Chapter 34
Aria
Ilook up at the building in front of me and can’t help but to be impressed. It’s tall, nearly one of the tallest that the city has to offer, and it has a modern feel to it that fits really well with the other buildings and structures around it.
If I was an architectural nerd, I would be drooling over the design of it all.
Alas, I am not, but it is a pretty building, I will give it that.
Once I’m done inspecting the building, I look at the logo on the window in front of me.
Lane Enterprises.
When I was in college, I would hear the name all time. Especially because I was going to school in San Francisco and all the tech and finance bros would talk about one day working here like it was their dream Hollywood role. I swear they would slobber at the simple mention of this company.
I wonder, if I was friends with them, if they knew that not only am I standing in front of the building they so badly wanted to work in, but that I also had dinner with the CEO and dating someone that works here, what they would think or say?
Whatever it may be, they can suck it.
At thinking of the word suck, my mind goes to a dirty place.
Well, dirty for a public setting because there is nothing dirty about me sucking off Elliot this morning before he came to work.
That was pure art. Which I have to stop thinking about because I shouldn’t be thinking about giving a blow job while standing in the middle of a sidewalk.
Instead, I should be walking into the building in front of me, and delivering the lunch I picked up.
Shaking my head to ride of all the dirty thoughts, at least for now, I head in and make my way over to the security desk like instructed by Grayson.
I wanted to surprise Elliot today with some food since he said he had a handful of meetings today and possibly wouldn’t eat until late. When I thought of the plan, I was going to text him to see where I should go when I stepped foot in the building but I decided to just text Grayson instead.
“Excuse me, I was wondering if you can point me in the direction of Elliot Lane?” I say to the security guard on the other side of the reception desk.
I don’t know what I expected from the security guards that work here but, a heavily armed officer that looks like he could bench three of me what not it.
Security is high around here.
The guard looks over at me. “Are you on the list of approved visitors?”
There’s a list? Grayson didn’t mention any list.
“Um, maybe?” I let out.
Maybe Grayson added me.
“Can I see your ID?”
I nod and after placing the food down, I quickly fish out my wallet and hand over my ID.
He gives me a nod and takes it.
While he’s in the middle of whatever he’s doing, I hear my name.
Turning, I see Bennett Lane a few feet away, about to walk through the security check point, with a few men that look a little rough around the edges behind him.
I wave at the billionaire.
How do I know he’s a billionaire? Because when I got Elliot’s full name, he wasn’t the only Lane I looked up and I’m not ashamed of it.
Throwing Bennett a smile, I greet him when he closes the distance between us. “Hello.”
“Hello back.” He voices. “What are you doing here?”
Bennett and I didn’t talk a whole lot at dinner two weeks ago, but we talked enough for me to like the guy and to know he is a good person that cares about the kids he raised, deeply.
I hold up the bag of food.
“I came to drop off Elliot some food. He said he was going to have a bunch of meetings today, so I thought I would bring some sustenance.”
Bennett gives me a smirk, one that looks a lot like his nephew’s and looks down at his watch.
“I can take you up if you want. He should be finishing up his eleven o’clock appointment soon.”
“That would be great, but he still has my ID though,” I say, pointing to the guard that I was talking to.
“Adams,” Bennett calls out, waving the guard over. “She’s cleared. Please add her to the visitor list for Elliot from here on out.”
Adams gives him a nod. “Of course, Sir. Here you go Ms. Hernandez. Have a great rest of your day.”
I get my ID back and Bennett guides me to the elevator bank, completely overlooking that security check point.
“Is not going through metal detector one of the perks of being CEO?” I ask as we wait for an elevator cart.
“That and my ID only gets checked when there is a new guard working.”
“Cool.” I say, just as an elevator dings and Bennett guides me inside the cart.
“So, your last name Hernandez. Does that mean that you are Latina?” He asks once he presses the button for the top floor.
I give him a nod. “Yes, sir. My bio parents and singular stepparent are all Mexican American.”
“Do you speak Spanish? I’ve tried to pick it up from the kids throughout the years, but I’ve never been able to grasp it fully. I know a few words here and there but not something to hold a conversation.”
Damn, I don’t think I heard him speak that many words during dinner.
“Me and you are the same in that regard. I know conversational Spanish and enough to get me by but that’s about it. I wish I knew more though.”
A laugh leaves Bennett. “Maybe the two of us can take a class.”
“Oh, I would be so down for that. Let me know the time and place and I will be there.”
Another laugh. “I’ll have Ella arrange it.”
For some reason, I thought one on one conversation with this man would feel forced, but it feels as natural as talking to Elliot or even Grayson or Henry.
“Do you like working with your wife?” I ask, as I watch the number of floors go up.
In the time that Elliot and I have reconnected, he’s told me everything about his family.
Including the work dynamic between his aunt and uncle and how he finds it weird to call them aunt and uncle since there is only five years between him and Ella and twelve between him and Bennett.
“I do. We don’t work as much together as we used to, but I like seeing her at work and at home.”
“Do you like working with Elliot?” The question slips through without me even thinking about it and I instantly regret it. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to ask that.”
I try to look anywhere but at Bennett but I file and meet his eyes in the doors of the steel car.
“He opened up to you about his and mine relationship.” He doesn’t question, but states.
I give his reflection a nod. “He did and he also said that you two were in a better place and I guess I wanted to see if you thought that too or if it was just one sided.”
The smile he throws my way is so simple and so much like one Elliot would give me.
He doesn’t say anything for a bit. So much so that I start to think that I might have over stepped but when the elevator dings, telling us that we have arrived at the top floor, he speaks.
“I’m glad he’s opened up to you,” he says as he waves for me to step off the elevator before him.
“He doesn’t do that often, or with just anyone, hell it took him over ten years to be able to open up to me, and he still holds back.
Which means you are special, Aria, and that he trusts you fully and is fully committed to you and your relationship. ”
A small blush creeps up my cheeks.
It’s been more than a few weeks since the gala, since the topic of labels and more was brought up and we have yet to actually have the conversation.
We both want it, I know we do, but I think he knows that I’m still terrified of what the label would mean, and he is giving me all the time and space to get around to it. To meet him where he is.
Bennett telling me that Elliot is fully committed and trust me fully, makes me realize that there is nothing that I need to be terrified of.
“I’m glad that he has opened up too.”
We walk a few steps, toward an office at the edge of the floor.
Bennett is the one to break the silence between us. “To answer your question, I do enjoy working with Elliot. He gives me a piece of my brother that I never got to experience.”
A dagger straight to the heart.
A lump threatens to form in my thought but I push it away as best as I can. “That makes me happy to hear.”
Bennett gives me a smile, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. He’s lost in his mind for a few seconds, possibly thinking of his brother and everything that happened, but he is able to come out of it and walk me over to what I would assume is Elliot’s section.
There’s a young guy sitting outside of the office and he gives Bennett a nod as he passes by and starts knocking on the closed door.
He doesn’t even wait for a response before he opens the door.
On the other side is a large office, with windows that not only overlook the city but also a small part of the river. This is exactly how I pictured an office for someone like Elliot to be like. It’s fancy, but also has touches of him all over the place.
The man himself is sitting behind a mahogany desk, looking at a computer screen like he wants to jump to through the screen and strangle whatever is staring back at him.
He is trying to keep himself composed but failing miserably.
I can’t help but to let out a small laugh at his expression. Apparently he didn’t notice Bennett opening the door, because when he hears me, he looks up and his facial expression going from frustrated to surprised and then happy.
“What are you doing here?” He mouths, moving all his attention to me and completely away from his screen.
I hold up the bag of food as my answer as I throw him a smirk.
He smirks back and waves me in before looking at his uncle and throwing him a nod of appreciation.
“Thank you for guiding me up here,” I say, giving Bennett a small smile.
He sends one back in my direction. “Thank you for the talk. You two enjoy your lunch.”
With that, he walks out of the office, leaving me and Elliot to have our lunch.
Not wanting to disturb whoever is talking on Elliot’s screen, I basically tiptoe over his desk.