Sitting down for a meal was out of the question. Noah didn’t have that kind of time. “I think I’m fine. I’d rather grab a sandwich or something to go… so we can be on our way to the embassy.”
Teresa gave him an inquisitive look. “Are you sure, dear? You haven’t eaten since the morning.”
Mustering all his charm, Noah directed a beaming smile her way. “Yeah. I’m not that hungry. Plus, I’m not sure I can stomach a proper meal anyway.”
She held his eyes, seeming to think it over. “Okay then, I’ll call our taxi. I don’t think I can pick up the keys for the apartment where I’ll be staying, so I’ll be joining you at the embassy accommodation for tonight.”
Noah wasn’t aware Teresa would be getting her own place, but, well, he wasn’t going to complain either. Not having her around was definitely a positive development.
As Teresa dictated the address of their destination, Noah wondered if Reign knew where the embassy was. He had to, right? He was a diplomat. Still, just to be on the safe side, he fished out the burner phone and was about to send a text when an imposing man in a black suit approached the three of them.
“Mr. Noah Araya?” the man said in a professionally clipped tone.
Teresa and Agostino looked at each other, then at Noah, questions in their gazes, but Noah simply shrugged. He was just as confused as them.
“Yes?” he said to the man.
“I’m Seb, your driver. Mr. Lennox sends his regards. Please follow me to the car.”
Well,shit. Noah had expected Reign to send someone to the embassy, not the airport… which was why he’d decided he didn’t need to tell his companions about his plans to visit the diplomat. Clearly, this was a miscalculation on his part.
“Um… can you give me two minutes?”
“Of course.” Seb tipped his chin at the glassed-off section in front of the escalators. “I will wait by the information desk.”
As soon as it was just the three of them again, Teresa placed her hands on her hips and quirked an eyebrow. “Noah, dear, what is this about?”
Great question. How did Noah even explain why he was meeting Reign in the middle of the night without throwing himself under the bus?
“You remember the diplomats that visited us in July?” he started with, an alibi forming in his head.
She puffed out a noise of slight disbelief. “Of course I do, dear! Mr. Lennox is the newly appointed representative for this region. He’s based here in Seoul.”
“Right, yes. Well, he’s invited me over so we cango hikingearly in the morning,” Noah said as convincingly as he could.
“Hiking?” Teresa echoed back, her voice taking on a higher pitch.
“Yes. I mentioned to him during the dinner that I enjoy running and the outdoors. It turned out he does too. It seems he heard I’ll be posted here in Seoul and… Well, he reached out to invite me to an outing. With his friends,” he explained, keeping up the charade.
“He did?” Teresa held her ground. She sounded a little surprised, so Noah needed to fix this before she got suspicious.
“Yes. I mean, he’s new to the job like me, right? He’s also my age.” He shrugged and tossed her one of his charming smiles. “You know I stayed behind running that update on your computer on New Year’s? He called the department landline to wish us happy holidays and I mentioned I would be in Seoul, so we agreed to meet up.”
Making a thoughtful expression, Teresa glanced over Noah’s shoulder at the waiting driver. “Such a nice thing of him to do, though I don’t remember you mentioning Mr. Lennox calling.”
Yeah, because Reignhadn’tcalled. “It must’ve slipped my mind,” Noah reasoned, waving his forgetfulness off.
Teresa nodded slowly, some of the hardness leaving her gaze. She glanced at Agostino, who just shrugged. “Still, we just arrived. Surely Mr. Lennox could wait until the morning…” she insisted.
Probably, but Noah didn’t thinkhecould, so he was most definitely going to the diplomat’s place tonight. “The trail he’s taking us to is far, and we’ll need to leave very early if we want to make it on time. He was worried about the morning traffic and suggested I stay at his residence tonight.”
Teresa looked ready to argue that, narrowing her eyes. Noah just beamed another friendly smile her way in hopes it would be enough to convince her he hadn’t just made all of this up.
Agostino barked a laugh, breaking the ensuing tense silence. “Teresa! Why the long face? It’s a great thing the young man wants to be friends with our Noah, don’t youthink?” He patted her on the arm, then stroked his beard. “They can have some fun, maybe enjoy a barbecue and then our Noah can remind Mr. Lennox how much his country would benefit from a strong partnership with the Church.”
That seemed to do it, a slow smile displacing Teresa’s taut expression. “That is a good point. Just, Noah, dear, be careful that you don’t let yourself be… led astray by Mr. Lennox or his friends.”
Noah swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry at her words. “Led astray?”
