Chapter One

Hopeless Romantic

I laid in the small bed, thinking of home. Thinking of Danielle and my nieces. I heard a small grunt beside me. Simon flipped sides in his sleep. I sighed, just when my phone rang. I quickly reached for it. "Hey," I whispered. "Where are you?" Danielle's voice sprang into my ear.

"Um, sorry, something else popped up." I murmured.

"Something else popped up?" Danielle asked.

"Yeah, I'm sorry," I said, moving into the bathroom, so I wouldn't wake Simon up. "Yeah, well, today's Chloe's birthday." She said. "Oh, crap!" I muttered. "I'm so sorry, I do have her birthday gift."

"Yeah, would you mind if I get it?" She asked.

"No, it's in my room…but, it's unwrapped!" I said.

"Alright." She said. "I just won't sign it for you."

"Thank you." I whispered. "Tell her I said Happy Birthday."

"I will." She said. Then the line went dead.

"Who was that?" I looked up to Simon standing in the doorway. I smiled. "My boss, he keeps telling me I'll be fired if I don't go back to work." I whispered, kissing him before going into the room.

"Then, why don't you go to work?" He asked.

I smiled. "Then, I wouldn't be here, now wouldn't I?" I asked. He smiled, and he kissed me again. "I have to go, I came here on business." He whispered, in my ear. "Go, I'll be fine." I said. He smiled.

He got dressed, and left me alone in the hotel room. My phone rang again and I jumped to answer it. "Hello," I said. "Anything yet?" Lena asked. I sighed.

"Nothing. I'm going to look what through the hotel right now, while he's gone." I said.

"Hey, remember what I told you?" She asked. "I don't like tricking people." I murmured, underneath my breath.

Lena sighed into the phone. "Fine," Lena said. "Well, Arthur's calling me, I have to go." She hung up on me before I could say another word.

I then hung up the phone, and began my search across the room. Which didn't help, because Lena was right, there was nothing here. But, then I remembered what I told Lena. I don't like tricking people. If I didn't like tricking people, I was in the wrong business, wasn't I?

I shook my head.

I liked this case. There was only one way this could end. But, I didn't know if I could break my heart again. I sighed.

I then thought of Auggie. Did he get to Eritrea okay? I sighed. Auggie….silent tears fell down my cheeks.

"You okay?" Simon asked. I turned to see him, standing by the bed. "Oh, Simon, I didn't hear you come in." I said, wiping my face clean of tears.

He smiled. "Sorry, I was not expecting you'd still be here." He said.

"Oh, do you want me to leave?" I asked, heading for the door.

He smiled, grabbing me by the elbow. "No," He whispered. "I'd like it if you'd stayed." I smiled, and pressed my forehead against his. I bit my lip, fighting the urge to think about Auggie. He was happy and getting married. I wished , I wished him luck before he left.

But, that was all in the past, and I have to focus on the present.