Leslie. I’ve missed you all day,” he said.
“When did you find time to do that?” she laughed.
“Every moment I was away,” he told her.
Leslie felt a little flutter of excitement. Something was happening between them well beyond friendship. It was nice that Shane wasn’t shy about letting her know just how much he liked her, but a part of her was scared of it. Relationships had never been her strong point and she was so afraid to let herself believe he might be someone she could actually trust. Despite her reservations, there was no denying that she felt a lot more than she was willing to admit. The hours seemed to crawl by until it was time for the driver to arrive. Finally, he arrived to take her to Shane’s.
“Oh, my God!” she said, drawing in her breath sharply as they approached the gates.
If she had thought that the mass of reporters around Shane’s gate was ridiculous the day they had arrived after the incident at the hockey rink, it was nothing compared to what it looked like now. There were people camped out everywhere around the entrance to his house, just waiting for a glimpse of him. She suspected that it was even worse now that they knew he had returned from wherever he had been hiding. The dark sedan he had sent for her prevented them from seeing in, getting a glimpse of who was inside, but surely they had seen him arrive earlier and knew it wasn’t him. Still, they surrounded the car, trying to peer in through the tinted windows.
“Vultures. I can’t even get through them,” the driver muttered, pushing a button on the steering wheel and waiting until another male voice answered through the phone’s interface with the vehicle’s speakers.
“What’s up, Monte?”
“I’m at O’Hannon location. I need some help to part the sea of reporters blocking my way,” he told him.
“Just around the corner. We expected as much. Sit tight and we’ll clear the way,” the other man replied.
A click sounded from the other end and the driver, who she now knew was named Monte, sat and waited. Reporters were practically lying on top of the car. She heard Monte groan and mutter something about the paint job and buttons. Then, there were reporters being pushed and pulled backwards, away from the car. Her eyes widened as about a dozen large men in black fatigues dispatched them to either side of the car. It was hard to make out what they were saying with the protests of the manhandled reporters, but soon they began to scatter on their own.
Finally, they were able to make it up to the gate, flanked on either side by the men keeping the reporters pushed back. It was the most surreal thing she had ever witnessed in her life. She wondered how people who had to deal with this all the time did it. It must be positively maddening not to be able to come and go freely from your own home, much like being a prisoner there. Hopefully, this would all boil over very soon so that Shane could get back to some sort of normal life.
“You are a sight for sore eyes today,” Shane told her, not waiting for the driver to open her door, but rushing out the front door to open it and greet her himself.
“So are you! It was just crazy getting in here!” she told him.
“I bet. I heard they were camped out there pretty heavily. Some tried to climb over the fence earlier to sneak up to the house, but I was ahead of them,” he groaned.
“The men in black?” she laughed.
“Are they? I have no idea what they are wearing. I just know who they are,” he said.
“Who are they?” she asked.
“A group of ex-special forces from various countries that provide private security,” he said.
“Yikes! How do you know them?” she asked, a bit concerned about the company he might unknowingly keep.
“I don’t. The lawyer recommended them and the driver to help me get around without too much hassle until this all settles into
“When did you find time to do that?” she laughed.
“Every moment I was away,” he told her.
Leslie felt a little flutter of excitement. Something was happening between them well beyond friendship. It was nice that Shane wasn’t shy about letting her know just how much he liked her, but a part of her was scared of it. Relationships had never been her strong point and she was so afraid to let herself believe he might be someone she could actually trust. Despite her reservations, there was no denying that she felt a lot more than she was willing to admit. The hours seemed to crawl by until it was time for the driver to arrive. Finally, he arrived to take her to Shane’s.
“Oh, my God!” she said, drawing in her breath sharply as they approached the gates.
If she had thought that the mass of reporters around Shane’s gate was ridiculous the day they had arrived after the incident at the hockey rink, it was nothing compared to what it looked like now. There were people camped out everywhere around the entrance to his house, just waiting for a glimpse of him. She suspected that it was even worse now that they knew he had returned from wherever he had been hiding. The dark sedan he had sent for her prevented them from seeing in, getting a glimpse of who was inside, but surely they had seen him arrive earlier and knew it wasn’t him. Still, they surrounded the car, trying to peer in through the tinted windows.
“Vultures. I can’t even get through them,” the driver muttered, pushing a button on the steering wheel and waiting until another male voice answered through the phone’s interface with the vehicle’s speakers.
“What’s up, Monte?”
“I’m at O’Hannon location. I need some help to part the sea of reporters blocking my way,” he told him.
“Just around the corner. We expected as much. Sit tight and we’ll clear the way,” the other man replied.
A click sounded from the other end and the driver, who she now knew was named Monte, sat and waited. Reporters were practically lying on top of the car. She heard Monte groan and mutter something about the paint job and buttons. Then, there were reporters being pushed and pulled backwards, away from the car. Her eyes widened as about a dozen large men in black fatigues dispatched them to either side of the car. It was hard to make out what they were saying with the protests of the manhandled reporters, but soon they began to scatter on their own.
Finally, they were able to make it up to the gate, flanked on either side by the men keeping the reporters pushed back. It was the most surreal thing she had ever witnessed in her life. She wondered how people who had to deal with this all the time did it. It must be positively maddening not to be able to come and go freely from your own home, much like being a prisoner there. Hopefully, this would all boil over very soon so that Shane could get back to some sort of normal life.
“You are a sight for sore eyes today,” Shane told her, not waiting for the driver to open her door, but rushing out the front door to open it and greet her himself.
“So are you! It was just crazy getting in here!” she told him.
“I bet. I heard they were camped out there pretty heavily. Some tried to climb over the fence earlier to sneak up to the house, but I was ahead of them,” he groaned.
“The men in black?” she laughed.
“Are they? I have no idea what they are wearing. I just know who they are,” he said.
“Who are they?” she asked.
“A group of ex-special forces from various countries that provide private security,” he said.
“Yikes! How do you know them?” she asked, a bit concerned about the company he might unknowingly keep.
“I don’t. The lawyer recommended them and the driver to help me get around without too much hassle until this all settles into
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