Page 47 of Too Much In Common
Memories of her childhood flooded her. She should have forgiven him years ago.
* * *
Chris arrived at Hastings seconds before the class began. This week, ZoElle led the class. Dana and a female he didn’t know demonstrated. Chris helped several of the class members work through a slow-motion purse snatching scenario before turning them loose on the sparring dummy. Like last week, Tian worked with Alex Hastings. Chris tried to catch her eye a couple of times and failed. She seemed quiet. Had something gone wrong with her father?
Near the end of the class, Allie and Melanie joined them, mostly observing.
When class ended, he went to talk to Tian only to see she was deep in conversation with Melanie. He waved before running out the door to his next assignment. Since another bodyguard drove, he snuck in a quick text.
Chris: R U ok? Sorry I didn’t have time to talk. See you tomorrow morning. Does 8 work?
They reached the venue, and she hadn’t answered.
Chris: I’m on phone silence for the next five hours. I’ll text later.
The event would be over before then, but cleanup could last for hours.
“Johnson, start with the caterers,” Alan Hastings’ voice came clear through his earpiece.
“Will do.”
Everything went smoothly. Five hours later, Chris headed home for the night with a nice to-go box from catering. Hastings had some of the best clients. This one insisted that since they paid the caterers for the food, they could divide leftovers as they wished among the staff, including security. Chris secretly believed they over-ordered deliberately. The catering staff had leftovers, too. Riding in the back of the SUV, he opened his phone.
Tian: I’m fine. It was a deep talk. Breakfast sounds good. Text when you are off.
Chris: Headed back now are you still awake?
Tian: Barely. I turn into a pumpkin at 10. I know. I feel so old.
Chris: Nothing wrong with a good night’s sleep.
Tian: I could use a hug, though.
Chris: We could go up to the atrium.
Tian: The what?
Chris: Best view of the city. Also one of the better-kept secrets in the building.
Tian: Sounds good.
Chris: Be there in 20.
He made it in seventeen minutes.
Tian opened the door seconds after his knock. Her eyelids drooped slightly. It took him a moment to realize her face was devoid of makeup. Without preamble, she walked into his arms for her hug. He held her tight and kissed the top of her head.
“Let me show you the atrium.” He slid his arm around her waist and led her to the elevator and up to the floor above the small gym and pool. Most of the east side of the building was encased in glass, creating a greenhouse of sorts filled with potted trees and plants. Cushioned furniture lay scattered in conversation groups.
Tian looked up through the windows into the evening darkness. Low cloud cover reflected the city’s lights instead of stars. “This is amazing. It wasn’t in the brochures or the tour.”
“It is a low-impact area, limited to the residents on the security floors, providing they find it.” He led her to a set of chairs nestled behind a row of potted shrubs. “This spot is blind to the cameras.”
A soft laugh escaped her lips. “I hadn’t thought about cameras. Isn’t it dangerous to have a blind spot?”
“They designed it this way. Security can see who enters the area and who leaves. As long as people enter willingly, we leave them alone. When Colin Ogilvie was a newlywed, he wanted some private spots.”
“So Javier and everyone else knows we are here and assume...?”
