Page 14 of Saving Hanna
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.
