Chapter 189: Gang Back Together: Hannah
Marcus and Ed left the room and went to set up a little office area in the dining room.
"It’s always something, isn’t it," Roman muttered.
"That it is," I grumbled.
We both sighed. I leaned forward and put my head in my hands, rubbing my face. The resolve I had been building to tell myself that things weren’t going to get to me, that I was in charge of my own mood and state of being, was melting away. It was just too much. Why was it always so much? My brain was struggling, completely overwhelmed by it all.
"Okay, let’s not get down in the dumps," Lori muttered, though she didn’t even seem to be too moved by her own suggestion to stay positive. "I mean, I know it’s hard..."
Her voice faded. It was as though her sentiment died in the atmosphere as soon as she spoke them into existence.
She stood up and stood before me with her hands on her hips. "If we aren’t in the business of letting an evil organization like the Auction House get us down, then we are definitely not letting some random weirdo! Come on. We can still have a good day. You have to remember what happened yesterday. You raised an astonishing amount of money for women in need. Women with stalkers, abusers, and everything of the like. There’s much to do before you launch. We need to do it and do it with a good attitude. Approaching your work with a bad attitude will imprint on you. Never make it feel like something you HAVE to do. This is your passion."
"You’re right, but you also have to see that it’s not so simple," I muttered.
"But it is," she urged. "We need to just expel all this from your mind so you can move on with the day. So come on. Let’s rant about it. Let’s vent about it. Let’s get out every thought and feeling you could possibly have about it, and then move on with our day. The emotions will be out, and the energy will be put into your charity."
"That’s a great idea," I sighed. "I just... don’t have that need to vent or rant that you’re talking about. And I don’t have energy. I feel a bit shut down."
She poked my forehead. "Then you’re going to take a nap."
"Am I five?" I grumbled.
"I’m serious," Lori huffed. "It’ll reset you so we can tackle the day."
When I cocked a brow at her, Lori then sprung into action to set the mood for a nap time. She turned the television onto a fireplace video, used the surround sound to play some soft music, closed the drapes, and grabbed some blankets. Roman and I put up some soft protests, but we still somehow went along with it. As if just to appease her. She tucked us in together and then went over to the other couch and curled up herself.
I stared up at ceiling.
Strangely, that place in the calm dark was kind of what I needed right then. My mind took apart the morning’s events, analyzed them, rearranged them, and organized them.
Things were going to be okay, even if they were going to be a little more complicated for a while. I had to believe that. I had to believe that I would be safe, Roman, my sister, and everyone else we knew as well. There were no possible certainties to be had.
Still, the uncertainty of it all couldn’t paralyze us into inaction. Not when there were people to help and businesses to run for Lori and Roman.
Even with all of those rational realizations, I couldn’t turn my mind off. My thoughts ran in complete circles again and again, until my mind fatigued itself into shutting down. At some point, at which I had no idea how long it took, I drifted into a light slumber.
The nap was shockingly peaceful. I didn’t dream, I didn’t really think.
Some time later, I awoke slowly.
I was curled into Roman, encased in warmth. It hadn’t been totally restoring, but it definitely had been a nice way to decompress.
Sitting up, I looked over to see Lori was gone from her couch. As I peered down at Roman, he smiled up at me with a sleepy expression.
"Did you manage to sleep?" he asked.
I nodded. "Yeah. I have no idea how long we were out for."
Roman looked down at his watch and shrugged. "About an hour."
"Are you hungry?" I asked.
"I could definitely eat," he nodded.
We got up and headed over to the kitchen. As soon as we stepped inside, of course I wasn’t surprised to look through the archway to see Lori hanging over Marcus as the two agents tried to work.
"Are you guys hungry?" Roman called over.
"Starving," Ed answered. "We were about to step out for some fast food."
Roman opened the fridge and peered around. "I can make us some tacos if that interests you guys."
They all looked amongst one another and then looked back over with a nod. I helped Roman pull out all of the ingredients for steak and shrimp tacos with traditional rice and beans. Of course, we were going to use recipes on the internet to get us through it.
As I started to help chop the onions and limes, Lori came over to my side and bumped my hip with hers.
"So... Did it help?" she asked with a grin.
I rolled my eyes. "You know, if you didn’t look just so d*mn youthful, I am pretty sure that people would think you were the older sister." When she continued with her smug yet curious look, I rolled my eyes yet again. "Yes, it helped. Thank you."
"Good," she beamed. "There’s always a way to reset even the worst days. I mean, within reason."
"So learning you may have a stalker is within reason?" I asked her with a skeptical glance.
"Tut, tut, tut," she warned. "Don’t think about it. Don’t talk about it, unless you need to. Let’s use this energy for the good."
"Like making you lunch?" I asked, humor seeping into my tone.
She leaned over and kissed my cheek before giggling. "Exactly."
She then moved back over to the dining room. I couldn’t seem to stop rolling my eyes, but I was glad it was out of humorous annoyance with my sister than anything else.
"I see that she’s chipper," Roman commented.
"Of course she is," I snickered and peered up at him. "Marcus is back."
He glanced over at them and then back down to me. "Think they will ever stop beating around the bush and date?"
"Who is to say," I chuckled. "I think they are both as dense as they come."
"I don’t know," Roman stated, looking back over to them. "Lori seems to be much more forward this time."
"I hope, for their sake, that they do get together," I stated.
"Oh really?" he replied. When I nodded, he followed up. "Do you really want your sister with an FBI agent? He would be gone most of the time, in the line of danger."
"I think it would be exciting for her. And besides, with him being gone and all, she’s always on the move herself. I think they are a match made in heaven."
We both looked over to see Lori doing her best to get him to pay attention to her, twirling her hair, leaned over the table as they talked. He seemed utterly oblivious to it all. We shared a laugh and turned back to our task at hand.
Roman fried up the rice grains as I blended the tomatoes, onion, and garlic. We moved in harmony as we prepared the large lunch for everyone, wanting to make sure there was enough to go around and in case anyone else showed up at the last minute. It always seemed to be that someone showed up unexpected.
Once everything was done, we carried in the platters and plates into the dining room. The two agents took notice and scrambled to clear their paperwork and laptops from the table.
"It smells amazing," Marcus complimented.
"It sure does," Lori agreed.
I snickered at her overt approach to getting his attention. It wasn’t my business, though.
The meal was family style, everyone able to grab their own servings and toppings for their tacos. We all ate and enjoyed our food.
Ed chuckled and looked over to us. "Who would have thought that a billionaire could cook?"
"Not many," Roman chuckled, taking the light ribbing well.
"When did you learn to cook?" he asked.
"It’s a more recent hobby of ours," Roman answered with a shrug. "When you’re stuck inside all the time, you run out of things to do so you even get bored enough to make your own meals."
"When was the last time you guys cooked?" Lori asked them.
"I pick out my own toppings at the sandwich shop," Marcus commented. There was a light bout of laughter among everyone and he shrugged shyly. "It’s rare we get to be home and cook. Though not like I really cook at home. Can make spaghetti and that’s about it. How about you?"
Lori blushed in a way that told me she hadn’t been prepared for the question to be turned around on her. I giggled to myself.
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