Falling Dawn (II)

Chapter 9

It was a rainy Friday morning. The air had cooled notably overnight. It still surprised me how quickly the temperature could change in Sydney within twenty four hours. In a pair of unbelievably sexy black tracksuit pants and a plain white shirt, Tom was sitting casually on the sofa, notebook in front of him, a cup of coffee in one hand, the phone in the other. The ceiling lights shone directly at Tom, illuminating him in all his glory. He had been talking to the Australian Minister of Immigration personally for quite some time now. Eager to learn the contents of their conversation, I cuddled up next to Tom. Due to the prospect of producing thousands of new jobs in the long run, the Minister of Employment had heard about Tom's intentions and was keen on pushing the start-up. The Immigration Department however had gotten wind of the accusations against Tom. Due to the possible overseas media interest, should they find out about the allegations, Tom's visa application was put on hold until after the trial the following week. Yet another one Tom would have to endure. He pretended to be fine about it, but he looked tired and hardly slept at night. Every time I woke up, Tom was working on his notebook.

It ripped my heart apart to see Tom trying to be strong for me, especially at a time where we had made such big improvements. He had said himself that he was healing. How much would all this throw him back again? Tom acted all cheerful, but his eyes revealed the truth. I wanted happy Tom back. I needed to do something.

"Would you like to go to the movies tonight?" I asked Tom to get him in a better mood.

"I'd love to." He didn't look up from the screen in front of him.

"I'm just going to meet with a friend for coffee now, okay?" Now that caught his attention.

"Where are you going?" He asked, concerned, looking at me in surprise.

"Just a café in the city." I tried to sound casually.

"I'll come with you then," he shot out.

"No, no, Tom. Just stay here and finish your work. I'll be back early afternoon. - I'll be fine." Tom looked at me with piercing eyes. "I promise," I added. "I'm not a little child who needs to hold hands all day."

The truth was I couldn't use him around. I needed to talk to Tanya. Alone. I hadn't lied though, as I was planning on meeting Kate first. Maybe she had more information on the situation. And if not, she could at least fill me in on all the gossip. I hadn't even spoken to her since the day I quit.

"Okay, Lisa," Tom agreed hesitantly. "But take your phone with you." His concern was reflected in his voice. I was fully aware that he'd be worried about me being alone in the city, especially since the whole Michael issue hadn't been resolved. Roger must have threatened Michael and Tom had hired someone to keep an eye on him 24/7. He wanted me to feel safe and at ease. But I was certain that Tom wouldn't admit to the fact that Michael could still be a danger.

With my phone in hand I went into my bedroom to call Kate to arrange the meeting. She was thrilled to hear from me, and it felt good hearing her voice again. Out of concern about Michael and Tanya, I asked Kate not to tell anyone about our coffee date. As I stepped back into the living room, Tom just returned from the kitchen, with his phone in hand. Judging by his guilty look, I was convinced he'd just called whoever was meant to watch Michael. What do people do who don't have the necessary wherewithal for this entire extravaganza? Looking at Tom, I knew. He'd been there, and he wouldn't take that risk.

"Who are you meeting with?" He avoided eye contact, sounding all business like.

"Kate."

"That's the lady you used to work with at HSE?" He sounded almost accusatory.

"Yes, we were friends and I'd like it to stay this way. Since you have a lot of work to do, I think it's a good time for me to catch up with her."

"Can't you meet her another time?"