Natalie’s POV
Three days after the ‘bottle incidence’ as I have chosen to call it, I resume back to work at Giancarlo. Brandon has been shuffling between awkwardly caring and suddenly distant for the past three days, and I have finally decided to simply take his actions as they come. To choose to react to any of his emotions would be setting myself up for a mental condition.
In my absence, Mariah has hired more staff and interviewed them. I complete the formalities by conducting a personal interview with them early in the day. By afternoon, I met up with a tech guy Hailey recommended to set up the restaurant’s website. True to her hype, he is really good, and he sets it up faster than I envisaged. We decide on a day for testing before he leaves.
After that, I join the kitchen staff to knead dough, and prep other items, to Alfredo’s delight and everyone else’s horror. For me, being in the kitchen is essential. That’s one thing they do not seem to understand.
When I return to my office, I wait until late evening when Hailey’s shift is over. She has a date tomorrow, and I agreed to help her pick out a dress. In a way, I miss that. I miss helping Hailey get ready for dates, and having her help me get ready for my own dates- not that I had so many in the first place.
Together in the car that the chairwoman gave to me the week after my marriage to Brandon, Hailey and I chatter away in the backseat while Baldwin drives us to her house. I tell her all about the last few days, and she tells me how she met this new guy.
“The way you sound, Hailey, it looks like you don’t expect anything to come out of this date,” I say with a laugh.
“I don’t.” She says offhandedly. “That guy is a no-no.”
“Why are you going out with him, then?” I ask incredulously.
“Because the least he can do is buy me dinner.” She says in a tone that implies that I shouldn’t even be asking.
Her response causes me to chuckle and shake my head. Hailey is a handful! From the side of my eyes, I catch Baldwin’s troubled gaze in the rearview mirror and turn my attention to him. “What’s the problem, Baldwin?” I ask
He waits a short time before responding. “I think someone is following us, Mrs Martinez.”
Alarm bells ring in my head and I spin around at the same time that Hailey does. There are several cars behind us, and so I don’t see how he can tell that we’re being followed. “There are so many cars, Baldwin. How do you know someone is following us?”
“Because this person, whoever they are has been on our tail since we left the restaurant.” Get responds.
“Which is it?” Hailey asks somewhat frantically.
“Black Mercedes.”
My eyes dart back to the road and I catch sight of the car. “Can you lose him?” I ask.
“I can try.” He responds.
“I think you should call Brandon, Nat,” Hailey says.
I doubt that there is much he can do at this time, but I pull out my phone to call him regardless. When he answers, I try to explain our current situation to him with as much calmness as possible at the same time that Baldwin begins to swerve the car in a bid to lose our followers. Interestingly, as soon as the driver of the Mercedes notices that we’re trying to lose him, he slows down and stops following, so Baldwin doesn’t have to do much to lose him.
Hailey and I agree to go straight to my house together instead of dropping her off at her apartment. She calls her date to take a raincheck and places her hands over mine until Baldwin drives into the Martinez Empire garage. Brandon and his mother are waiting outside for us. As soon as the car stops, Hailey and I rush out of the car. I walk straight into Brandon’s arms, shaking as a leaf.
Somewhere at the back of my mind, it occurs to me that running into Brandon’s arms is not exactly the show of independence that I pride myself in, but for now, I just need the warmth that his arms offer. “My God, Brandon. I was so scared.” I say amidst sobs. He tightens his arms around me when I begin to shake.
When he finally releases me, Hailey and the chairwoman have gone into the house. He leads me inside where a maid immediately hands a cup of coffee to me. I look at Hailey and notice that she also has a cup of coffee in her hands. Brandon excuses himself to go and speak with Baldwin outside.
The chairwoman tries to get details of the car out of us but we’re each too shaken to give her any helpful response. When Brandon returns inside, he paces briefly before speaking. “This is outrightly insulting! To dare to follow a Martinez? Complete out of it!” He runs a hand through his midnight-dark hair before continuing, “I’m going to figure out who’s behind this even if it’s the last thing I do!”
The chairwoman dials a couple of numbers on her phone and asks them to find out who’s behind this. While she’s still on the phone, Brandon calls for Sarah and asks her to set up a room for Hailey. Later, when she is ready to go to bed, she and I embrace each other tightly.
“I’m so sorry you couldn’t go on your date,” I say quietly.
“Well, I’m not” She squeezes me a little tighter before heading into the guest room that’s been prepared for her.
After Hailey has retired to bed, I announce that I will also be going to bed now, and Brandon rises to go with me. “Where are you going?” I ask
“To bed with you.” He replies
“Why? My room is just down there. Trust me, there’s no chance that I could be kidnapped between here and there.”
He doesn’t laugh like I expected. Instead, he holds my hand firmly and says, “You’re sleeping in my room tonight.” I raise a brow in question, and he shrugs. “I need to be sure that you’re fine.”
I almost choke on a laugh. “I’m absolutely fine, Brandon. Don’t worry, I ….”
Holding my right hand in his, Brandon cuts me off. “I’m not suggesting, Natalie. I insist!”
The chairwoman chuckles lightly from her place on the sofa, before saying, “You shouldn’t fight it, Natalie. Come on, go on.”
At that moment, it isn’t Brandon’s insistence that causes me to go with him. It is the need to keep up a pretense with the chairwoman. She doesn’t know why Brandon and I split rooms, and a stony insistence would only raise questions.
“Okay”, I say with a small smile.
“Goodnight, Mom,” Brandon says before leading me upstairs by the hand.