The Suite Adult Life

Winter (16.3)

Valentine's Day

Bailey argued in broken Japanese with the security desk of the Tokyo office of the New York Times. She was currently flipping through the pictures in her phone showing the man, who was arguing with her in broken English, that she had a personal relationship with her boyfriend. She tried to explain that her showing up was a good surprise and not a horrific disaster waiting to happen.

"Can I be of assistance?" a lilting British voice cut through the noise.

Bailey practically pounced on him; she was so happy that someone could understand her. "You speak English! Yes, thank you!"

He gave her a sardonic smile. "Well, we did invent it," he told her before launching into beautiful Japanese, explaining that the small American woman was an esteemed guest and he would be happy to vouch for her. He slid the sign-in booklet for her to sign and then they were in the elevator.

"You don't happen to know the floor for the photography department, do you?" Embarrassment colored her cheeks. She really should have paid more attention when Cody detailed out everything about his life over here.

Reaching over he pressed the button for the floor she was looking for. "Who are you here to see?"

"Cody Martin!" The butterflies in her stomach started to gather and multiply. The reality of her brash decision filled her brain with uncertainty and she was now wondering if this was the worst idea in the world. "Do you know him?"

The man nodded. "I do. He's very talented." The elevator stopped on Bailey's floor and he motioned to her that it was her stop. In a very Kansan fashion she flustered about grabbing her bag and gave a plethora of apologies and gratitudes. The man just smiled and told her to say that Rich said hello. It was only when the elevator had left did she realize that he was Rich Hansen, the Bureau Chief of the Tokyo office. This was shaping up to be the best day for her, she thought sarcastically.

Turning a few corners she found herself in the bustling bullpen. Chatter from journalists filled her ears, televisions blasted various news organizations from around the world, and people rushed from desks to exits as she tried to find the one person she had dropped everything to see. The tall stature of her long distance boyfriend stood from where he was crouched helping one of the photographers with their editing.

He was blond. Blonder than he looked over their video chats. He'd let his locks keep their natural wave as it was pushed off to the side from his hands running through it constantly. He looked at her like he had seen a ghost. She stood in the middle of the hallway just staring at him, afraid of what to say, afraid that she'd made the wrong move. She was in his arms, feeling him breathe in her scent, and tasting her tears as he kissed her solidly.

"What? What are you doing here?" He floundered. They'd planned on her visiting in June. He would be back in the States for the holidays. It wasn't ideal but neither of their budgets could afford anything more.

She bobbed her head side to side, gathering her thoughts, trying to remember the speech she had planned, before throwing it out the window. "I had this crazy idea that maybe the Tokyo branch of the New York Times could use a lawyer."

He chuckled at her presumptuousness. "What about Andrew and his firm?"

"I'll finish out my contract. We can give them 24 hour service while I get my license to practice here." Her bright smile spit her face. She didn't care how sore her cheeks would be. She was here, with him. This was where she wanted to be. "I just... I knew that if we were going to really give this a chance then I had to be willing to go where I needed to be. And I need to be with you. It's always been you, Cody Martin. If you still want to be with me?"

"There's never been a day that I didn't." He let his eyes search hers, not caring if this proclamation happened in front of his subordinates in the middle of his bullpen. She had always been the center of his world and he'd spend every day proving that to be true. "I love you."

"I love you squared," she said breathlessly, pulling his lips down to hers sealing their declaration with a kiss.