This Is Love

12. Eye Of The Storm

POV: Harrison

Trying to sleep without Alicia is not my cup of tea and I have to do it for one more night. I miss her already. That video call was the highlight of my day. My meeting on the other hand just pissed me off. Some staff members have been caught stealing from the hotel. Anywhere from food to linen. Nothing irks me like a thief, especially if it's people I trusted. I pride myself on being fair, which is why all my staff got paid well, no exceptions. Now they have to get fired because I have a zero tolerance policy on theft.

I came straight home from the meeting and kissed my kids as they slept. I went to bed, tossed and turned before rolling over to Alicia's side and relax. Her scent is still lingering and soon I am falling asleep.

I felt something pulling my foot followed by a toddler giggle and I opened my eyes to find Junior standing at the foot of our bed. When I smiled at him, he took that as invitation to jump on the bed for a cuddle and tickles. 

"Hey buddy. You sleep okay?" I ask him.

"Yeah, Gigi made breakfast. Come." He says and starts pulling my arm for me to get up.

I pick him up and head to the bathroom to brush my teeth before going downstairs to the kitchen where I find Alicia's mom finishing breakfast. She gives me and Junior our plates.

"Thank you Helen." I say. "It's a pleasure." She says and then Leslie and her son walk into the kitchen and she stops in her tracks when she sees me. 

"Oh Leslie, come sit. Breakfast is ready." Helen says and Leslie shows her son to an empty seat at the island.

"Good morning, thank you Helen." She says taking a seat. "I thought you left for work already." She said to me.

"No, going in later." I said and continued eating my food. Junior feeds me a bite of his eggs and bursts into giggles when I pretend bite his little fingers. Helen walks out of the kitchen with Luna to change her clothes after she got food all over it.

"I thought you liked to get in early and start on work before..." She starts and I stop her.

"Leslie stop. Just stop. We're not friends, we're not about to catch up on things past." I warn her.

"Geez, I was just trying to be polite."

"Don't be." I tell her. She really needs to leave my house. Helen comes back and I go take a shower before leaving for work. 

"Bye kiddos." I kiss their cheeks and tickle them a little making them giggle. The sound of their laughter is my favourite, just like their mother's. Out of the blue Leslie walks past us to the backyard wearing a bikini and see-through cover-up. She smirks at me and I quickly turn to look at Helen who was more focused on Luna who's pulling her hair. I leave the house and find Tom waiting for me by the car and he drives me to work.

I am having lunch with Mark later to catch up since he got engaged, but first I have a meeting with the staff to reassure them after a few of their colleagues were fired this week for theft. 

By the time that's done it's almost time to meet Mark. I go downstairs to the hotel restaurant and find him already waiting. We sit down and place our orders of food. We talk about his engagement and upcoming wedding. Him and Sophie both agreed on having a small wedding, much to Mark's delight. Crowds are not his thing and they want to only have their close loved ones around them.

"How is your houseguest doing?" He asks and I let out a sigh of frustration which makes him chuckle. "I'm not laughing at you but the situation." He says and shrugs, still chuckling.

"Annoying. She has been keeping to herself, out of sight. Until today."

"What happened today?"

"She tried to make small talk and I shut it down. As I was leaving, she passes through in a bikini and smirks at me."