Chapter 19
The conference was tiring, the conference was successful, but most of all the conference was finally over. Eliza was exhausted like usual, but she was... happy.
As she was packing up the last of her luggage, she took the last minute to unzip a compartment and pull out a little bib. She ran her thumbs over the soft fabric before lifting it to her nose to remind her senses of what was in store for her in five hours.
Her phone's alarm resounded to remind her it was time to checkout. With haste, she tucked Lulu's first bib into her large purse and collected her bags to be on her way to the lobby. The clerk gladly took Eliza's card and checked her out, but not without returning the departing tenant a curious eye. Eliza's distant demeanor was gone. The gray-haired woman behind the desk remembered checking in a sunken, more vacant woman– something that penetrated the heart deeper than a long flight and travel to location of stay.
Once Eliza was officially signed out, the clerk sent her off with, "Thank you for staying with us, and have a safe trip back."
Blinking rapidly in surprise, Eliza nodded her head and whispered a thank you to the veiled blessing.
Waiting for the rest of her team, she opened up her computer and began typing away to conclude the report Blackwell would desire about the conference.
"I could see that little smile from a mile away," Troy suddenly proclaimed from above.
Eliza's head lifted in a flash and found Troy grinning with his hands behind his back.
"Hi," she sighed with a smile.
The imaginary hat tilted again and he crooned, "Howdy."
She didn't know what she was going to do with this man. A moment alone wasn't something they had since he visited her suite two evenings before. They were around one another for dinner with clients and at the bar for the team to enjoy themselves on the last night before they flew back to their everyday lives.
There may not have been able to spend time alone, but affection was still shared through a seemingly harmless brush of the back of the hand, an accidental bump here and there, or even a little note underneath a bar napkin. Somehow everything tasted so sweet to her, and John made the most of Eliza's delightful attitude chatting her ear off on the plane ride back.
Now, they had officially departed from their flight and all scrambled to find their families or taxis.
"Is Helen coming to get you?" Eliza peeped, once Troy pulled his phone away from his ear.
Surprised that Eliza was so near, he looked down to his side and nodded with a smile.
"It's not often that I can get Ms. Kelly to prompt a non-work related conversation with me," he coyly remarked.
Eliza twisted her lips, but kept a smirk on them.
"I don't regret any of what happened," Troy abruptly mentioned without a dash of humor.
"Me neither," she hastily replied, staring him straight in the eyes.
Their proximity was dangerous, even in the public eye. The more they didn't attempt to recreate what happened two evenings ago, the more they were starting to lose their minds. Luckily, they were interrupted just in time.
"Troy!" they both heard from behind.
Helen let Charlie loose and her little legs were speeding towards her uncle. In that instance, he dropped down and swooped her up in his arms. She was showered in kisses and he was returned squeals and the tightest hugs her tiny arms could give.
Eliza was smiling, but her stomach was turning. She couldn't resist the thought of thinking what it would be like to have Lulu in a father's love and comfort like Troy gives to his niece. It hurt in a way that made her enjoy the moment but curse the future. So many 'if only's circled around in her head, but then... she wouldn't have her baby girl any other way. Lulu's paternal situation was muddled, but she didn't have to suffer. Eliza was going to learn how to give her daughter all the love that she needed, and it wouldn't be the first time she had to do it for someone.
All Eliza wanted to do was see Lulu's gummy smirk and pet her soft skin. But until then, Charlie's bout of affection was holding Eliza together.
"Hi Charlie," Eliza said feeling a sting in her nose.
Helen put her hand on Eliza's shoulder and smiled at her, "How are you holding up? Troy told me--"
The twin cut herself off and quickly shifted her look over to Troy to see if she had said too much. Her brother was a little red in the face, but he just looked off to the side and started to play with his phone.
"It's okay... I know that he tells you everything," Eliza blushed. "In fact, you two are so close, I'd think you're practically twins."
The two both broke out into laughter, and Eliza smiled at them enjoying her humor. Charlie rested her head on Eliza's shoulder and clung tight to her shirt, and this time Eliza didn't feel that the little hold was strange. She needed it, and slowly rubbed her little back. Troy caught sight of Eliza's loving embrace and held his breath.
"Well, Eliza, we have reservations at this swanky little Mediterranean place downtown, and we have to get going," Helen sighed.
"She hasn't got in a car yet," Troy glared.
"It's okay, I'm just going to call a cab," Eliza smiled back, before putting Charlie down.
Once she stood back up, she smirked at him. Troy quickly looked up and was flushed again since he was caught taking a glance down her shirt.
"It's really alright, Troy. A cab should be here any minute now," Eliza reassured him.
His attention was on her mouth, but he looked burdened with a thought. She tilted her head and took a step closer to him.
"You want to say something?" she slowly suggested.
"I want to say a million things, Liza," he sadly laughed.
Troy looked down to the ground and admitted, "But I don't want to cause any trouble."
Eliza glanced around, "How could you?"
"I mean when it comes down to it... we do work together in a very professional setting," he thought aloud.
She slumped her shoulders and whispered, "Are you saying, that it ends here?"
"No... I just don't know how to get it started," he confessed, swallowing hard at the truth.
Eliza took in a deep breath and looked off to the side. Only turning her eyes back to Troy, she saw that he was looking over her face with sadness but longing adoration.
Finally pushing out the thought, she asked, "Brunch? This weekend?"
He cocked his head back and curled one side of his mouth, "Are you asking me out on a date, Liza?"
"Yes, T... I am asking you out on a date," she smiled broadly, but nervously.
His lips were still far apart, eyeing the lady who just made his heart skip a beat. He reached out for her hand and gently squeezed it.
"Brunch sometime this weekend it is," he stammered.
She was fascinated by what she was just able to do to him so easily and was truly surprised at how taken aback and excited Troy was to formally spend time with her.
"I suppose we could talk about it over lunch... tomorrow?" she added.
"Liza, you're killing me," he exhaled with a large smile on his face, and she had to admit she was revelling in his excitement.
Troy quickly pulled out his phone and stared at the message, saying, "I guess I have to go now if I want Helen to stop sending me embarrassing texts."
Eliza placed a kiss on cheek, before whispering, "Have fun."
He walked away with extreme joy and frustration. It only took a quick moment for her to get a grasp of what was going on between them and why he confessed what he did. It wasn't a simple scenario but it wasn't complex either.
Eliza sighed and took out her phone to look at her recent calls. She was about to dial again for her cab, but was interrupted with,"Ms. Kelly!"
Her attention shot up from her phone and to her right. Dumbfounded, she couldn't move seeing Emmy waving at her from within a taxi cab. She snatched up her bags and darted to the dark vehicle parked on the curb. Emmy swiftly opened her door and pulled Eliza into a tight hug.
"You came to get me?" Eliza asked in excitement.
Emmy's eyes were large and full of surprise, but she nodded. But Emmy didn't dwell too long on the new side of Eliza and climbed into the backseat. Eliza frantically leaned to the side and tried to watch Emmy through the window. Within seconds her hands were out and she was cradling Lulu in her hands. Eliza kissed her little fists and nose, smiling at how cute bear onesie that she was dressed in.
"Isn't it so cute?!" Emmy squeaked.
"I... I love it," Eliza snickered tearfully, watching her baby grin and gurgle with happiness.
"I think she does too..." Emmy began with a smile but faded out in question.
Eliza was rubbing her nose to Lulu's but looked up to find a look of confusion on Emmy's face.
"Something the matter?" Eliza mumbled, but then she simply followed the direction of Emmy's concern and felt the pit of her stomach turning out of control.
"What are you doing?" Eliza spat, clutching Lulu close and taking a step back from Andrew.
"Now that I'm here, will you let me see her?" he snipped, but nervousness was all over his face.
Eliza stepped back even more with tears in her eyes and cried, "No!"
Emmy stepped in front of Andrew and he asked, "Who the hell are you?"
"That's a question for me to be asking," she growled. "Eliza, get in the car."
Eliza carefully rushed around with Lulu and the curious driver rushed out of the vehicle to help her open the car door.
"Seeing as to how you choose to talk to me, I see why she refuses to let you around," Emmy retorted while storming over to grab Eliza's bags along with the driver. "Just showing up whenever you please."
"That's my baby too!" he quipped, but Emmy stopped halfway through her trek and turned back to him.
Eliza was whirling out and around the cab again, shrieking, "Don't come near her again! You don't have a right come near her!"
Emmy immediately ushered frantic Eliza back into the vehicle and demanded that she stay put this time. Taking a deep breath, Emmy turned to the infuriated Andrew and closed the space between them.
"If you're ever going to see your baby without any issue, you're going to have to try a lot harder than this, young man," she scolded with a finger. "A lot harder."