Chapter 193: Connecting with Kristen: Hannah
The next morning, I decided to sleep in. I hadn’t been sleeping well at all for the past month or so, and it wasn’t as if there was anything pressing to get to.
Once I got out of bed, I took my time showering, doing my hair and makeup, and dressing for the day. While I had no intentions of leaving the house, I figured it was a good transitional step into getting back out into the world. At least going through a morning routine seemed like a good little step to take.
Once I was ready, I pattered over to my craft room and sat down at the desk. Opening my email, I found over ten unread ones. Taking in a deep breath, I quickly closed the laptop back and proceeded to go find some coffee.
I enjoyed the feeling of my thoughts and mindset shifting day by day. Things outside still hadn’t changed, but my inner world had. Things weren’t so dark and gloomy. Not every little thing felt like life or death. Little by little, day by day, I was getting my life back. It was something I wasn’t going to take for granted, not even for a second. Maybe even in the face of danger, there was still room for freedom. It seemed like a silly thought, but that didn’t mean it couldn’t be any less true than it sounded in my own head.
I managed to fill the first half of my day with emails, phone calls, and list making. I thought back to my time at Roman’s office and found myself smiling.
The realization I was officially a business woman was still dawning on me here and there and it never failed to make me smile. It felt a little silly at times, but I knew that there was no denying it. No denying that I was one, and no denying the joy and little thrills the information filled me with. It was such and innocent and pure feeling that it was hard for me not to be moved by joy.
Taking the day in stride, I did my best to stay busy, but by the time the day was ticking into the afternoon, I was running out of things to do. Roman was in the office that day, leaving me to have lunch on my own. I didn’t much mind. I took the time to scroll on my phone and relax. It was weird to feel myself in that transitional stage, knowing in the coming days I would be easing myself back into the office. I was excited, but the nerves were still there.
When I stood to place my dishes in the sink, I heard someone at the door. After I tucked them away and went into the hallway, I smiled at the sight of Kristen making her way inside.
"I see security has cracked down again," she muttered, walking past the guards and giving them all a bit of a look.
"That is has," I nodded. It was only then that I realized I had no idea what the last Kristen had heard was. Time had been running together as of late, and I couldn’t really remember anything past our conversation about her asking if I was sure I wanted to get into the charity business.
The two of us moved to one of the family rooms and sat down together. Kristen opted to lay on one of the couches, a pillow tucked underneath her. "So, what have I missed?" she asked, her eyes and smile brilliant.
"Well," I began and sighed. "Not too much, I don’t think. But enough. You know that bodyguard I had, Nick?"
"Vaguely," she nodded.
"Turns out that wasn’t Nick. They don’t know who he is. The real Nick, the one that the agency knew, is missing. And the imposter may or may not be involved with a black car that I’ve seen following me around. Even at the gala."
Kristen’s mouth gaped. "You’re joking."
"If only," I sighed again. "It’s always something, isn’t it?"
"I don’t think ’something’ captures all the things you just said," she muttered. "That’s insane! I mean, what?! False identities, kidnapping, potential murder, and a stalker? And I just haven’t seen you since the gala, and I missed all that?"
I nodded.
She shook her head. "That’s just crazy. Are you okay?"
"Surprisingly, for the most part. I’m in a mindset now of staying strong for myself and no one else. Trying to be real with myself, while also being positive. I know that there’s no point in pausing life for this. I mean, the guys involved could have been scared off by me spotting the one at the gala. Or, if not that, then if they notice the FBI snooping around again. We have a charity to run, after all."
"Are you sure it’s safe?" she asked with a frown. "Don’t get me wrong, I totally agree. Just want to make sure it’s safe for you and anyone else involved."
I nodded. "Roman is gathering a full security team to be in the building and around it. Then my own bodyguards, of course. We’ll likely have a guard for you too. I know you hate it, but..."
"I know, I know," she sighed. "Better safe than sorry, and all that crap. I know. It’s okay. Whatever makes you guys feel better, I’m okay with. Just as long as I still get some privacy."
"I’m sure that can be arranged," I assured her.
"Now, let’s talk business." She smiled. "What’s happening next?"
"Well, tomorrow I’m going with the lead therapist to sort of ease back into being out at the charity. Gonna oversee some deliveries. Starting beginning of next week, I’m hoping to have everything operational. Have ads going out midweek, and launch maybe as early as next Friday."
"One week? We launch in one week?" Kristen asked, astonished with a smile spreading across her face.
"Yup. If all goes accordingly. Of course, it may get delayed. But this is my plan for now. Would you like to start working, say... Monday? We will need to put in a good effort to recruit women and get the word out. That way you can be the advocate and kick*ss security you’ve always dreamed of being."
"Too good to be true," she chuckled. "This is fantastic!"
"So you can start Monday?" I asked with a shy smile.
"Of course I can," Kristen beamed. "I can’t wait. As far as recruiting, I already have a few women who would be more than interested to accept the help. And I know of a few areas we could canvas where we would really draw in a crowd."
"Fantastic," I breathed. "That’s just what we need!"
Kristen excitedly clapped. "I just can’t wait! I mean really, you are truly making my dreams come true with this. I know I may have seemed like I was trying to scare you off of the idea. I just wanted to make sure this is something you really wanted, rather than felt a sort of weird duty to do. You know?"
"I understand," I nodded. "Trust me, I do. I couldn’t even picture myself doing anything else, though. I know this is what I’m supposed to do and want to do. I want to make a difference. I want to get women out of it, just like Roman got me out. You know? Give them somewhere safe and soft to land. With the resources to help them put themselves back together and start anew."
"That’s a beautiful goal," she nodded. "We are going to do all of that and more."
"Would you like to see the place? If you want, you can stay here tonight and come with Tara and me in the morning."
"Yeah! Of course I do!" she exclaimed with a big grin stretching across her face. "I seriously can’t wait. And I don’t think I have it in me to pass up an evening with you guys. It’s been way too long."
"That is has," I nodded.
After sharing smiles, we stood up and hugged it out.
We were both overflowing with excitement. We were finally going to be the difference we so badly wanted in the world.
We settled into the couch and Kristen suggested, "Why don’t we invite Lori and Lauren to join us? We could have a girls’ night in."
"That’s a great idea," I smiled. "I’m sure they would be super stoked to join us. I don’t think we’ve done anything all together in quite a while."
I pulled out my phone and sent them each a text, though I knew they would likely be in the same place. The two were practically inseparable. I swore the only time you could catch them alone was on their rare visits over to the house by themselves.
And just as I expected, within a minute or two, just Lori replied stating they would be there shortly.
"They are on the way," I told Kristen with a smile.
My heart was bubbling with joy and excitement. All the problems going on in life were waiting outside the walls of that home. That night, there was just the little family we had built for ourselves.