need to take care of something. I’ll circle up with the local team afterward and get back with you all later.”

Turning back to Phiona, “It was a boring meeting anyway. Thank you for saving me from it. Have you finished round one of your lines?”

She presented him with a few sheets of paper, “Yes, sir.”

“Good girl,” he replied as he opened his desk’s filing cabinet style drawer, extracting her laptop and handing it to her. “You may have a 1 hr break from lines, which just so happens to coincide exactly with my break time, or so I just decided.” He gestures to the beanbag on the floor by his desk, “You may take your break right here, by me. I will start the timer after you get started.”

Phiona smiled back at him, “Thank you,” as she took her laptop and settled into her place at her partner’s feet, “now, back to this book. Go ahead and start our timer. Love you!”

She opened her laptop and started typing, right where she’d left off the previous night. Charles smiled down at her and just watched her while she worked, “Computer, set a timer for 1 hour, starting now.”

The hour passed in silence, with Charles watching Phiona working on her book. The alarm from the computer startled them each out of their individual focuses.

“Is it time already?” Phiona pouted.

“Yes, love, time for the rest of your lines.”

“But I was just getting into the flow again!”

“Now. Rules are rules. You can have the mouse, keyboard, and external monitor back when the lines are done, or I am finished with work, whichever comes first. That will help you get back into your zone. Leave the laptop here, please.”

Phiona understood from his tone and posture that fighting this would only lead to even more lines. She closed the laptop and handed it to him. “I’ll be in my office working on my lines, Sir.”

“Thank you, Princess. I love you. I will see you after work or after you’ve completed your lines,” he replied as he turned back to his own computer.