Noah watched the older man march out of the room in a brisk gait that befitted someone at least a few decades younger, the smile from earlier making it back onto his face. “Agostino seems like a friendly guy,” he commented, holding the door for Teresa as the two of them filed out as well.
“He is. You’ll never find yourself bored around him,” she agreed, a note of fondness wiggling its way into her voice.
It sparked Noah’s curiosity, so he probed as they boarded the elevator, “Have you known each other long?”
She chuckled at what Noah guessed was a memory. “Thirty years? He was a teacher at my college. I remember all the girls trying to impress him.”
Noah almost asked whether she had as well, but the predatory glance she directed his way had him changing the topic to what food they were going to get while waiting for the ambassador. He prodded about her new appointment after they’d decided on light sandwiches, and going off her vague explanation of visits and talks with local authorities, he concluded there was more to it than just that. He could probably push for details, but if she wasn’t volunteering the information, then it was likely above his pay grade and would require the kind of maneuvering where he had to agree to a dinner or two with her.
Deciding he wasn’t up for that, he circled back to more casual topics, keeping up the meaningless small talkuntil Agostino rejoined them and they boarded the speed train.
The journey to Florence took twenty exhausting hours on the high-speed train, though at least the ambassador’s stories about his time as a teacher kept Noah entertained. Teresa, on the other hand, spent the trip glaring at her laptop with great concentration, most likely delegating tasks and making arrangements so things in Lisbon would be handled well in her absence.
The first thing Noah and his two companions did upon their arrival was to visit the Church’s Headquarters and pick up their passports. The briefing by the Foreign Affairs’ office was immediately afterwards and much to Noah’s disappointment lasted longer than what he’d have thought necessary, considering it rehashed most of the ‘conduct abroad’ information all three of them already knew. Fortunately, once that was out of the way, they got to retreat to the five-star hotel just outside the Headquarters’ premises for an extravagant dinner. The small portions matched the overall vibe of the place, their designs as elaborate as the stained glass murals and the scenes depicted in the gilded icons hanging at even intervals around the dining hall.
Noah snorted internally. More so than actual accommodation, the place felt like a holy temple of God, where even the waiters looked like priests or monks or whatever their shaved heads and black robes with the silver sashes signified. There were also marble statues of angels that greeted you on every floor of the building, but that wasn’texactly surprising and he was sure he’d probably not even noticed half of them.
Whatdidregister as soon as the staff served the starter course, was his first conversation with Reign. The slight note of amusement as he’d explained to Noah which fork to use was something Noah had often reminisced about whenever he faced an official dinner, and each time it pulled a small smile out of him.
And while on the topic of Reign—Noah pulled out his phone and glanced at the time—what was the diplomat doing right now? Seoul was eight hours ahead, which meant it was just past one in the morning there.
Was it too late for Noah to contact Reign?Maybe, but at least it wasn’t five a.m. like that first time he’d called. He’d been so excited and nervous then that checking the time before calling Reign had completely slipped his mind.
Still, Reignhadpicked up regardless, and talking wasn’t the only thing they’d done either, just the thought of where things had gone making Noah feel hot all over.
“Expecting a call from someone, dear?”
Teresa’s question was like a bucket of cold water, yanking Noah out of his thoughts.Oh, shit.He must’ve let the daydreaming show on his face.
“Ah, no.” Noah faked a yawn, tucking the phone back in his pocket as he stood up. “I was just checking the time… It’s a bit early, but I think I’ll head to bed. I’m exhausted,” he enunciated, then added another fake yawn.
“That is a great idea, young man! We have an early start tomorrow and a long flight ahead of us, so we should all get some rest,” Agostino agreed, his yawn the real thing.
Noah snatched that opportunity while he had it. “Then I’ll excuse myself first. Good nightto both of you.”
The three-bedroom apartment where they were staying was a five-minute walk from the hotel’s restaurant and Noah passed through a terrace-turned-garden to get there. As the centerpiece, chrysanthemums and asters slithered around an angel’s statue in a spiral of green and bright colors, but Noah gave it only a quick glance, his stride brisk and deliberate as it led him to the privacy of his bedroom. Once the door was locked, he fished out the burner phone from his suitcase and flung himself on the lounge sofa by the window. He lay on his stomach with the device in hand while hundreds of saints and angels stared down at him from the mural painted along the high ceiling.
It was fine to send a text, right?Worst case, Reign would be asleep and wouldn’t reply until later when he saw it.
Noah started typing but deleted his message. Tomorrow he was going to be in Seoul and maybe by the end of the week he’d even get to see Reign. It was… happening, and just the thought made him nervous with excitement and anticipation. He suddenly felt self-conscious about how to start a conversation, although he hadn’t had an issue with it prior. But he also hadn’t been hours away from being in the same city as the diplomat, so that more than explained it.
Three almost-sent messages later, Noah settled for a simple ‘Hello, Reign.’
He regretted it immediately, thinking it would’ve been better to include the question of when Reign wanted to meet alongside it, but he gave up on deleting or editing the text because that would be even more uncool than a lame greeting.
The reply came before the phone’s screen had the time to go dark.
Reign:You are still not going to call me, Noah?
Thetodaywas implied, not needing to be stated out loud. Or typed. Noah had considered it, calling Reign tonight since it was his last day here, but he’d decided against it. Even if just a couple of hours separated them from being in the same country, Noah didn’t know when he would get to meet the diplomat. So, as such, he didn’t want to get himself all worked up just yet.
Noah:I thought you might be asleep and I didn’t want to wake you up.
Reign:Is that the only reason?
Noah licked his lips, butterflies dancing in his stomach as he typed his reply.
Noah:Maybe… Or not.
