Fiance Next Door

I look at the flash drive in my hand. “I… I think Mason forgot something. It might be important, so I thought I’d give it to him. But you can do it, right?”

I offer him the drive.

“I’m afraid Mr. Burke isn’t downstairs,” Frank tells me. “He took the chopper.”

“What?”

“I believe he’s headed to Alexandria,” Frank adds. “That’s where the laboratory is, as well as the testing center.”

I nod. “I see.”

“Would you like to go there?” Frank asks me. “I can have a car arranged. It isn’t far. Just half an hour. And it’s a beautiful city.”

So I’ve heard.

I twirl the drive between my fingers. Is it okay for me to go and give it to him? He won’t get mad?

“I’m sure Mr. Burke would appreciate your concern,” Frank addresses my unspoken apprehension. “And if you like, I can make a call to let him know you’re coming.”

I wrap my fingers around the drive and nod.

“Thank you, Frank. Please do.”

Chapter Ten ~ All In A Day’s Work

Mason

“Aster,” I greet my wife as she emerges at the top of the winding steel staircase.

I never thought Aster would come here to the Colosseum, which is what I call this building. If headquarters is where all the brainstorming and the planning happens, the center of operations, the war room, this is where the action takes place. This is where ideas and patients are tested, where software is merged with machinery to give birth to new technology, where failures and breakthroughs happen. It’s not exactly a battlefield but more of a controlled arena, hence the Colosseum.

Aster hasn’t even been to my office at Boot Camp, yet now she’s here. And she looks stunning in her floral turtleneck top and her violet skirt. Black leather ankle boots wrap around her feet.

Well, I can’t say this isn’t a welcome surprise.

“Mason,” she says my name with a smile that takes me by surprise.

I thought she was angry with me after last night. She didn’t even reply when I told her good morning earlier.

“I’m sorry I – ”

“Don’t apologize,” I stop her. “You’ve finally left the apartment. That’s good.”

I want to add that she looks good in business clothes – not that she doesn’t in house clothes – but I don’t want to make her feel uncomfortable after she’s come all this way. Plus she’s just arrived.

Aster frowns. “You make me sound like a hermit or a nun.”

Well, she’s a virgin at twenty-four. She may as well be a nun.

“I’m just saying you haven’t been going out a lot. But that’s fine.” At least I don’t have to worry so much about her safety or the possibility that another guy will sweep her off her feet. “I’m glad you like our apartment so much, but I’m also glad you’re here.”

I give her a smile. She looks away with a slight blush on her cheeks.

What? That was enough to make her uncomfortable?

“I have to wonder, though, as to what I owe this honor to,” I tell her.

Aster’s eyebrows furrow. “Frank didn’t tell you?”

I shake my head. All he said was that Aster was coming to see me.

“I thought it was about your dad but I’ve heard he’s fine.”

Aster nods. “He is.”

“So, I’m not saying you need a reason to be here, but is there one I should know about?”

“None,” she answers. “I just missed you.”

My eyebrows arch.

“Just kidding,” she adds quickly.

So that’s her revenge on me, huh? It may backfire, though.

“You forgot your flash drive.” Aster takes it out of her pocket. “I saw you with it last night so I thought it might be important so…”

So she came all this way just to give it to me?

I take the drive and grin. “I didn’t realize you were so concerned about me.”

She frowns. “You know what? I’ll just go.”

“Wait.” I grab her arm.

Why on earth do I keep teasing her and driving her away?

“I was just kidding. Now we’re even.”

Aster says nothing. Her frown remains.

“Thanks for the drive,” I tell her. “You saved me.”

Well, not really. The drive is actually a back-up, not too important – I would never leave something with important files lying around – but I’m glad Aster thought it was and came here to give it to me.

Finally, the corners of Aster’s mouth turn up. “Welcome.”

“While you’re here, would you like a tour of the place?” I ask her.

She gives me a puzzled look. “Aren’t you busy?”

I glance at my watch. “I’ve got time. Besides, I was going to make the rounds myself. I’ll just let you tag along.”

Aster shrugs. “If it’s not too much trouble.”

“It’s not,” I assure her before offering her my arm. “Come on. I’ll give you the VIP tour.”

~

“This is where the machines first interact with people,” I tell Aster as we reach the floor of the testing center after visiting the laboratories and work studios. “With the help of the test subjects, we can perfect the technology.”