Fresh Start, page 45
“Well, someone seems to know what she’s talking about.” The voice came from behind them.
“Cooper, nice to see you.” Hannah reached out to shake his hand.
“Welcome to our little hotel.” He smiled at her. “And this must be the Alyssa I’ve heard so much about.” He nodded toward Alyssa and then met her eye. “Nice to meet you as well.” He moved his hand for her to shake.
“Nice to meet you.” Alyssa replied.
“I saw you walk in. I was just heading out for the weekend. Is everything okay?” He asked Hannah.
“Oh yeah, we just checked in. Thanks for comping us for the weekend. We just need to find a place and we’re hoping we can get it done while we’re here.”
“Of course. Anything to get you here faster. We’re really looking forward to you getting started.” He looked at Alyssa. “You seemed to have some specific things in mind for our store here.”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to offend anyone.” Alyssa’s cheeks were a bright red. It went well with her dark hair and light eyes and Hannah found her endlessly adorable like this. “I used to work retail.”
“Not anymore?” He asked.
“She was offered a corporate job at Red, White & Blue actually.” Hannah added, feeling like she wanted to brag a little.
“Congratulations!” Cooper offered.
“I didn’t take it.” She paused. “Not the right fit.”
“Have you found anything else?”
“Right now, I’m focused on us finding a place to live and getting her setup and then I’ll start looking.”
Hannah took her hand and held it tightly.
“This may sound strange, but have you thought about managing Camden retail stores?”
“What?” Alyssa questioned and the redness in her face lightened.
“Seems like you know what you’re talking about. This store’s manager moved on about two months ago. We’ve had an interim in ever since, but he’s clearly not doing a good job. Our company is rather incestuous at sometimes. I actually met my wife here, which is how I know what I’m about to tell you and I’m not really telling you.” He looked at Hannah and gave her a wink. Hannah nodded in understanding. “Maggie is the division head for retail. She’s based out of Chicago, but reports directly into corporate. She has a position open. You should look into it if you’re looking for something.”
“Really?” Alyssa glanced at Hannah. “That couldn’t work though, could it? You and I in the same place?”
“Different leadership.” Hannah reminded. “It’s a completely different division. We’d have nothing to do with each other.”
“The position she has isn’t for this store.” Cooper interjected. “It’s for Illinois, Indiana and Michigan properties.”
“What?” Alyssa sounded shocked.
“There are only ten hotels in that region with stores. You should talk to Maggie. She knows way more about it than I do. Maybe once you get here, the four of us can have dinner.”
“That would be great.” Hannah expressed. “We’ll look into the positions for retail on the company site later. Thanks, Cooper.”
“Sure. Do you guys need anything before I head out? Maggie and I are taking the kids camping this weekend so I’ll be a little incommunicado.”
“I think we’re okay.” Hannah looked over at Alyssa who appeared to be at a loss for words. “Thanks again.”
“Have a good weekend and good luck finding a place.”
He waved in Alyssa’s direction and left the store. Hannah turned with a giant smile on her face and jerked Alyssa’s hips toward her.
“Baby!” She exclaimed to a still shocked Alyssa. “You might have a job opportunity.”
“Don’t get too excited.” Alyssa retorted. “That seems like a long shot.”
“Oh, stop! Come on. Let’s get upstairs and unpack. I want some deep-dish pizza tonight and then we can plan our assault on apartments tomorrow.”
“Yes, dear.” Alyssa joked and they left the store, made their way to the elevators, traveled up and after organizing their stuff in their room, made their way back down to the Chicago street so they could make their way to pizza.
***
The next morning, they walked their way to the first apartment and then the next. Neither of them were what they wanted for different reasons. The third place though, they both smiled as soon as they walked in.
“This is the two beds, two baths model.” The leasing agent explained. “It’s the upstairs unit you requested and is one-thousand square feet. Central air, dishwasher, washer & dryer in unit and there’s one parking space in the garage.”
Hannah and Alyssa walked in hand in hand as the agent stood aside. The walls were a plain white, but smelled freshly painted. The living room and dining room was a wide-open space with the kitchen attached and opened up to them. They walked into the guest room first and the full bath adjacent to it, they opened the closets to check out the space and then moved into the master bedroom and did the same, but it was all a formality. They’d known the moment they walked in that they wanted it.
“We’ll take it.” Alyssa said while smiling at Hannah who squeezed her hand as she did.
“When can we move in?” Hannah questioned.
They made their way to the office and got the necessary information to complete the application before walking back to the hotel. Hannah would be able to walk to work and it would take only fifteen minutes. Alyssa, if she chose to pursue the job at Camden could work from home when she didn’t have to visit the stores or according to what Hannah had gleaned from a quick conversation with Preston via text the previous night when he’d messaged to check that she’d arrived safely and also tell her that Penny had done very well in her interview and would likely succeed her as GM, could also work out of an office at any of the hotels. Alyssa kept trying not to think about the possibility of that job since it really was just a possibility, but the thought that she’d be doing what she wanted to do, what she’d worked so hard for before while Hannah worked down the hall in another office and they could then walk home together hand in hand and stop for pizza or go to impromptu movies or hang out with friends before returning to their shared home, made her smile wider and wider.
They completed the application online while they lay in bed. They called Lindsey and told her the good news. She made a date with Hannah to drive over and watch them move in since she’d be a little too far along to actually help, but she promised Xander’s moving skills. They called Judy and told her the good news and she asked for a soft bed in the guest room to stay on for her first visit. Dean would have to sleep on the sofa, but he would be coming back on time and as planned in just a few months and couldn’t wait to see his baby sister according to Judy. Rachel was excited as well, but disappointed Alyssa would be moving so far away just as they’d gotten their friendship on track, but she said she’d come for a visit as well once they were settled and offered to help them with whatever they needed back in California before they left. They agreed on a goodbye dinner before the two moved.
In the end, it was the two of them lying in bed with the computer turned off, their phones put away and the looks in their eyes that told them both they were doing the right thing. Hannah’s hand found its way to cover Alyssa’s heart as she hovered over her and saw little flecks of silver again appear in those sky blue, near glacial eyes.
“It’s funny.”
“What is?” Alyssa rubbed her hands up and down Hannah’s back.
“We met because I was looking for an apartment and now we’re hear looking for one together.”
“That’s not funny.” Alyssa lifted her head so she could kiss Hannah’s nose. “That’s perfect.”
Epilogue:
“Xander, can you take her?” Lindsey passed the six-month old baby to her husband who had a knack for getting her to stop crying. “She’s definitely a daddy’s girl.” She remarked and stretched out on the sofa while Hannah and Alyssa were in the oversized chair they’d bought when they decorated the apartment. It was big enough for 1 ½ people really, but since Alyssa sat on Hannah’s lap and had her arms around her neck and her head resting against her shoulder, they fit just fine.
“I think she likes her mom too.” Hannah expressed and rubbed Alyssa’s back.
“When are you two going to start working on one?” She asked. “You’ve already got the extra bedroom.” She suggested.
“Linds, stop.” Hannah scolded and lightly scratched Alyssa’s skin under her shirt.
“We’ll let you know.” Alyssa lifted her head and kissed Hannah’s temple just before Hannah turned to check to see if she was serious. “What?” Alyssa winked.
“Nothing.” Hannah would save this conversation for another time.
“Well, good luck with that.” Lindsey teased. “We’re hitting the road. Need to get back before this one needs to go to bed. I like to keep him on a routine.”
“Him?” Alyssa questioned.
“Yeah, the baby’s fine. It’s the husband I have to get to bed on time or he’s a grizzly in the morning.” She stood. “Hug me.” She stretched her arms and Hannah scratched Alyssa’s back until she stood.
She hugged her best friend and bid farewell to the adorable munchkin she and Xander had made. Xander got the baby into the car seat and with another hug shared, they were off.
“Not that I don’t love our friends and family, but I am really looking forward to next weekend without any. First, my mom and Dean were here for four days and then Rachel was here last weekend with her new girlfriend and now Lindsey, Xander and the baby, I am ready for a weekend alone with my girlfriend.” Alyssa reached for Hannah’s waist.
“Me too. You’ve been working like crazy lately. I hate not seeing you every night.”
“I know, but the intense travel schedule should quiet down now that I have good managers in place.”
Alyssa had started her job with Camden about a month after their arrival in Chicago. Prior to her start date, she’d begun to see a therapist who’d helped her manage her nightmares and panic attacks and after months of work, she’d been without both for the past three months. She knew, in a way, they’d always be in the background of her life, but she’d been much happier knowing that they were no longer a present force. She’d also used that time to check on other positions in the city to see if any others were a good fit, but the Camden job kept coming up in her mind and after dinner with Cooper and Maggie, it was all but set in her mind that this was the job she wanted. In the beginning, it had been rough. She’d had to terminate a couple of the managers and then tour each location, which meant she had to travel a lot. First though, she had to get her license renewed, which she finally did and they purchased a used car since they’d given Hannah’s to Judy prior to leaving. She’d made her rounds and then she’d come home to Hannah. She hated being away from her girlfriend, but she loved her job and she was good at it.
Hannah had started and been incredibly successful as an AGM and whenever Alyssa was in town, she often worked out of Hannah’s property and sometimes even out of the same office because they could sit together in comfortable silence for hours working away on their computers until it was time to walk home. They’d been back to California twice since moving to visit Judy and Dean and to see Rachel and her new love, Stephanie. For Alyssa, seeing her best friend finally find someone she could love was amazing and the four of them got along well enough for Rachel and Stephanie to come stay with them as well.
Alyssa hadn’t seen Derrick since the day they talked in the jail visitor’s room. He’d confessed and received two life sentences without the possibility of parole. Unfortunately, about two months after his sentence, Derrick’s lifeless body was found in his cell. He’d committed suicide. His funeral was days later, but Alyssa made no attempt to attend.
It had been a year since they’d moved to Chicago and a little over a year since her name had been cleared. Only a little more than that since she had met Hannah, the woman she planned to spend the rest of her life with. As she’d stared up at that ceiling in her cell night after night for two years, she’d never once thought that her life would be this good again. She’d never bothered to wish or dream of finding someone to love who would ever love her the way Hannah had and the way she still did.
“How about tonight we go out and then we come back here and I let you tear all my clothes off and do things to me?” Hannah lifted both eyebrows and Alyssa’s cheeks turned a light shade of red. “Adorable.” She kissed one cheek and then the other. “Sexy too.” She kissed Alyssa’s lips. “And what was that earlier with Lindsey about we’ll let them know? I thought you were pretty set on the no kids thing.”
“I never said that.”
“But with Lizzy and-” Hanna faded because she didn’t know exactly how to bring that up.
“It was wrong then.” Alyssa placed a hand behind Hannah’s neck and pulled her closer as they stood in their living room. “It’s not wrong now or whenever we decide to think about it. It’s right with you, Han and I know you’ve been thinking about it more now that Lindsey’s had little Addy.”
“You know me too well.” Hannah pressed her forehead to Alyssa’s. “You really want to start thinking about kids? If we do and your mom finds out, we won’t hear the end of it until one of us is pregnant and she gets to hold a grand baby.”
Alyssa laughed and Hannah could feel the vibrations through their connected foreheads.
“Let’s not tell her yet then.” Alyssa kissed her almost so lightly Hannah could barely tell it had actually happened. “I made reservations for tonight at that place on sixteenth.”
“You did?” Hannah leaned back.
“It’s a surprise. I thought we could get some deep dish and then go to Navy Pier and take a ride on the Ferris wheel. We haven’t done that since we first moved here.”
“Then, you’ll come back here and tear my clothes off?” Hannah winked. “They were here for three nights. I missed you.”
Alyssa laughed again and she kissed her once more.
“Yes, I will come back here and tear your clothes off. Trust me. I missed you too. Having a family in the guest room with a baby crying every few hours kind of killed the mood, huh?”
“Yes, but the mood is back.” Hannah encouraged and ran her hands up under Alyssa’s shirt again.
“I can see that and I plan to take full advantage of it tonight, but we have dinner to get to.”
Their dinner at their favorite pizza place was the first time they’d been out to dinner alone in a few weeks and both of them missed it. They’d exchanged touches as they grabbed at pieces of pizza and sampled each other’s drinks and then shared a dessert before Alyssa’s nerves began to get the better of her and her hands started to shake as they made their way into the car of the Ferris wheel.
“What’s wrong? Are you having an attack?” Hannah worried as she leaned over to face and touch Alyssa after the car door was closed.
“No, I’m okay.”
“You’re not afraid of heights. Are you sure you’re not-”
“I’m not having a panic attack, Han. I promise.” Alyssa smiled her way through the nervousness she felt and sat back in the car lifting her arm for Hannah to slide in close and rest her head on her shoulder.
“This is perfect. Thank you, Al.” The car began to move. Alyssa’s heart raced. “Okay. Are you sure because your heart feels like it’s about to beat out of your chest?” Hannah lifted her head to meet Alyssa’s eyes, which were a million different colors due to the lights of the ride and the pier.
Alyssa didn’t say anything, but Hannah looked down and could see a small black, velvet box in her free hand. She felt the arm around her move and then watched as the hand opened the box just as the car stopped at the top overlooking the lake and the city skyline.
“I may be nervous, but it’s not a panic attack.” Alyssa started. “Unless you say no, that is.”
“Al…” Hannah gasped as she looked down at a diamond ring with a white gold band. It had one diamond in the middle and was surrounded by smaller ones and she recognized it immediately because she’d seen Alyssa and Rachel looking at it last weekend in the jewelry store.
Hannah had taken Stephanie to get coffee for all of them and she found the two of them pointing at a ring in a window. Rachel had claimed she was considering asking Stephanie, but Hannah knew now that that was a lie.
“Do you like it?”
“It’s perfect.” Hannah returned.
“Han, I love you. When I first met you, I was going through something I never thought I’d find my way out of, but you were there and then you stayed there. You made me feel like I could get past it all, like I deserved to get past it all and even when I was stupid and tried to push you away, you stayed and you loved me.” She finally inhaled fresh air. “And I love you. I want you forever, Han. Will you marry me?”
She’d rehearsed the speech about fifteen times since she’d bought the ring, but when she’d seen Hannah’s eyes taking the ring in, she lost it all. She just said whatever came to her. She took in Hannah’s now watery, dark green eyes; her favorite feature of the woman she loved and waited breathlessly for an answer. Hannah didn’t say anything though. She just nodded. Her smile met her eyes and Alyssa’s smile undoubtedly matched it as she pulled the ring out of the box, tucked the box into her pocket and lifted Hannah’s now shaky hand to slide the ring on her ring finger before putting it to her mouth to kiss it.
“Oh, my God!” Hannah exclaimed as the car began to move. “Oh, my God!” She repeated.
“You can’t take it back. You already nodded yes.” Alyssa smiled and sniffled back as tears nearly overtook her.
