by A. L Long
Chapter Ten
HANNA
I don’t know what got into me. I should have never accepted the things that Aiden had purchased for me, but when I put on the nightgown, all I wanted was to feel the soft fabric against my skin. I hadn’t planned on falling asleep, but it didn’t take long given the way I felt from my overindulgence the night before.
The way he looked at me when I questioned where he was going was one of amazement, then of curiosity. I didn’t mean to come across as nosy, I just want to know if he was going near a store where I could pick up a few things of my own.
When he began ascending the stairs, I should have resisted him. It might have been the scent of his cologne or that fact that I wanted him to kiss me again that had taken away my self-control. There was no way that I could have predicted that one kiss could lead to more. Being with him was much more than what happened to me in the back seat of Billy’s car when I was sixteen. Neither one of us knew what we were doing, and when it was said and done, it was the worst thing I could have ever done. My mom always told me to wait until I found that one special guy. Wow, was she ever right! Not only was Billy a big mistake, I put up with the gossip and being labeled as easy until I graduated. Some of the other boys tried to get what Billy got. The worst part was that it was all a dare. He had been the only boy who hadn’t ridden a girl and to show them that he could, he picked me.
It was that one mistake that turned me off to guys, at least until now. Even though I knew that Aiden wouldn’t be the one, at least what happened between us was something that I would never forget. He showed me that there was so much more to having sex than just a guy getting off.
Knowing that sooner or later I needed to roll over and face him, I moved to my back and reached across the bed. His bed was big and I thought that maybe my reach wasn’t long enough, but when I turned my head to face him, he wasn’t there. Pushing to a sitting position, I scanned the room to find he wasn’t there. I wasn’t sure of the time since the blinds were drawn, making the room very dark.
Swinging my legs to the side of the bed, I found my nightgown in the same place that it fell. Slipping it on, I quickly grabbed my robe, left the room, and headed down the hall to the guest room where I was staying. My phone was where I had left it. Rushing to the night table, I picked it up to see that it was later than I thought it was. There was no doubt in my mind that I was going to be late for work.
Searching the room for my uniform, I found that it had been hung in the closet, freshly washed and pressed. It was then that I understood why Aiden valued Albert so much. Running around in circles trying to find everything I needed, I loaded my backpack with some of the things that Albert had purchased for me and headed down the steps. I needed to find him as quickly as possible to see if he would be willing to give be a ride to the diner.
When I reached the bottom of the stairs, I was thankful to find that Aiden was sitting in his study working on his computer. He was in deep thought and the last thing I wanted was to disturb him, but I really needed a ride, and fast.
Clearing my throat, I said, “Excuse me, Aiden, but could you give me a ride to the diner? I am already late and the last thing I need is to get fired.” I knew that Dotty would never fire me, but it was so unfair for her to cover me because I couldn’t get to work on time.
As he rolled his chair back, I watched as he rose and headed my way. Swiping his hand across my cheek, he looked down at me and said, “There is a reason I allowed you to sleep. The sales transaction on the diner took place early this morning. I am officially your new boss. I’ve decided that you needed the day off.”
“You did what?” I shouted. My body stilled and my fists rolled into tight balls.
“You had to have known that this day was coming, Hanna? Ms. Graham was paid very well for the diner. She was more than willing to take the offer,” he admitted, looking at me as though he did her a favor. “She was tired, Hanna. It was a lot of work for her to keep the diner going. I even offered to keep her on, but she declined.”
I knew that he was right. Dotty wasn’t young anymore, and all the work she had put into the diner did have a toll on her. She deserved to be happy and enjoy the rest of her life without worrying about the diner.
Wrapping my arms around him, I pressed my head against his chest and asked, “Do you know what she will do now that she no longer owns the diner?”
“I’m not certain, but she mentioned something about visiting her sister in Florida.”
I never even knew that she had a sister. I felt better knowing that she wasn’t going to be alone. I would have loved to know how much Aiden paid her for the diner but didn’t think it was my place to ask. There is one thing that I did need to know. Pushing away so that I could look him in the eye, I asked cautiously, “What do you plan on doing with the diner?”
He kissed me on top of my head, but I knew he was avoiding my question when he answered, “I bet you are starving. How about I get you something to eat?”
Pulling away from him, I asked him again. “What do you plan on doing with the diner, Aiden?”
Watching him move away from me, I remained still and waited for him to answer. As he forked his hands through his hair, I knew then that what he was about to say wouldn’t be good. Turning to face me, the expression on his face said it all. He didn’t have to say anything. I already knew that the diner would be a memory.
Before he could explain, I said, “You don’t have to say anything. It’s written all over your face. How could you do that, Aiden? That diner has so much history. Do you even know how many people would be lost without that diner?”
Feeling like he just ripped my heart out, I turned away from him and headed toward the door. There was no way I could remain in this house with a man that had no compassion for others.
Employing all the strength that I had to hold back the tears, I left the study and headed towards the front door. I knew that if Dotty knew that Aiden was going to get rid of the diner, she would have never given it up. I needed to let her know.
I could hear his voice loud and clear. “Where are you going?”
I wasn’t about to tell him anything. The only thing he needed to know was that I was leaving. Stopping long enough to open the front door, I heard him call my name. “Hanna.”
He could call my name all he wanted. I had no intention of telling him anything. Soon enough he would be finding out exactly where I was going. The deal he made with Dotty would soon be null and void.
~*~*~*~
When I reached the end of the driveway, I was thankful that Aiden hadn’t followed me. Instead, Albert had pulled up and offered to give me a ride home. Sliding into the back seat, I waited for him to get behind the wheel before asking, “Can you take me to Dotty’s Diner? It is really important that I go there first.”
“Mr. Drake specifically instructed me to take you home and wait until he could join us,” Albert confessed.
I didn’t care what Aiden had planned, I needed to go to the diner and if Albert wasn’t going to take me there, then I would find my own way. Placing my hand on the door handle, I opened the door and began getting out.
“Wait, Ms. Marsh,” Albert pleaded.
Meeting his eyes in the rearview mirror, I stopped my efforts and waited for him to continue.
“I’ll take you to the diner, but you need to be quick.”
“It will only take a minute. I promise.”
I knew it wouldn’t take me long to convince Dotty that she had made a mistake. Closing the door, I sat back in the seat and gazed out the window as Albert made a right turn onto the street. It was going to be a good fifteen minutes back to Houston and all I could think about was whether or not Dotty would be there. There was no way she would sell the diner to Aiden if she knew his plans. I would bet my life on it.
Chapter Eleven
AIDEN
Watching Hanna leave the house, I had a pretty good idea where she was going. It was a good seven miles back to the city. I wasn’t sure what sh
e was thinking, but the only option she had was to either walk or call a cab. Neither one was acceptable. Knowing that she wouldn’t speak to me after the information she just learned, Albert was my only hope to make sure she got home safe.
As soon as she had enough time to cool down, I would try to explain my plans for the diner. Hanna had no idea how much it had been costing Dotty. The building was old and in need of new plumbing and electrical wiring. It was a fire hazard and Dotty knew it. The fire marshal gave her until the end of the year to bring it up to code. Her time was running out and she didn’t have the resources to get it done in time. Matter of fact, she had been thankful that I came across her diner when I did. With the money I offered her for the place, she would be able to live comfortably for a long time.
Looking at my watch, I saw I had given Albert enough time to get her home and for Hanna to cool down. Grabbing the keys to my car, I pushed my chair away from my desk and made my way to the front door. Entering my car, I thought it was best to give Albert a call to make sure they made it.
While heading down the driveway, I wanted for Albert to answer. I was just ready to hang up when his voice sounded on the other end. “I hope you aren’t waiting for us at Ms. Marsh’s home.”
“Albert, please tell me that you didn’t take her to the diner.” I wasn’t sure why I even asked. I knew it would be the only other place they would have been.
“Sorry, sir, but I am afraid so. I tried not to give in to her, but I just couldn’t refuse.”
I didn’t blame him for one minute for not following my instructions. I knew exactly how persuasive Hanna could be, having been persuaded myself with her womanly charm. Ending the call, I couldn’t help but wonder what Dotty would say to Hanna once she told her my intentions. It didn’t really matter to me if she cared. There was nothing that either of them could do. The paperwork had been signed and the money had been wired to her account. She would be stupid to try to get out of the exchange.
There was no reason to hurry, and there was one thing that I needed to take care of. Instead of driving straight to Hanna’s I decided this would be a great time to pay my father a visit. He had more connections than I did and he would know how to find out more about Carter Marsh. I wanted to know everything about him: his financial situation, his business dealings, everything. More than anything, I wanted him to pay for what he did to Hanna. I wanted him to know what it felt like to lose everything. When I was finished with him, he would be lucky if he had a roof over his head. I was going to let him know that he should have never taken the home that Hanna loved so much from her.
Getting angrier by the minute just thinking about it, I decided to put my feelings aside and think of something else. Turning the volume up for my favorite XM Radio station, already the thoughts of Carter Marsh had taken a back seat. When my favorite song came on, I found myself tapping my thumb on the steering wheel in time with the music. I would never argue with the person that said music was a stress reliever. I could already feel my body relax.
Pulling into the parking garage at Elite Exchange, I parked my car next to my father’s. I didn’t know why he insisted on driving his Nissan when he was more than financially able to purchase a classier car. I could only assume that he wanted to be reminded how far he has come since he bought the car ten years ago.
As for me, I dressed for success, and that included the vehicles I drove. I wouldn’t be caught dead in anything with less than a 100K sticker price. After all, money exhibited success, and with success there was respect. My father should live by his philosophy. It was something he had told me over and over.
Reaching the top floor of the Drake building, Rita was at her desk looking quite beautiful this late in the day. Being her assertive self, she looked up at me over her reading glasses and smiled. “Good afternoon, Mr. Drake.”
“Good afternoon, Rita. Is my father in his office?” I questioned.
“Actually, he is in the board room. His meeting should be finishing up.”
“Meeting?”
“Yes. Your father requested a meeting at the last minute with the junior executives. I’m surprised you weren’t informed about it.”
I had never missed a meeting and knew I had never been informed of this one. My father was up to something and I was going to find out what it was. “I’m sure I was. It must have slipped my mind.”
Heading to the board room, I saw some of the executives were already leaving. Waiting until they had all left, I entered the room where my father was still seated at the head of the table. There was an open folder in front of him which appeared to be holding applications of some sort. Unaware of any new positions opening up, I placed my hand on the top of the folder and pulled it towards me. As I scanned the documents, I saw these weren’t applications at all, they were questionnaires.
I began reading the questions and knew then what this last-minute meeting was about. Looking at my father, I pushed the folder his way and demanded an explanation. “What the fuck is this, Father?”
“Don’t be so dramatic, son. You’ve known for a long time that I wanted to fill the CEO position before I leave.”
“That position is mine,” I stated.
“You haven’t done anything to secure that position. Time is running out. With only a couple of months until you turn thirty, I don’t have any faith that you are going to find a suitable wife. I need to look out for this company.”
“You’re wrong. I will find a wife and I will be CEO.”
Rising to his feet, my father gathered the folder and the papers that spilled from it and headed to the door. Stopping short of the doorway, he moved his head to the side and said, “Nothing would please me more than to see you head this company. Don’t disappoint me, Aiden.”
My father was right. My time was running out. Somehow, I needed to convince Hanna to marry me. There was only one way to do that, and that was to make her happy every minute of every day. The first step in doing that was to keep the diner as it was, or at least close to it.
~*~*~*~
When I got to Hanna’s house, Albert was nowhere to be seen. I had spent longer that I wanted to at Elite Exchange and knew that Albert and Hanna should have been here at least an hour ago if not more. Reaching for my cell, I found Albert’s number and waited for him to answer. Before he could say a word, I voiced my displeasure. “I hope that you are on your way to Hanna’s house.”
“Not exactly, sir. There’s a bit of a problem.”
I knew Albert well enough to know that there was more than just a bit of a problem. Slamming my hand against the steering wheel, I asked, “What sort of problem?”
“I had no idea when she went inside the diner that she would take off. When she didn’t come out, I knew something was wrong. I don’t even know where to begin looking for her.”
I wasn’t doing any good staying here. Pulling away from the curb, I headed in the direction of the diner. There was only one thought that came to mind. “Don’t move.”
Albert wasn’t an incompetent employee. Hanna must have done a lot of convincing to keep him from going inside the diner with her. Then again, how was he to know that she would be leaving by using the back alley? I was partially to blame. I should have let him know that there was a back entrance to the diner and to be on the lookout for her using it. On the other hand, he should have known that something was up and gone inside the diner sooner.
There was no sense in going back and forth on who to blame. The fact remained that she was gone and I didn’t have any idea where she would go. Then it hit me. Picking up my phone, I prayed that Rita would still be at Elite Exchange. I had given her the one piece of information that would help me find Hanna.
~*~*~*~
I don’t know why I thought that Hanna would answer her phone. She had no idea that I was the one calling. I wasn’t so sure that she would have talked to me even if she did. Deciding on where to go, I juggled with the idea of going to Danbury, but before I made the trip, one last swing by her p
lace wouldn’t hurt. Instructing Albert to remain at the diner in case she came back, I pulled out of the back parking lot at Dotty’s and got on the main road to Hanna’s.
There weren’t very many places that she could have gone, so when I finally reached her house, it didn’t surprise me to find that the lights were on inside. Turning off the engine, I quickly walked up to the door, wanting nothing more than to get her and get out of this neighborhood. Something was going down at the house across from her and the last thing I wanted was to be around when things got out of hand, which they almost always did when drugs were involved. Based on the attire of men that entered the house, there was plenty of it.
Knocking on Hanna’s door, I waited impatiently, keeping my eyes on the house across the street. When the door opened, I didn’t wait for her to say anything. I took hold of her and walked her back inside the house.
Her annoyance was evident as she said, “What are you doing here?”
