And I’ll go back.
I’ll beg for another chance.
I’ll fucking grovel if I have to.
“Mr. Cowen?” The stewardess is giving me a curious look.
“Aye?”
“I’m sorry, sir, did you hear the captain? You seem a bit distracted.”
Distracted? I’m a bloody mess.
“No, I’m sorry.”
“He just said we’ve landed, sir, and you may unfasten your belt and exit.”
I leave in a sort of haze, blindly following her off the jet. I glance at the clock and realize there’s an hour before I meet Mademoiselle Black at the bar. Just enough time to get to the hotel room and get things sorted. Not the right bloody things, though.
I go through the motions, not paying attention to much of anything. People pass by me, cars pass by, and my driver stops outside a swanky Parisian hotel with valet parking attendants.
"Bienvenue, Monsieur.”
“Merci.”
“Par ici s'il-vous-plait.”
It’s a cool, brisk night in Paris.
Before I follow, I take my own bags, frowning when I see the smaller, lavender one. This is the bag my staff packed for her. They anticipated she was coming with me. My heart lurches.
I consider leaving it in the car, but I can’t bear to be separated from her things. My staff doesn’t know we broke up yet.
I take her bag with me.
I go up to the room and have a strange feeling that something’s off, but I'm so distracted that I haven’t paid attention. Have I been followed?
I look to my left and right, but the men are both familiar blokes. They follow me to my room and stand outside my door as I get dressed.
The next step of this plan needs to go off perfectly if my plan with Leith is going to happen.
I have to seal the deal with Mademoiselle Black. I need to do it in such a way that it excludes the Aitkens clan. If I arrange the deal correctly, Aitkens will be stonewalled.
I know what I have to do. And I know that if I do this correctly, if I seal the deal, then we don't have to worry about getting vengeance on the Aitkens with Bryn because this will do it instead. By then, I can prove to the Clan that Bryn isn’t out to hurt me.
I pace my hotel room, unable to settle. My clothes are tossed in a bag by the closet. I haven’t even taken my shoes or suit coat off. I’m preparing myself mentally for meeting with Mademoiselle Black.
It's too early to go and meet my contact, but I can't stay in this room any longer. I freshen up in the toilet. Throw cold water on my face and run my fingers through my hair. I stretch, try to limber up. I exit the room and punch the number on the elevator to take me downstairs.
But every thought is on Bryn. I can hear her voice, I can see her eyes, I can feel her in my arms.
I'm determined to seal this deal.
As I left the room, I had a sneaking suspicion again that I was being followed.
“Have you seen anything suspicious?” I ask my guards.
“No sir.” But I haven't been raised in the Cowen Clan without knowing things, and I know when I'm being followed. There's no question about it. Someone's after me.
