Every once in a while someone comes into your life and you'll wonder how you ever lived without them. That's love.
Sitting in the board room as decisions are being made about the one development that he had put his heart into, AJ couldn't help but feel the strong burning taste of anger that began flooding through him when his grandfather appointed himself to oversee the entire thing from start to finish.
"I poured my entire life into planning this development." AJ snaps, glaring at the older man. "This is my project! I should be the one overseeing it."
"After your little sibling rivalry that you pulled with Jason, you're lucky you're even sitting in this room!" Edward bellowed, meeting AJ's glare with one of his own. "If not for your father, boy, you wouldn't be here right now. So, I suggest you sit there and shut that trap of yours."
"This is stupid!"
"In case you've forgotten, AJ, I'm the one footing the bill for this development." Edward states sternly. "And I will be damned if I left such a huge development in your immature hands. Now...where were we? Ah, yes, Ned...you'll be overseeing the day to day, making sure that the men have all the need and keeping the morale up where you can. You're a bright man, I'm sure you'll do just fine."
And that was the last straw for AJ, prompting him to shoot up from his seat and storm out of the board meeting, unable to stomach his grandfather being civil, much less nice, to cousin Ned. The one person in the family that his grandfather despised as much as him. Everything about that meeting was beyond ridiculous.
Bursting through his office door, he slams it such in a bout of frustration, swearing that his grandfather was the devil himself incarnate. Trying his best to calm down, he snatches up his phone and dials his best friend's number, finding that he needed to talk to her, like always, when things get like this with grandfather.
"Hey, I'm guessing that you're probably elbow deep in paint, like usual." he chuckles, unable to resist smiling at the idea of her doing what she loves so much. "Anyway, I'm gonna grab some lunch from Kelly's and I'll be right over. Try not to freak out when I knock, okay? I did call this time."
Grabbing his things, AJ heads out of the building in the direction of the local diner, knowing that a lunch with his best friend's exactly what he needs. Hopefully by the end of his lunch hour, he'll have a new perspective on how to handle the old man, something she always seems to have a knack at doing.
Pulling up to the safe house that they'd be staying in, Jason kills the engine before helping her to dismount. From the moment she was off the bike, her eyes were frozen on the place, a look on her face that confused him considerably. He wasn't sure if she liked it or not, which got to him mostly because he was so good at reading people. He just wasn't used to people who held so much emotion so vibrantly.
"So this is the place, huh?" she finally voices after a moment of taking in the place. "Seriously not what I had been expecting."
"What did you expect?" he couldn't resist asking, looking at her with true curiosity, seeing as he wasn't what she had expected either.
"Not this, that's for sure." she says simply, securing her bag on her back before following him up the pathway to the door. "I mean, in the movies, a safe house is usually really secluded and not nearly as beautiful as this place."
"Just because a place is secluded, it doesn't make it safe." Jason explains, showing her into the house. "With places like this, in the angle its in, we'd see people coming at us from a mile out and there's an exit in the basement that leads right into busiest part of town in case we need to make a quick escape."
"And if an escape isn't possible?" she questions, playing into his little lesson in safe houses.
"There are secret passages throughout the house." he explains with ease, regardless of the glimmer of humor that he found in her eyes, realizing that she was just humoring him. "Any intruder would have to have a death wish to break in here."
"On another note, this place is beautiful." Elizabeth drops her bag on the couch before glancing around. "Whoever painted this place sure knows their art."
"Why don't you pick a room and get settled in?" Jason suggests, slipping his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. "When you're done, we'll have lunch, okay?"
"Sure." she shrugs, snatching up her backpack, granting him a soft smile. "Don't go disappearing on me."
"No chance of that happening."
"Good."
Walking up the stairs, she makes her way to one of the guest bedrooms, unpacking the little things she has brought with her. Her sketch pad and charcoal pencil set wins the spot on the side table while her clothes remain neatly folded on the desk by the wall. Since they were only going to be there for the night, it didn't seem logical to put them in the drawers.
While she's upstairs, getting acquainted with her room, Jason's downstairs getting their lunch ready. For a moment he's stumped, not having made a habit of cooking for himself, much less for someone else, but it soon floods his mind once he gets started. As easy as riding his bike.
Standing outside her studio, AJ knocks continuously, confused by the lack of response from the other side. Its times like these that he wishes she'd give him a cop of her key for this place. Countless knocks later paired with him calling out to her as loudly as he can, he comes to the conclusion that she's not in. Something that would have been helpful ten minutes ago.
Pulling out his phone, he tries to call her again, both her studio phone and her cellphone, but still no answer on either. Nothing but voicemail. A part of him started to feel a growing concern, having never known a moment where she didn't have her cellphone on her. Deciding that she might have changed her mind about going to her studio, he makes his way to the estate, hoping that she'll be there.
Breaking more than a few speed limits, he gets to the house in record time, bounding up the steps to the front door before searching the entire house for his best friend. Finally getting into her bedroom, the one place he had avoided when she didn't answer, knowing she hated when he'd walk inside without her prior permission, AJ finds her cellphone sitting upon the desk by the wall.
"God, Liz, where are you?" he questions aloud as he grips her cellphone in his hand.
Dropping her cellphone back onto her desk, leaving it the way it had been earlier, he makes his way back out of her room, shutting the door behind her. Of course, he wasn't expecting to turn around to the angry glare of Alice, obviously waiting for an explanation.
"Ha, ha...you're gonna laugh at this one." AJ says nervously, shaking his head when she just stares at him intently. "Okay, maybe not."
"This is your last warning." Alice stands toe to toe with him. "Stay out of Ms. Elizabeth's room or you'll be feeling a whole new world of pain, do I make myself clear?"
"Yup, crystal." AJ shakes his head quickly, letting out a deep breath after she walks off, but not before swearing that she was watching him. "You'd think I'm the one that worked for her."
Walking in the opposite direction, food still in hand, AJ decides that he's lost his appetite and makes his way back to the company, intending on finding his way back in to the development project. He wasn't sure where Elizabeth was, but he had a sick feeling that wherever she was, his brother's involved somehow. It was the only explanation for her lack in sense as far as taking her cellphone is concerned.
The smell of food cooking on the stove brings Elizabeth out of her bedroom to inspect where that delicious smell was originating from. Making her way through the house and into the kitchen, she'd be lying if she said that the sight of Jason cooking didn't mess with her self-restraint. How anyone could look at that man on not be turned on is beyond her.
"Food's just about done." he voices, catching her by surprise, causing her to wonder how he knew she was there. "Another five minutes or less."
"I'll set the table then." she replies as soon as she finds her voice, licking her lips slightly. "Um...where are the plates?"
"Right here." he points out, walking over to the cupboard closest to her before reaching up and taking down two plates. "The forks are in the drawer by your hip."
"Of course they are." she whispers, staring up into his eyes as she holds the plates close. "Thanks."
Slowly reaching for the drawer, she pulls it out and grabs the forks before pushing it back in with her hip. It would take her another moment before she can move, but she does it and heads to the dining area to set the table, knowing full well that she'd have to go back into the kitchen for their drinks.
It was starting to look like this little trip was going to hold more than she had bargained for. Either by the end of this meal or by the end of the night, she just might have to take Kelly's advice and jump his bones if he's not careful with the way is around her. That man was just too damn attractive for her own good.
As they sit down for lunch, he notices the familiar expression of nervousness in her eyes, prompting him to ease the tension by keeping it casual. He asks her about the things she likes to do, which brings up her love of art, and before he knows it she's rambling on and on, something that he honestly enjoys listening to. Its far better than her nervous silence, that's for sure.
"I shouldn't take too long." Jason voices as he stands by the door, locked and loaded for his business meeting. "You sure you're gonna be okay by yourself until I get back?"
"I'll be fine." she assures, gesturing to her bedroom. "I brought stuff to occupy my time. Don't worry about me."
"I'll worry if I want." he counters, leaning in and placing a soft kiss upon her lips before paying the same respect to her forehead. "Be safe."
Watching as he straddles the bike and takes off, she couldn't help but feel touched by his concern. Something about the way he cares for her was just unlike anything she's ever had before. Sure, she has people that care about her, but none of them cared as deeply as he seems to. The way he looks at her, talks to her, touches her, always with such intensity and restraint at the same time. It definitely left her at awe of him, for sure.