by Leah Kay
Hesitantly, she answers the phone. “Hello?”
Barely controlling his excitement he asks, “Can you come down?”
Confused by his request, she replies, “Come down? Where?”
“I am in your lobby. Can you please come down?”
Isha is still trying to figure out what is happening. “Nathan, I accept your apology. I don’t need to hear it again.”
Feeling enthusiastic about turning things around, he asks, “Isha, can you please do this for me?”
Feeling too sleepy and exhausted to fight back, she heads downstairs. As she steps into the elevator, she wonders if this is how 20/20 headlines came together. A young naïve woman steps out of a safe hotel room in the middle of the night to see her boss who later turns out to be her murderer. Stay tuned for more after the break! Praying tonight doesn’t take a turn for the worse, she gets off the elevator. She finds him standing next to the coffee bar and cautiously walks over to him. Looking into his tired eyes, she notices a strange glimmer of happiness.
Wanting to get to the bottom of this, she asks, “What is this about, Nathan?”
He smiles taking in a homey looking Isha with her disheveled hair and snoopy PJs that read “All you need is wuv.” Standing in front of her, he extends his hand with a closed fist and slowly uncurls his fingers to reveal the ring in his palm. She takes a moment to register what she is seeing. “You had this with you all along?” she cries.
“No! They found it in the hotel lobby. The front desk called me thirty minutes ago. I wanted to give it to you first thing in the morning. But I figured something like this didn’t need to wait any longer.” He explains himself in a panic, refusing to screw things up again.
Holding on to her ring tightly, she shrieks with excitement and gives him a bear hug.
He experiences immense joy seeing her happy and holds her tight in his arms, “I am so sorry,” he gently whispers into her hair. He has been miserable for the past two days and was certain their budding friendship was over. He was mentally preparing himself to be ignored by her for the rest of his time in Philadelphia. Holding her in his arms tonight and seeing her happy feels surreal. He doesn’t want to let her go, but, not wanting to ruin the moment, he settles with, “Have a good night.”
His words cut through her bliss, bringing her back to reality. “Wait, why did they call you?” she asks, taking a step back from him.
“I called several places you could have been at since I played with your wallet, explained to them the magnitude of the incident and asked them to call me immediately if they found anything. I did not feel comfortable leaving your number with strangers. Instead, I gave them mine.” He finishes his story with utmost sincerity.
Hearing him explain the lengths he has gone to help her find her ring moves her immensely.
“It’s late, you should go back upstairs,” he suggests, looking into her eyes caringly.
Holding his gaze, she slowly nods no. His lips curve into a smile learning that she also wants to be near him.
“We have an early flight, and you should get some rest.” He reluctantly tries to be the responsible one.
Unwillingly nodding yes, she whispers a gentle thank you, and even before he can respond, she walks away without looking back.
Breathing a sigh of relief, he gets into his car and drives away.
Next morning, Isha and Claire look exhausted standing in line to board the flight back to Philadelphia. After Nathan left last night, Isha ran to Claire to share the good news. The bottle of wine enjoyed during their celebration isn’t evoking quite the same thrill this morning. They check their boarding passes to learn that Isha coincidentally is seated next to Nathan again and Mark decides to move his seat so that he can sit next to Claire as opposed to some stranger on a five-hour flight. Isha notices Nathan stealing glances in her direction, looking pretty pleased to be sitting next to her on the flight back. Since their late-night rendezvous, she’s barely been able to wait to see him again and a part of her wants to have some fun. With a mischievous grin, she takes her aisle seat and waits for Nathan to take his seat next to her. Claire and Mark take their seats directly on the other side of the aisle from her. Nathan patiently waits till they take off for some much-needed white noise to camouflage their conversation.
Turning towards her he asks, “Slept well?”
“Like a baby. You?”
“Meh.”
She furrows her brows at him. “How come?”
“I was busy scheming the next big Isha heist.”
Shaking her head at him, she says, “You touch my wallet again, you are a dead man.”
He laughs at her remarks. “Sorry. I am just happy we are friends again.”
“Oh, yea? We are friends?” she asks with feigned innocence.
Sensing her playfulness, he winks at her. “You still have ways to go to prove your worth.”
She smacks his arm and immediately straightens herself realizing both Claire and Mark can see them from across the aisle.
Enjoying their breakfast, they get to know each other. Isha learns that Nathan grew up in San Francisco and is the elder of two siblings, has a younger sister who lives in Utah. His parents are retired teachers who live in Leavenworth, Washington. She can tell he is close to his family with an almost protective energy towards his sister. She also learns that he is quite attached to his grandmother, whom he sweetly refers to as firecracker.
“Why firecracker?” she asks, immensely enjoying getting to know him.
“Well, she recently went in for a routine physical exam. Mind you, she is ninety years old. After completing the physical, the doctor asks if she has any questions for him. She inquires if he is pro mercy killing. To which he politely answers no. She ponders for a minute and requests to be transferred to another doctor. When asked why, she quotes irreconcilable differences. And that’s my grandmother in a nutshell.” They share a laugh together and Isha excuses herself to use the restroom. Nathan feels happy that they are on good terms again. He has always been private, but with Isha he feels different. Conversations are effortless, and his guard automatically came down in her presence. His personality, hidden behind years of neglect, is slowly starting to shine through with her.
He watches her talk to Mark before taking her seat. As she settles into her chair he says, “You still haven’t answered my question.”
Looking at him suspiciously she asks, “Which question are you talking about?”
“You know exactly what I am talking about.”
Mildly aware of where this conversation is going she unbuckles her seat belt. “You know, I would love to stay and chat, but I have some place to be.”
Nathan is confused by her response. “You do realize you are on a plane, right?”
“I do, but it is only fair that others get to spend time with their boss.” She winks at him and switches seats with Mark.
She takes a seat next to Claire while Nathan gives her a dirty look. Laughing at his expense, she mouths to him, “Enjoy!”
Liam hurries around the house cleaning it up before Isha’s arrival. His buddies have been over each night this week to watch the hockey playoffs, which eventually turned into gaming and beers. Too many late nights ultimately resulted in Liam showing up hung over at work throughout the week. After a long day, he finds it therapeutic to goof off with his friends. Remembering his latest promise to Isha, he opts to leave out this detail to her. He deems his actions innocent and finds coming clean to Isha unnecessary. He finds it normal for a guy to let loose a little while the wife is away, and since his fun with the guys was harmless, he sees no point in riling her. After a quick scan of the house he drives to the airport to pick up Isha.
Landing 20 minutes late, the Genex crew disembarks and walks towards the arrivals section. Nathan catches up with Isha. “Are we feeling pretty smug about ourselves?”
&
nbsp; Laughing at his misery she replies, “Your company is so precious, it is only fair I let others enjoy it as well.”
“You do realize what this means, right?” he asks huskily.
Nodding a no, she looks at him. waiting for him to respond.
“You just started a war.” He makes an intimidating face.
“Should I be scared?” she mocks him.
“If I were you, I’d be careful with my next move,” he cautions her.
With a killer stare back at him, she says, “Bring it, Walker.”
Watching her refusing to back down, he feels a strong urge to kiss her in the middle of the airport. His impulse is obliterated when he sees her make a dash towards someone in the arrivals area. Holding Isha tight in his arms, this man plants several kisses on her forehead. Nathan doesn’t feel comfortable watching them together; however, curiosity comes into play, and he observes them for a moment. They make a cute couple together and seem to be very much in love. He realizes how moronic his feelings are towards Isha. Instead of being a sane person who should walk away from an awkward situation, he walks towards them impulsively.
Needing no introduction, he extends his hand, saying, “You must be Liam.”
Feeling awkward herself, Isha makes the introductions. “Nathan, this is Liam, my husband.”
“Nice to finally meet you, Nathan. Isha has said wonderful things about you.” Liam shakes his hand politely.
“Perhaps you should tell me sometime, ’cause she is not that nice to me.” He forces a laugh.
Wrapping his arm around Isha, Liam responds, “She can be a handful.”
Having had his fair share of tangled feelings over the past few days Nathan decides to put an end to this conversation. “It’s been nice meeting you, Liam. Hope to see you around.” Saying goodbye to both of them, he walks out of the airport to catch a cab.
Isha remains quiet during the car ride back home. Seeing Liam wait for her at the airport with her favorite flowers helped her swiftly freefall to reality. A part of her thoroughly enjoys Nathan’s company. However, coming face-to-face with Liam and Nathan made her feel uneasy. She quickly realizes she is digging herself deeper into this convoluted pit. Before diving into an inevitable panic mode, she catches herself in time to rein in her emotions and assures herself that her marriage is strong enough to withstand an innocent friendship. Her thoughts get a break when Liam pulls into the garage.
Interlacing her fingers with his, she leans on his shoulder walking into their place. “How’s your week been, sweetheart?”
He shrugs. “I was so bored without you, so I just laid low.” He chooses a white lie. Noticing her plants, Isha says, “I need to water them right away, they look unhappy.” A strong pair of arms wraps around her from behind, and she feels a warm breath on her neck.
“I missed you baby,” he says gently, kissing her neck as his hands explore the curves of her body. She lets out a few whimpers of anticipation before he turns her around and holds her face in his hands, with his thumb caressing her cheek. As she starts to lose herself in the tantalizing sensation, he traces his tongue to the seam of her lips, patiently waiting for her permission, and the moment he receives it, he delves deep into her mouth. Her breathing quickens along with his, and she wraps her hands around his neck almost anticipating his next move. In one smooth motion, he scoops her up and takes her to the couch. Laying her down, he unfastens his pants and reaching behind her, unzips her dress. Tossing the clothes to the floor, he buries his face in her neck, nibbling at her collar bone, and slowly makes his way to her breasts. She runs her hands over his back, clutching him tightly as his mouth explores her body. As their breathing becomes rough, he takes all of her, savoring every moment. With her mind clear from all distractions, she relinquishes control and surrenders herself entirely to the man she loves, blissfully unaware of what lies ahead of her.
Feeling blue since he left Isha, Nathan facetimes Lily in the night. Having spent quite a bit of time together over the last few days, he is missing Isha’s company. In addition to that, the image of Liam and her leaves him feeling sad. The sound of Lily’s voice helps take some stress off his plate except Lily notices that something is off with her dad.
“Is everything okay?” she inquires worrying about him.
“Just tired sweetheart.”
“Would you like me to let you go so you can sleep?”
“That’s the last thing I want” He lets out a deep sigh.
Trying to cheer him up, she says, “I cannot wait to see you in Philadelphia soon. I want to do so many things with you.”
He smiles, looking at her. “Send me a list of things you would like to do, and we will do all of them.”
She can tell something is bothering him and she just has to know. Letting her curiosity take over, she asks, “How was the flight back with Looney Tunes?” The sudden change in his expression is all that she needed to know in this moment.
“It was fine.” And a momentary pause later, “I met her husband today.”
“The handsome one?” Lily narrows in on him.
Taken aback by her question, he responds dismissively, “They are a nice couple.”
Not needing any further confirmation as to who is behind her dad’s gloomy mood, she wishes him good night. Taking out her notepad, she adds an important person to her must-see Philadelphia vacation list. Her young heart is filled with curiosity about Isha and her dad’s growing friendship with her. She finds comfort in knowing that her dad has found a friend while he is all alone in Philadelphia, far away from her but starts to worry that even a budding friendship is coming with baggage that perhaps her dad doesn’t deserve.
Chapter 10
Bourbon & Cigars
Isha is not looking forward to a 7:00 a.m. meeting on a Friday especially after a week of traveling. Since the next site planned for implementation rollout is Switzerland, she obliges to their early morning meeting request, keeping in mind the time difference between their sites. By the time she has walked them through the process overview and preparation materials to ensure overall readiness before the site visit, Isha feels exhausted. Having not eaten anything since dinner last night, she leaves her desk to head up to the Eatery to grab a quick breakfast sandwich before her next meeting, which is in 30 minutes. Walking past Nathan’s office, she remembers a question she had for him from her previous call and makes a pit stop at his office. Knocking on the door, she waits for him to look up from his computer.
“Hello there,” he says with a warm smile, leaning back in his chair.
“Hi! Have a minute for a quick question?” she asks letting herself in.
“Of course,” he replies, gesturing for her to take a seat as he bites into one of the halves of his breakfast burrito.
“That looks so good.” Her eyes glaze over his chubby burrito.
“Are we hungry?”
“Starving. Haven’t eaten anything since dinner last night.”
“Hmmm. Too bad. This is delicious.” He takes a big bite of his food. With his mouth half full, he mumbles, “You were going to ask me something?”
“Such a gentleman.”
“A hundred percent.”
Not taking the bait, she continues with her question. By the time they arrive at a resolution, she realizes she only has five minutes before her next meeting starts. Her eyes helplessly stare at the half of the untouched burrito.
Watching her struggle internally, he asks, “Anything else on your mind?”
“I am starving, and I don’t have time to grab breakfast,” she says, looking at him with her puppy dog eyes.
“Hmm. That’s just poor planning, isn’t it?” He tries to rattle her.
Losing her wits at him, she yells, “Aren’t you going to offer me your other half of the burrito?”
Laughing at how quickly she switched from puppy eyes to yelling at hi
m, he feigns exaggerated disbelief. “My burrito? What am I supposed to eat?”.
“You had half, I haven’t had anything.” She continues to fight with him.
“What if I get hungry later?” He is enjoying this interaction too much to let her have it. Truth is he isn’t even that hungry but riling her up is just what he needed on a Friday morning.
“FINE! Eat it all, and I hope it makes you sick” She rises from her seat to leave.
“Will you take care of me if I get sick?” he asks as she is about to leave his office.
“Old Man! Stop bothering me.” She scowls at him.
Isha’s lips curve into a smile, hearing him laugh as she walks away pretending to be angry. She was worried about Nathan on her way into work this morning; although, it was presumptuous on her part to assume he was hurt to see her with Liam yesterday, she was unable to dismiss her suggestive intuition. But seeing him smile and tease her makes her feel lighter.
The team gathers for a meeting at 11:00 a.m. in the conference room to provide an update on the implementation roll out at San Diego, discuss lessons learned and plans for the upcoming Lucerne site visit. Nathan walks in on the dot and takes a seat at the head of the table. Before getting into the discussion on the site visit, he says, “Happy Friday. Hope everyone had a good breakfast this morning.” He makes small talk with a glint of an evil smile in his eyes.
After hearing some of their responses, he says, “I am glad; it’s the most important meal of the day. I myself enjoyed a delicious burrito. It was quite filling actually.” He finishes his statement looking at Isha who is now furiously texting on her phone. Having had his fun with her, he decides to give her a break. Leaning back in his chair, he suggests she provides an overview of the San Diego implementation experience. Isha provides a high-level overview of the rollout, details on the overall site engagement, and the next steps they plan to take to check on the health of the process. Nathan then nods to Mark to provide an overview of the Systems integration part. Mark begins with the overview but drifts off to the challenges faced while at the site and how Nathan came to the team’s rescue.