“I believe Jourdanne and I will grab something to eat here before meeting you out on the lake.”
“Of course, it’s hard to step in here and not get something to eat.”
I nodded along at his words with a smile, and as the men began to leave, the smell of food came through the door and hit me like a ton of bricks. I was hoping my stomach wouldn’t start growling before we could make it into the main room and grab a table.
Leandro and I took about thirty minutes to have brunch before heading out. The food was so heavenly good I could have melted in my chair. We got into the car and began heading across town toward the lake as Leandro sent a text to Matt. I leaned back in the car and closed my eyes for a moment to let everything sink in. So much had happened in such a short while that I felt like my life was ramping up. And once we arrived at the docks, I realized I was living in luxury for sure. Never in my life had I experienced so many great things in so little time. Up ahead stood Joseph waving to us from his yacht. It truly was gorgeous, and I couldn't wait to get on it and experience the lake first-hand. We had driven by numerous times on our way through the city both last week and this week, but no matter how badly I wanted to enjoy the victory of the meeting, the thought of Matt sitting at the hotel alone kept popping into my mind.
Just before Leandro got out of the car, I wrapped my hand around his arm to get his attention. He looked back over me with curiosity in his gaze. “What is it? Is something wrong?”
“No,” I answered him as I shook my head. “I’m just thinking about Matt. He’s alone at the hotel, and we’re out here about to celebrate something that he helped with. Don’t you think we should all celebrate together?”
Leandro nestled back into the car as he let go of the door handle. He looked around at the interior for a moment, and then his eyes found mine. He gave me a smile and then a nod, then he hopped out to go talk to Joseph for a moment. Before long, we were headed back across town to the hotel to celebrate with Matt and to be together like we should.
MATT
I stayed back at the hotel while Jourdanne and Leandro held their meeting. Leaning against the railings of the balcony, I checked my phone again for any word about how it went. They had been gone for over two hours, and I was starting to wonder if the meeting wasn’t as quick as Leandro had hoped.
I stared over my phone for a few more seconds, and by the time I gave up and turned the screen off, it vibrated. I quickly read Jourdanne’s message.
Everything worked! The investigation is off, and funding is on!
I was so happy. I did a little dance there on the balcony, then I sent back my reply.
That’s amazing! I knew you guys could do it.
She sent me a smiley face, then I tucked the phone into my pocket.
I waited anxiously as I hoped they’d return soon, but not too long after, I got another text. This one was from Leandro.
We’re going out on the lake with Franklin to celebrate. You okay a while longer?
It was such a surreal moment. Leandro hadn’t brought me on a trip in over a year to start with. Just the fact that I was sitting in a hotel in Geneva enjoying all the luxuries of being his boyfriend was enough to make me giddy. But this? Leandro was actually asking me whether or not I’d be okay spending time alone. I was speechless. He was putting me first, putting my feelings ahead of his work, and it was beyond satisfying.
I thought it over for a moment, then texted back my okay, to which Leandro sent back a heart. This side of him was one I barely knew anymore.
After a shower, I put on my black slacks and a dark blue button-up shirt. I checked my phone for any missed texts, to which there were none, then I headed for the door. Sightseeing was the perfect way to kill time. But before I could pop it open, in came Leandro with Jourdanne behind him.
Leandro’s eyes pinned mine with a smile. “Where are you going?”
I didn’t answer him just yet. “Why are you here? Was the lake too turbulent?”
“No,” Leandro laughed. He came over to me and kissed my lips as his hand gently wrapped around my ear and neck. His fingers fondled my hair for a pause, then he leaned back. “We didn’t even get on the yacht.”