“In that case, you’re not allowed to either, Andreas!” I shout.
He laughs heartily and gives me a deep kiss on the mouth.
“See you on Friday, Nora, I’ll meet you in Zeebrugge. Eric will pick you up after work. If anything comes up, don’t hesitate to call him or me, understood?”
“Yes, sir,” I say, overly formal.
“I mean it, Nora!”
He’s back to his overprotective and serious self. The previous version was more fun.
“I will. Don’t worry about me. I’ll see you on Friday.”
His eyes flicker briefly, and I feel like he’s hiding something again, or maybe I’m just imagining it. He turns around and is really gone this time. I fall back into bed and hesitate for a moment to relieve myself of the sexual frustration. Just then, Andreas calls out one last time from the front door. “Don’t you dare, Nora.” I feel caught even before I started. Eventually, after a lot of tossing and turning, I fall back asleep. I dream that it’s already Friday.
Chapter 14
Nora
The three days without Andreas have both flown by and dragged on. It’s now Friday afternoon, three o’clock, and as planned, I’m wrapping up work early to get ready for tonight. Nothing beats a long, luxurious bath, shaving, washing and styling my hair, painting my nails, and taking my sweet time to prepare. Professionally, it wasn’t a bad thing to be alone this week. I’ve gotten a ton of work done and managed to schedule many evening appointments. But on a personal level, it wasn’t always easy. The lonely nights felt long and were short on sleep. I’ve missed Andreas more than I’d like to admit. Sure, we called and messaged, but it’s not the same. I need him here, physically. And tonight, finally, I’ll have him back. I’m excited, but also nervous.
This weekend, I need clarity from Andreas. I want to know where we stand, what I mean to him, and how he sees “us” in the future. I want a clearly defined “us”. I’m not built for the "let’s just see where this goes"-situationship kind of mentality. I tried, I really did, but it’s just not who I am. As agreed, the doorbell rings promptly at 6:30 p.m. Eric is here to pick me up and take me to Zeebrugge. Andreas, meanwhile, will be landing in Ostend Airport and meeting us there.
“Hi Eric,” I say enthusiastically.
“Hey Nora, had a good week?” he asks, friendly but serious as ever.
“Sure did. And you? Manage to get some well-deserved downtime?”
“Downtime? Not really, there’s always something to handle, even when Andreas isn’t around,” he says with a rare laugh.
As I put my luggage in the trunk—because I can definitely do that myself—I see a black Jaguar driving away. I hadn’t thought about it before, but now I realize I’ve seen this car a lot this week.
“Eric?”
“Yeah, what’s up?”
“That car over there, the Jaguar, I think it’s been on this street every day, and usually there’s someone inside.” I point to the car as it drives out of the street.
“Is that so?” Eric doesn’t sound genuinely surprised—or concerned, for that matter.
“It’s kind of hard to miss a Jaguar. I’m pretty sure.” I assure him.
“I’ll look into it for you,” he says, though it doesn’t seem like he’s in any rush. For someone in security, you’d think his curiosity would be piqued, but no such luck. Something about this feels off. “Hop in, we need to get going.” With that, he interrupts my thoughts, and I shift my focus back to Andreas and the sea.
* * *
I knew I could expect something beautiful by the sea, but I’m completely blown away by what I see. The villa of the De Graeve brothers is truly stunning. The location is unbeatable. It’s one of the few houses along the entire Belgian coast that’s actually nestled in the dunes right by the beach. Unlike his apartment, this villa is very modern. It reminds me more of his latest purchase. Facing the sea, every floor boasts floor-to-ceiling windows with terraces, while the ground-level terrace merges into a small garden of sand and dune grass. Though not huge, the villa is perfectly designed as a getaway, equipped with every comfort. More than perfect for a vacation home. Downstairs, there’s a garage, storage space for bikes and beach gear, a bathroom, a bar, and a lounge. The window, with a view of the sea, can slide open completely. On the first floor, I find the living room with an open kitchen, a guest room, and a small bathroom. On the second floor is the master bedroom with a sea view, another small guest room, and a large bathroom. The view is breathtaking. The distance between the sea and the promenade is usually quite large in Zeebrugge, but I see that it’s high tide and I feel an irresistible urge to dip my toes into the water. After a week spent mostly indoors, I’m desperate for fresh air and open space. Better to seize the moment now, Andreas likely has other plans for me once he arrives. A thrill courses through me at the thought. I leave my unpacking for later and head downstairs to find Eric. He’s supposed to stay here until Andreas arrives. I don’t know why, but I suspect they might have some work stuff to discuss. He’s sitting on the couch, typing on his laptop.
“Eric?”
“Yeah, everything okay?”
“Yeah, of course. I just wanted to let you know I’m going for a walk on the beach. The weather’s so nice, and the sea is close. I’ll see you in about half an hour, okay?”
“I don’t know, Nora. Is that really a good idea? Andreas could land any minute now and be here in less than an hour, I’d guess.”
Right at that moment, both our phones ping. Andreas has landed in Ostend.
