Chapter 7

Orion

My meeting with Reesa was going as planned. We talked about the announcement that would be taking place the next day, and she agreed to let me have Mayson in the room when it happened. Even though he wouldn't have enough advance notice, he at least would be one of the first to know. And with him close by me, I didn't need to worry that he'd get overly excited and share the news beforehand.

"I will be glad for this to be over. My leaving the school so suddenly has caused a lot of speculation. It will be nice to put an end to the gossip," I said.

Reesa laughed. "Oh, it is not the end. It is just the beginning. I hope you understand that your life is about to be in the spotlight. Where you go, who you talk to, and mostly what you say, will be talked about."

"And yet you've been doing it for six years," I reminded her.

"I have. And I love it. It is the hardest thing I've ever done, but I don't regret being president. If it wasn't for...personal reasons, you know that I wouldn't be doing this. I'd continue through this term."

Reesa and Finn had explained it to me, and I knew she needed to do what was best for her and her family. I had no one except myself to think about when making this decision. Because no one besides myself would be affected by rumors and gossip. And long hours right now sounded good. The busier I was, the less I'd think about Raya. Since the moment I'd seen her in the tub, it'd been nearly impossible not to let my mind wander.

Damn it. I was doing so well not thinking about her.

I knew it was just a matter of time before she crept back in my mind, but I was hoping that my meeting would be over first.

"I think you're doing the right thing, Reesa."

"Thank you. It's nice to have your support. You know, Bennett Stone will be here tomorrow too. He is hoping to have a meeting with you after the announcement. Is that okay with you?" she asked.

"Of course." It wasn't like I could tell her no. I had figured he was up to date with everything. Not sure what he wanted to talk about, but I was pretty sure it had to do with security and my safety. Funny, I just had the same conversation with Raya at lunch. There she was again. Back in my thoughts.

If it wasn't bad enough, Reesa asked, "How are things going with Raya? I hope you are helping her settle in and making her feel comfortable."

Oh, she feels something, but not sure comfortable is the right word.

"We are having dinner tonight to talk about her day. She seems to be enjoying it so far, but as you know, only time will determine if she decides to stay here long-term. You might have to think about what you will do if she leaves," I said.

Reesa shook her head. "That is something you will need to think about, so I suggest doing everything in your power to help this transition for her and Joey go smoothly."

Joey.

Knowing her boyfriend's name didn't make it better. That just made it more real. "Will they be staying at New Hope? I mean that isn't really convenient when traveling to school each day."

"Alex and Ziva are helping her look now, but they haven't found anything she likes yet. Raya said the apartments are too small and she is looking for a house. She wants something suitable for a family if she's going to be here for any length of time," Reesa said.

Family? So, things are that serious with Joey.

My house had plenty of room for a family. Something I didn't have, but I purchased it because of its location. Only fifteen minutes from the school.

"I was thinking about relocating so that I could be closer to the office. Maybe I'll see if she and Joey want to rent my place until they find something else. And if she decided to stay, maybe they would be interested in buying it," I stated.

Reesa smiled. "That would be perfect for them. Your place has a huge yard. I should call and tell her." She pulled out her cell phone and then slipped it back into her pocket. "Actually, I'll leave it to you to discuss over your dinner tonight. I'm sure she will enjoy the break from all business talk. And besides, she can use a friend here."

"I thought her parents were still alive," I said.

"Yes, but they are not...close. It will be nice for her to have someone she can turn to if she needs something. Or just to have dinner with. Eating alone can be... boring. I know I enjoy going home to my family after a long day at work," she sighed.

I never yearned for that before. Maybe it was because I spent all day long with children that I felt as though they were my extended family. I know I valued them as such. Each was unique and I knew them all by name. I wonder how many Raya has memorized?

She was adamant about showing me she was the right person for the role, that she probably had spent her night studying the entire roster.

Better than what I did with my time. I spent the night thinking about her.

"I'm sure Raya will feel the same once Joey gets here. But I promise to make myself available for her whenever she needs me," I said.

"Thank you, Orion. I knew I could count on you. Raya might be ready for the job, but I am not sure she is ready to face being back in Tabiq."

Who ever is?

"I noticed that Raya doesn't know anything about me becoming Vice President. Are you planning on informing her before the announcement?" I asked.

"I have been debating that. It would be good if she were here as well. This way it wouldn't look as though she'd been kept in the dark," she said. Even though she has. "Why don't you stop by the school and bring her along when you come to the office? This way she doesn't have to travel alone."

"You don't want me to be here early?" I questioned.

"If you want, you can ask your brother to stop and give her a ride instead," she suggested.

Hell no!

"I'll do it myself. As you said, it gives me a chance to touch base with her on how things are going." And the more I can keep Mayson away from her the better. "So, there will be me, my brother, Bennett, and Raya here tomorrow."

"And Finn as well as the news reporters."

Of course. We need the news to be reported officially and accurately.

"Do they have any idea why they have been invited to your office?" I asked.

"No. But they are very eager to find out. And honestly, I'll be glad to have it out in the open. The sooner it is, the better for everyone."

I was sure we were going to have a bumpy ride for the first few weeks. Tabiq doesn't handle change very well, and Reesa making me vice president was a huge one. There were going to be lots of hard questions for her to answer. Probably plenty for me as well. The difference is, I have no idea how the hell I'm going to answer any of them.

"Speaking of dinner, I guess you better get home to your family," I said.

"Are you sure you don't have any last questions for me?" she asked.

I had so many that we'd be here all night. One summed it up. "Yes. Why me? I mean, I know I was the school administrator, but Vice President is a huge jump."

"You're right. Not the normal path one would take into politics, but I wasn't looking or a politician. I wanted someone who was for the people. And you have proven that on many levels. You have demonstrated your international negotiation skills when helping place students in college overseas and finding families to sponsor them in their new countries. And it takes a lot to manage a budget like the one I gave you and yet still make it work. You also give all yourself to your work. I expect you to continue doing so as Vice President. But those are just a few reasons why I picked you," she said.

"Thank you, Reesa. Your confidence means more than you know," I replied.

"Would you like me to call Raya tonight or do you want to tell her?" she asked.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to tell her on the way here tomorrow. Just like Mayson, if we don't share too early, then we don't need to worry about anyone else learning before your announcement. What do you think?"

She shrugged. "It sounds like the two of you have plenty of other things to discuss tonight."

"Like?" I wasn't sure what she was referring to. Had she picked up on the fact that I like Raya? Because that was going to be an awkward discussion. Especially when Reesa knows all about Joey.

"Like your house and Raya renting it. Why? What did you think I was talking about?" she asked.

Nothing. Not a damn thing.

"Work," I lied.

"No one should talk about that over dinner. Remember that tonight," she said as she got up. "Finn and I have strict rules about dinner topics. No hospital talks and no politics."

I followed her out the door and said, "I guess we can talk about her and Joey instead."

Reesa smiled. "Oh, she will love that. She misses him so much. I can't wait for him to join her here."

"Me too," I lied for the second time.

Once I was in my SUV, I pulled out my cell phone and started a text message to Raya. I just wanted to let her know I was on my way but changed my mind. A text message gave her the opportunity to change her mind. Even though it wasn't wise to be alone with her, I still didn't want her to back out.

I deleted the message, and I headed to New Hope. It was about twenty minutes away, and I had another call to make first. I dialed Mayson's number.

"Hi, Orion. You calling to tell me what's going on?" he asked.

"Not tonight. But you will learn about everything tomorrow afternoon. I'm just calling to let you know to iron your suit. You're going to need it," I said.

"Damn. Where are we going?" he questioned.

"To meet with President O'Connor," I replied.

Mayson burst out laughing. "Yeah. Okay. I get it. You're not telling me. But I'll have my suit ready."

"Good. I'll text you with the time and address tomorrow."

"You could save time and tell me tonight over dinner," he stated.

"I can't."

"Why? Tired from spending the day at the beach again?" he teased.

"Very funny. No. I have a dinner meeting," I replied.

"Ah. With your smoking hot replacement, I take it?"

I hated hearing him refer to Raya in that manner. "She has a name. It's Ms. Davison. And yes, we meet so we can continue her training."

"What are you training her on?" he joked.

I didn't miss his hint that it was something...sexual. I didn't care who it was, I was not going to allow anyone to imply that. This was Raya's reputation on the line. "Mayson, this is purely professional. Understood?" I said in a firm tone.

"I understand. It's you that doesn't seem to. She's gorgeous. You act as though you haven't even noticed. Maybe you need glasses. Or maybe you just work too damn much," he stated.

He wasn't wrong on the last part. I was working too much. But not so much that I hadn't noticed every single lovely thing about Raya. She was curvy in the sexiest way, but what I found most attractive was her confidence. She met my gaze as she put me in my place. And if she knew the thoughts I was having about her, she'd probably tell me off. And rightly so.

"Mayson, she's taken, remember. The only thing between her and me is business. Nothing more," I said.

"Damn shame. I mean, you finally are going out with a beautiful woman, and you can't even hope that it will lead somewhere. Might as well have your meeting on the phone."

"It's amazing that we are related," I grumble.

"I know. I think the same thing. What is wrong with you? I wonder if our mother dropped you on your head or something," he laughed.

"If she did, then I'm glad. I don't think I'd want to live my life driven by my hormones," I stated honestly.

"Maybe not driven by it, but it's okay to take it for a ride every once in a while," he said, laughing. "Okay. Go and enjoy your boring dinner. I'll go dig out my suit and see you tomorrow."

He ended the call, still laughing. I hope I don't regret having Mayson there for the announcement.

I wasn't so worried about what he would say when he learned about me being vice president as much as I was that he was going to say something stupid in front of Raya.

Damn. What have I gotten myself into?

It was too late. I already told Reesa about wanting Mayson there, and she wants Raya too. I could see so many things going wrong with the two of them in the same place. But I needed to make it work.

And as I pulled into New Hope, Raya was standing outside waiting for me. She wasn't wearing her normal business attire. Instead, she was dressed in a pale pink dress with a white belt that accented her curves even more.

Fuck. This is going to be a long dinner.

She didn't even wait for me to get out and open the door for her. Instead, when I pulled up, she climbed inside and buckled up.

"You're right on time," she said.

"I like to be prompt. How was the rest of your day?" I asked, pulling out of the resort.

"Not bad at all. I think they are getting used to me being there. But I must admit, I get the strong feeling that they miss you. You should try to drop in and visit with them when you can. I'm sure your new job, whatever it is, keeps you busy though," she said.

"I was just there this afternoon," I reminded her.

"Seeing me is not seeing them."

She was right. But after tomorrow, they will understand that I didn't just abandon them. They will see that I'm busy. And someday they will see that I did this for them too.

"I'll try to come by again," I said.

"Good. Now, which restaurant are we headed to? You said it was a surprise," she asked.

"It's not really a restaurant as much as a pub."

Her eyes widened. "A pub? Here? Since when?" she asked.

"A couple of years now. I didn't think you had a chance to visit the town yet. We even have a bowling alley, and they are building a movie theater."

"Wow. Do you mean people can actually go out on real dates now? I remember all we could do was go to the beach and that too if our parents even allowed us to go out at all," she said.

"You will see. People are only inside now if they choose to be. That makes it a bit challenging when it comes to the students because they don't want to be home studying when there's so much fun to be had," I explained.

"Then we need to make school a fun place, as well as educational," she stated.

"Fun? School isn't supposed to be fun. It's work. It's where you learn so someday you can go to college and get a good job to provide for your family," I stated.

"In the States, we combine both. We have after-school programs for students. Not just music, but basketball, baseball, and drama club. These things keep the students motivated to study. It raises test scores and encourages them to do their best, so they don't lose out on the fun. If your grades drop, then the fun part is cut. No one wants that, so they try harder," she explained.

"Once you're settled in, we can talk more about that," I said. This was a good time to bring up my place. "Reesa mentioned that you are looking for a place for you and Joey. I am going to be moving closer to work and wanted to know if you would be interested in renting my place."

"Your apartment?" she asked, making a puzzled face.

"I have a house. Big enough for an entire family if you wanted one."

"When can we go see it?" she asked.

I could bring her now, but it wasn't wise to bring her there at night. "How about tomorrow? I can pick you up after work and bring you then. How does that sound?"

"That works. I hope it works for me because I don't want Joey to come here until I have everything nice for him," she said.

I didn't want to hear anything about him, especially after seeing how her eyes brightened each time she said his name. I hope he knows how lucky he is because it's obvious how much you love him. "Then it's settled. We eat tonight and tomorrow we look at the place."

"I'm almost too excited to even think about food now," she said.

Afraid she'd start talking about Joey, I said, teasingly, "You won't think that when you try the food."

"It depends on what it is," she said. "I'm not picky, but I do have a few weaknesses."

"Best pizza in Tabiq," I grinned, hoping I had guessed correctly. I caught her smile out of the corner of my eye.

"Pizza! Now, you're talking," she sighed, sinking into the seat and placing a hand on her stomach that gurgled. "Guess I've been overruled because my stomach reminded me that I didn't eat lunch."

"Good. We can talk about the house while we eat," I said, pulling into the parking lot. "And before we go inside, Reesa has given me strict instructions."

"What are they?" she asked.

"That we never talk about work during dinner."

Raya chuckled. "Did she have any rules about what we can talk about during the desert?"

I laughed. "Nope. Never mentioned that."

"Good. Because I really could go for an ice cream too."

Tonight wasn't a date, but damn it, I wish it was.