Page 22 of Saving Hanna
Chapter Fifteen
AIDEN
We ended up being late, but it was well worth it. Any extra time that I could spend with her was well worth the disgruntled look that my father gave me when we walked into the dining room where his guests were already seated. Taking our seats, my father’s attitude changed as he began introducing his business associates and their wives to us.
Everything was going along smoothly until my father introduced us to them. “My friends, I would like to introduce you to my son Aiden and his lovely wife-to-be, Hanna Marsh.”
I wasn’t sure what was going on, but as much as I would have loved that to be true, it wasn’t. Standing to my feet, I leaned over and whispered to my father, “May I have a word with you?”
I could tell that Hanna was stunned. I hated leaving her the way I did, but I had no choice. Pushing away from the table, my father cleared his throat and said, “Excuse us, gentlemen… ladies.”
Following him out of the dining room, I looked back at Hanna, and of anyone sitting at the table, she looked the most confused. My father was a man of few words, but when he spoke, people listened. This evening was the one night I wished he hadn’t spoken so freely.
As we entered his study, I closed the door so no one could hear what I was about to say. “Are you insane? Why would you introduce Hanna as my fiancée when I hadn’t even proposed to her yet? And another thing, how the hell did you know her name?”
“Simmer down, son, and quit with the theatrics. You remind me so much of your mother,” he began as he walked over to the liquor cart next to the window and poured himself a drink. “I have a lot on the line and I needed to make sure you were heading in the right direction. It is my right as a father to know everything about the woman my son intends on marrying.”
“You had no right to tell your guest that Hanna was my wife-to-be.”
“I had every right in the world. Do you know who these men are?” my father questioned, pointing to the door as though they were on the other side.
“Of course I know who they are. At least most of them are members of the board. Even though I haven’t had the privilege to meet them personally, I have seen most of them at Elite Exchange. What I don’t understand is… why would they give a rat’s ass who I kept company with?”
“Ha-ha… my dear son. You have so much to learn. Those men are ultimately the ones who decide whether or not you take over the company. And yes, some of them are board members, but they are all shareholders.”
“I don’t understand, father. Why would they need to approve my position of CEO? Unless they own the majority of the company.”
“Now you’re learning,” my father confirmed, downing the rest of his drink and walking toward the door. “We need to get back to the guests. Tomorrow we can discuss this further.”
As we headed back into the dining room, I did everything I could to keep from exploding. I was so angry at my father for not sharing that bit of information with me. Tomorrow he was going to get a rude awakening. He would be getting the surprise of his life when he found out that I no longer wanted the CEO position.
~*~*~*~
After we left my father’s home, I felt awful for leaving Hanna alone while my father and I had our little discussion. Little did I know that she didn’t mind it at all. The men and women at the table were very nice and seemed very interested in her. She couldn’t remember the last time she had been given so much attention.
I was beginning to think that maybe I had been a little hasty in giving up my quest to be the next CEO. If the board members and shareholders liked her as much as she said, then my chances of being voted as the next CEO were better than I thought. The best part was that it didn’t even bother her when my father announced her as my soon-to-be wife, at least not until we got home.
“Aiden, why would your father think that we were going to get married?” she asked as we headed into the living room for a night cap.
Pouring us a drink, wine for her and Scotch for me, I walked over to where she was seated and tried to think of something that she would believe. Handing her the wine glass, I took a seat next to her and said, “Wishful thinking, I suppose.”
“Is that why you left the dining room with him?” she questioned.
“It was. I didn’t think it was appropriate for him to say that knowing it wasn’t true although I wouldn’t have minded if it was.” I don’t know what made me say that last piece. Maybe it was a way to put the thought of getting married in her mind.
Placing my glass on the coffee table, I stood to my feet and asked, “I didn’t eat much at the dinner and need something to eat. How about I bring us a small snack?”
“I’m so glad you’re hungry. I am too. I was so nervous that I barely ate anything myself,” she replied with a smile.
“Wait here, I’ll be right back.”
Leaving her to get something to eat, I wondered what it would be like if Hanna did accept my proposal of marriage. We had come so far since the first day we had met and there was so much about her that I loved. She was unlike any woman that I had ever met. She was compassionate and truly cared about others, which was something none of the other woman I’ve had ever possessed. She could also be very stubborn, but I wouldn’t want her any other way. I loved the way she got all worked up over things that she believed in just to prove her point.
Smiling to myself, I couldn’t help thinking about how much I enjoyed her company and how happy she made me feel.Is she the one that I could spend the rest of my life with? Is she the one woman I could ever love?My heart began to feel strange. It was a feeling that I had never felt before. Maybe Hanna was the real deal. The one woman that I could truly love. The only woman who would have my heart.
Shaking my thoughts away, I placed some red grapes, cheese, and a few crackers on a tray, along with some creamy spread that Albert must have whipped up. Grabbing a grape from the tray, I dipped it into the spread and popped it in my mouth. Just like everything else he made, the taste was out of this world. Balancing the tray with one hand, I opened the cupboard and pulled down two small plates. The only thing left to grab was the silverware, which was in the drawer next to the refrigerator. All I could think about was if this was going to be enough. I guessed I could always come back for more if it wasn’t.
Just before I headed out of the kitchen, I remembered seeing a cheesecake in the fridge that would be great to share. Turning around, I went back to the fridge and grabbed the cake before heading back to the living room. My hands were full and I didn’t know how I managed to carry everything without dropping it.
Reaching the living room with no mishaps, I found that Hanna was no longer sitting on the couch. She must have gone to the restroom, so I placed everything that I had collected on the coffee table. Noticing that her wine glass was empty, I knew that she would need a refill to go with the food that I had brought from the kitchen.
As I waited for her to return, I started thinking that something was wrong. She shouldn’t have been gone that long. Deciding to go searching for her, I left the living room and headed to the main floor bathroom first. When I had no luck there, I decided to check her room.
After checking the entire house and finding her nowhere, I knew that she had left. Feeling my suit jacket for my phone, I realized that I must have left it in the car. Rushing out the door, I walked over to my car to find that it was still in the cradle that was mounted to the dash. Turning on the screen, I found that I had missed one call. I thought for sure it was Hanna, but come to find out, it had been my father who called. Knowing that getting in touch with Hanna was more important, I found her number and waited for her to answer.
At first there was silence and then she spoke, “Don’t ever call me again.” Her breath hitched and I knew that she had been crying.
“Hanna, what’s going on?” I pleaded with her to tell me.
“Our deal is off.”
