Page 11 of Beck and Call

"I thought you said you weren't going to be romantic," I muttered. If he started off being this sweet, I would really have a hard time keeping my heart locked away.

He looked down at me, eyebrow raised, and a slight smile curving his lips. It was obvious I amused him. "If you think this is romance then you haven't been treated very well."

"I haven't been treated badly. I actually don't have anything to compare this to." I sat down on my futon and offered him the only chair by my little table.

"Not that I'm not happy to see you, but what are you doing here on a Friday morning? I thought I was going to start working for you on Monday?" I asked.

He sat carefully on my wooden chair, and I swear it creaked under his size. Beckett might be a business tycoon, but he was built like a gladiator.

He smirked when he realized I was checking him out, and fought his smile, bringing his face back to a neutral expression. "Something's come up. Remember I mentioned at the diner that there was an issue with a deal I’ve been working on? I've got to head to Berlin to meet with that client. I'd like for you to come with me. There won't be a ton of time for sightseeing, but we can do a few things before we return."

It hadn't sunk in until that moment what changes were going to happen in my life, or rather I hadn't really allowed myself to believe them. I'd always wanted to travel. Up until now the furthest I'd ever been was Seattle, which was still a long way away from the southern Midwest.

"Do you have a passport?"

Maybe Jana wasn't so evil after all. Last month she decided we needed to go to Victoria, British Columbia when it warmed up. She wouldn't take no for an answer, and I ended up giving in and sending off for my passport. On the built-in shelf near the door, I pulled out a large Manila envelope from the stack where my mail was unceremoniously dumped when it came in.

Beckett took it and opened it. "You just got one? Let me guess, was Jana the motivation behind this?"

I nodded. "Yeah, she’s been demanding a road trip as soon as summer starts, mostly because I nixed her suggestion to pay for us to go to Europe."

"I'll have to thank her later. You wouldn't happen to also have luggage, would you?"

"No, I'm not sure what I'm going to wear to business meetings either. I've got one suit I wear to interviews." It was embarrassing to admit, but he was standing in the middle of all my possessions. There was a tiny closet and some built in drawers along the wall. All of my clothing was in those two locations.

He shrugged. "This will make it easier to leave on time. I'll have some clothes delivered to the hotel by the time we arrive. How long do you need to get ready?"

Normally, I'd have argued with him and demanded I take care of myself, however, nothing about this situation was normal. "I'd really like for you to take the cost out of my salary."

He stepped closer to me and touched the side of my face. "Don't start drawing arbitrary boundaries between us now. I want to do this for you. Can't you just let me?"

I couldn't help but lean into his touch for a moment before pulling his hand down. He frowned for a second until I laced my fingers with his instead of letting go. I squeezed his hand once. "I don't want you to think this is all about money. I'm taking the job you're offering for the money, but anything else that happens between us will be because I can't stop thinking about you." My voice was a little quiet and a bit shaky, but I'd managed to say what I wanted him to know.

"I'm glad to hear that, because I have no interest in buying you. I do however feel like spoiling you. Can you let me do that?"

"I can be ready in thirty minutes," I replied.

"You don't have to rush. I've got a few calls I can make. We're taking the company jet, so the plane isn't going to leave without us."

We moved around each other awkwardly while I gathered my things to shower. Most of the time I hated being at home because it felt hard to breathe in the close confines of my apartment. The walls were bare, and other than the bedding on the futon and the occasional dish in the sink, it really didn't look like anyone lived in the apartment.

The bathroom was smaller than many coat closets. When I was there alone I usually left the door open because I was actually a little claustrophobic. If I had any doubt I'd actually be ready in a half an hour, it evaporated the moment I closed the door. I set my fresh clothing on top of the closed toilet lid and started the shower. I shed my pajamas and stepped under the steaming spray.

"Why aren't there any pictures out?" he called out over the shower.

"Decorating this place was like admitting I really live here," I shouted over the rushing water.

The image of him going through my meager belongings had me rushing through my usual showering routine. Luckily, I'd shaved yesterday in the afternoon, so I was able to do a quick pass with my razor. Washing my nearly waist length hair though, took considerably more time, which I didn't bother to spend, and ended up rinsing out instead of using shampoo.

"Are you determined to stay here?" he asked after a minute.

I shrugged, which I immediately recognized as stupid since he couldn't see me. "I would like to eventually move out, but this city is more expensive than I anticipated when I moved here."

"Is this even a safe neighborhood?" he grumbled. I wasn't sure if he was speaking to me or just muttering to himself.

I decided to answer him anyway. "Safe enough. I didn't know anyone when I moved here. I looked at a few places, and they scared me. I've always lived in a small town. After I saw a few places, the size and lack of a kitchen in this one seemed like less of a sacrifice. It's expensive, but I've managed so far. At least I haven't felt unsafe yet."

Satisfied I was clean enough I shut off the water and wrapped a towel around my body. A regular bathmat doesn't fit in my bathroom, but I had managed to find one that covers the cold linoleum floor in front of the tiny pedestal sink. It is only big enough for me to stand on with my feet together.

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