Chapter 16 #4
“Yeah, I’m a little worried about that,” he said, with an eye roll. Then he faced Jerome. “I don’t know about you, but I could use a shower, some hot coffee, and some food.”
“Oh,” she spun around and repeated, “food.”
“Yes, food,” Hayden quipped, with a smile. “Yet we still have a mess to look after here, and I don’t want to leave you alone.”
“I’ll take them,” Jerome offered. “It’s the least I can do.”
And, with that, and a promise that Hayden would join them as soon as he could, she headed out with her father and Jerome to the hotel, where they had coffee delivered, before they went out to eat.
And then as her father stepped out of the hotel room to have a meal, he admitted, “I don’t really feel like going out. ”
Andrea nodded, suggesting, “Let’s just order in some breakfast.” With room service delivered, they sat around to have one of the most comfortable and family-oriented conversations she could ever remember having.
And when the food was gone, Amir asked her, “How serious are you two?”
“Serious,” she replied cheerfully, not even attempting to ignore or to feign not understanding who or what he was talking about.
He nodded. “At least I know he can take care of you.”
“That you do,” she declared. “And, more than that, he’s a man of his word, a man of honor. And it seems those are getting hard to find.”
He smiled and nodded. “I agree with that. So, in this case, I will give you my blessing.”
She smirked at him. “Thank you, but just so we’re clear,” she began, “I had no intention of asking for it.”
He glared at her, and then a reluctant smile tweaked the corners of his mouth.
“And that’s how I know it’s right for you,” he declared.
“But I’m more than happy to head home and to put this entire nightmare to a rest.” He looked over at Jerome, who was looking a little tired, and said, “I’m pretty sure you are in agreement. ”
“Absolutely. Anytime you want the plane readied, I can put in the order.”
“Please do so, and let’s leave this afternoon. We can have an overnight flight and sleep.”
“The two of us will need a little more rest than we anticipated after this trip,” Jerome noted, with a wry smile.
*
Hayden walked into the hotel and was given a clearance to go up to the penthouse. As he rode up in the special elevator dedicated to the penthouse, he found Andrea standing at the open door, waiting for him.
She smiled. “I was really hoping you would get here before they left.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Is your dad leaving already?”
She nodded. “He is. I think he’s had enough of our … lifestyle,” she noted, with a chuckle.
He smiled and walked in to see Jerome and her father making last-minute preparations. He walked over and said, “It was nice meeting you, sir.”
Her father straightened and smiled. “It was definitely educational meeting you,” he admitted.
“But I’m grateful for all that you’ve done for the family, my family,” he shared, with a stern look in his eyes.
“So, confirm that you’re with her when she comes to visit in a month.
” He turned to her and warned, “And don’t you bail out of that visit. ”
“Wasn’t planning on it,” she said. “I’ll be there. And, if Hayden can come, I’ll want him with me.”
“Good,” Amir said.
Then the porter came and grabbed all their things. As Amir and Jerome stepped out and said their goodbyes, Hayden looked at her and asked, “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I am. … It’s both good and bad seeing him, isn’t it? You want to see them, and then, before you know it, they’re gone. Yet you’re kind of glad to see them go,” she shared, with a chuckle. “That’s family.”
He smiled. “Any interest in moving back over there?”
“Nope, none at all,” she stated. “Here is home to me. Maybe at some point far in the future, but it’s certainly not an issue for me now.” She turned to him and asked, “What about you?”
“I’ve got a couple days off,” he shared, as he grinned at her. “Any idea what we can do with that?”
She sighed. “My father offered us the penthouse for the rest of the week. Considering that we don’t know whether it’s safe to go back to my apartment or not,” she said, with an eye roll in his direction, “I accepted.”
As she looked around at the high-end penthouse, she added, “I don’t know about you, but this might be a good place to stay for a while.”
“Sounds like it to me,” he agreed. “Are you sure your father’s okay with that?”
“I’m absolutely sure he’s okay with that,” she replied, then shrugged. “Honest to God, he owns this one anyway, so we might as well use it.”
His eyebrows shot up, and she nodded. “You’ve just got to get used to him buying things.”
He nodded.
“And, yes, we have his permission. So, why don’t we order in some room service and get comfy,” she suggested, with a waggle of her eyebrows. Then she frowned and asked, “What about the rest of the team? Where are they?”
“They’ll be heading off on another mission,” he shared. “I’ve been given a couple days leave to recuperate, before I join them.”
She nodded, giving him a smile. “Good, then let’s not waste even a minute of those days.” She walked closer and wrapped her arms around him. “And I mean that with all my heart.”
He smiled. “Your father seemed to be okay with this.”
“Absolutely he’s very okay with this,” she declared. “And that was his way of telling you that at the end.”
He nodded. “I got the message. I’m just still a little stunned that it happened so easily. I was expecting a bit more resistance from him.”
“You did him a huge favor. Saving my life, saving his life, and Jerome’s. That kind of thing goes a long way, especially with a man who has virtually unlimited resources.”
Hayden smiled. “Maybe you’re right. I’m just happy that it all turned out the way it did.
There are no guarantees in my work. But there are rescues underway for Sophia and the others.
And another team is after Henry as well.
In my work, we hand off to others when necessary and trust they will do their job while we get on with ours. ”
She frowned. “I’ll have to get used to that, won’t I?”
“Yes,” he agreed, “because that’s not something I’ll be leaving anytime soon.”
“I figured that,” she noted, “but that’s okay. We’ll adjust.”
“And what about working for your father?” he asked, as he held her in his arms, studying her face.
She nodded. “I think the foundation will be a rather nice option for me,” she replied. “I’m sure you would prefer it too.”
“It’s not about what I prefer. I want you to do whatever feels right to you, but that sounds like a lot of fun.”
“I think it will be too,” she agreed. “He’ll have to send me a contract though. I haven’t seen it yet.”
He burst out laughing and nodded. “Seems a contract is needed between the two of you. You are alike in many ways.”
She frowned. “I can’t really argue with that because I know you’re probably right, but I’m not sure … is it a compliment or an insult?”
“It’s not an insult,” he clarified. “You two will do very well together. It seemed as if any differences that you had before, you’ve managed to put aside. That’s what matters the most.”
“Maybe, and maybe it was just time,” she suggested. “I have come to appreciate that new perspective. So, as far as I’m concerned, that’s a good way to leave it.”
She looked up at him and added, “Besides, I have a whole new beginning right in front of me.” She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him, while guiding him backward to the bedroom.