His One Request

Chapter 22 - Honor and Honesty

"Deana, could you get the jet fired up. It looks like I need to personally go put out a fire."

I let her know the information she needs to relay to the pilot. "No airline?"

"Grandfather keeps telling me it's a company jet for a reason. I have a reason."

I bypass the idea of going home to pack. I walk back to my office, and grab my shaving kit I store here for late meeting. I pick up my briefcase, the files I've been working on, and quickly head to the airport.

Chandler's POV-

Gathering my things to exit the plane, I turn on my phone. - I'll see you soon - is blaring back at me, and I smile.

At the end of the concourse, just before I get to baggage claim an extremely tall handsome man is staring back at me. He looks anxious and worried, and I give him a reassuring smile. As soon as I'm with reaching distance, I'm in his arms with him whispering, "I'm so sorry. I should have warned you. I'm so sorry."

Any part of me that thought of getting mad at him, died as he apologizes. "I can't believe you're here," I say and just let him hold me. It's been a hard few days, and obviously from what I saw on the front of the tabloids, he's been busy.

"I just want..."

"Don't. I've got a meeting in an hour, and there's no way we can talk this out right now. Let me get a car, take you to the hotel, and I'll see you after my meeting. You can explain everything then." I tell him, hoping he gives me a little time, first.

"If it's ok with you, I don't want you out of my sight."

"Mason, I have to work."

"I'll go with you. I'll even be your assistant, but I've spent the last few days worried about how you would see the news. Right now, I need to know we're ok." His face still has the worried anxious look he had earlier.

I lift my head to capture his lips. My kiss harbors all the love and affection I've always felt, just magnified by the changes we've made over the last few months together. He's my best friend, I'm in love with him, and we are solid.

"Thank you," he whispers against my lips. "I love you."

"I love you, too, but right now we need to go. You're making me late."

On the way to MediaNet, he holds my hand and I tell him about the media tech support company that is expanding into new networks. "If we can hold this conversation until later, I need to focus on helping them with a new market. They've primarily dealt with radio, but now wants to bring a new format to help television stations broadcast real-time, without loosing sponsorship with advertisers," I explain, and Mason tries to stay focused on the road, holding my hand, and keeping what's on his mind to himself.

"Jerry Mertaczic," a man in his early thirties in bad need of a comb says.

"Chandler Foster, and this is my," I try not to hesitate but I do, a bit, "colleague Mason." He ushers us down the hall of a newly renovated storefront that once housed a large retail store.

In an oversized office fitted with a large table and a small multimedia screening area, we sat down. Jerry flanked by his two partners, Chet, a twenty-one-year-old software writer, and Dale, a twenty-six-year-old that doesn't think the name Dalton makes him sound smart. He is also doing everything he can to flirt with me.

Mason's face stays impassive, but during our introductions, he tensed a few times. I pat his leg to reassure him that I'm not taking the man up on any offer he makes.

After an hour of laying out the different hurdles that need to be jumped before the FCC will agree to their newest venture, Jerry shows me the vision of what Internet television would be. Unlike the subscriber sites like Hulu and Netflix, where the data is limited and not including newer episodes of popular shows, this will be able to stream live.