Cracked Ice - Part 6.5

“CRACKED ICE” by Leora Tozer © 2013 - Part 6.5 

An hour or two later, Leora is working on a letter at her desk. Leo and Art were gone for the day, and the office was quiet. 

Henry walked out of his office and looked at Leora. He hadn’t really noticed that spark in her eyes before this morning. He decided see if he could locate that flicker again. 

Leora was looking down and reading a piece of paper. Henry’s hands set flat down on the desktop in front of her. Looking at his hands before her, Leora hadn’t noticed before how nice they were. 

Henry bent down, his mouth next to her left ear, and he whispered, “Rearoused.” 

Leora closed her eyes for a moment, as if an ocean wave was rolling over her. She opened her eyes, but kept them looking down at the desk, and at Henry’s lovely hands. 

Leora calmly replied,“Reassess.” 

H: “Renegotiate.” 

Leora kept focused on the silver band on Henry’s left ring finger. 

L: “Redact.” 

H: “Reconquer.” 

L: “Resist.” 

H: “Repeel.” 

L: “Recover.” 

H: “Reexamine.” 

Her breath was becoming shallow. He wanted make her as excited as he felt, and he thought he was succeeding. 

L: “Reevaluate.” 

H: “Rekindle.” 

L: “Recant.” 

H: “Request.” 

After five years of being on her own, Leora was unused to this type of male attention. Of course, she was getting butterflies in her stomach, but she needed to keep strong. 

L: “Reconsider.” 

H: “Reintroduce.” 

L: “Resurvey.” 

H: “Retaste.” 

L: “Restrain.” 

H: “Recapture.” 

Leora watched as the silver band seemed to change color with the shadows and light. 

 L: “Refocus.” 

H: “Remelt.” 

She bit her lip slightly. 

L: “Reflex.” 

H: “Reconsider.” 

L: “Relentless.” 

H: “Reciprocate.” 

She faintly shook her head, and softly replied, “Receptionist.” 

Henry took a deep breath, straightened up and walked back to his office. He ached to reawaken the passion he saw flickering this morning. The right time would come, if he was patient. 


Leora needed a breath of fresh air, so she got up and walked towards the bathroom. Maybe she should go for a walk outside, she thought. As she walked down the hall and turned around, Art appeared next to her and wrapped his arms around Leora. He gently walked them into the bathroom. Leora was surprised, but also felt a sense of peace surrounding her. 

They moved into a corner of the room, after Art had locked the door behind him. Art puts his head against Leora’s; their foreheads touching. He carefully kept his arms wrapped around her. They stood together in silence for ten minutes. 

Leora looks up at Art, as if she were going to ask something. Art lifts up her chin with his left hand and kisses her lips with a whisper of a kiss. A moment later, he lets go and slips out of the room. 

As he walked out of the office, hopped into his car, and drove home, he doesn’t understand why he’s drawn to this particular Benson. Something feels safe when he’s around her, almost like home. He shakes his head. 

After Art leaves, Leora washed her face. Remembering a mediation exercise, she takes a deep breath and slowly breathes out. A renewed sense of peace has filled her heart, and she knows she can spend the remaining work hours focused on work.