"I do hope you can forgive me."

He offered for us to drive or to walk since, I'm guessing, the restaurant he picked out is close enough to do so. I voted for walking since I rarely get time out anymore. Fresh air will help to ease my mind as well.

"There's nothing to forgive. You're right. It was none of my business." I shrug as we continue walking down the street.

The roads are busy and loud. I don't like walking around in the city that much. I'm used to it now but I remember how calming it was to walk around in a small town. There were fewer cars and less people. Everybody knew each other or at least knew somebody that you knew. My parents were happy there. They said it was the best place to raise a family — i.e. me. I know that it was expensive though. Houses around there were not cheap since everyone was starting to romanticize the small town lifestyle back when my parents moved there. I always hated that small town, now I miss it. It's funny how you realize how good you had it once things get worse.

"No, you deserved a better answer than the one I gave you. I was rude to just dismiss you like that. I understand that now." He assures me. There seems to be true sympathy to his voice as if he's actually sorry. Maybe he is. Regardless, that doesn't really change much for me.

"Well, thank you for acknowledging that but, really, it's none of my business." I assure him.

"I was just afraid that you'd leave if I told you."

Funnily enough, you not telling me is the reason I'm leaving — is all I can think, though I don't say any of this.

We begin to cross the street. With this big coat and heels on, it's hard to get anywhere fast and the timer is counting down at an all-too-quick pace. Hanes grabs ahold of my hand and puts his other arm around my back to help me across the road faster. Once we're on the other side, he lets go.

"You don't have to tell me, really."

"I want to. You're right, how can you trust me if I'm keeping all these secrets from you."

If he tells me, and I leave anyway, what is he going to do? What if he tells me and then I really can't leave?

"Honestly, I'd rather put it all behind us."

"What has made you change your mind all of the sudden?" He cocks a brow at me, sounding confused.

I shrug my shoulders, unsure of how to answer that without telling the truth but without lying.

"I just changed my mind." Not about wanting to know, per say, but about you.

He nods and continues to look ahead though I can tell that he doesn't believe that's it.

WE WALK for another ten minutes and I find myself tiring out but Hanes claims that we aren't far from the place.

"Here we are." He stops in front of a tall building, one that is certainly not a restaurant. So, why are we here?

"Here?" I question, wondering if I've missed the point.

"Yeah, trust me, come in." He offers his hand to me to help me up the steps.

Trust him? A bold demand considering what we've discussed.

I take his hand anyway and he helps me up the steps and into the building. It's busy with people rushing all over to different rooms and elevators. We walk past all of them into the back where there is another elevator.

"Where are you taking me, Hanes?" I cock my brow and grin, wondering what this is working up to.

"You'll have to see..." he smirks as we step into the elevator.

He hits the top floor and we rise up. When we step out, I already notice that this floor is quieter and I begin to connect the dots.

"Is this where you work?"

He smiles, nodding that I'm right. "Yes, this floor is mainly for my partner and myself. Don't worry though, this isn't where we're stopping."

I wasn't worried at all. In fact, I feel a little bit better seeing this place and knowing a bit about where he goes in a day. I know this isn't it; there must be something else behind this mask but still, it's nice to have a place to envision when he claims he's going out to "work".

He takes my hand and leads me further through the floor, we pass by a conference room and another office as well as a kitchen area and other rooms.

"This, right here..." he says opening the door to one of the rooms. "... is my office."

It's big with a large, dark c-shaped desk to one side and a dresser along the other. There's a bit of clutter here and there, but the one part of the room that catches my eye is the far wall that is simply just a large window. It overlooks the city — the one we were just walking through just minutes ago. I'm enamoured with it immediately, walking over slowly as I break from Hanes to get a closer look.

"Oh, my God... it's amazing." I gasp, looking at the bustling city below. It's so quiet up here, you can barely hear the traffic and the people.

"I thought you might like it." He walks up behind me and I turn to face him. He's so intimidating, especially when he's in a suit, which is almost all of the time.

"Thanks for showing me. I really do like it."

"I thought it might be better to show you when I knew you wouldn't have to be around any of my co-workers." He overlooks the city as he speaks.

"Why?"

He crinkles up his nose for a second and shrugs. "I don't like the thought of them gawking at you. I see men on the street do it all the time; I don't like it." He grins.

Strangely, the way he says this doesn't seem to be possessive, but rather, an admittance. He likes having me to himself; he fears that I'll leave if I see someone better.

I try to suppress a smile but fail miserably.

"Don't get too cocky now. Can't have you realizing your power over me and taking advantage." He jokes.

"Power over you?! Hardly." I scoff.

"You'd be shocked, Miss. Viv. You do have quite a hold on me." He turns to me. "If it weren't for you, things would be different for me."

"Different?" I question with a furrowed look. "How so?"

"Just different." He's being secretive again, but something tells me this "different" is good for him.

He motions for us to continue on and I do, walking out but not before taking one last glance back at the beautiful view that I fear I won't see again.

He takes my hand again as he leads me to another set of heavy doors to the stairwell.

"The stairs?" I question.

"The elevator doesn't go up this high." He says as we make our way up the last flight up stairs.

He takes out a set of keys from his pocket and unlocks the door, opening it out to the roof.

It's cold up here and much louder than it was inside, but the view is far better and the setting sun shines bright over the horizon, glowing against my and Hanes' cheeks.

"Wow, this is so cool!" I beam, scampering over to the edge that's guarded by a partial wall tall enough that it would be a struggle for me to get over.

"Careful, now!" He warns.

I look back at him and scoff. "Even if I wanted to, I couldn't get over this in these shoes."

The fear that flashed over his face has dissipated into a small look of embarrassment. I find his concern endearing; he sees it as a flaw.

"So, you brought me up here for...?" I wonder.

"I know you told me to not say what I do but I thought I'd at least show you where I work so you don't think that I'm some gang member that works out of warehouses beating people up." He chuckles. "I come here most days and work until after dark, as you know. I didn't want you to think that I was hiding this from you because it was something terrible; it's not."

"Well, I'm glad this is where you work. This seems... safer. Plus, you have a really cool office with a great view." I compliment. "I have to ask, though, why do you stay in a hotel? I mean, you clearly have enough money for a nice house or extravagant apartment at least. There are plenty of places closer to here than that hotel. Why not stay in one?"

He seems to think on it for a minute and then he shrugs.

"I never really liked staying in one place. My parents moved around a lot and I guess that rubbed off on me."

"Where are they now?"

"My parents? Oh, I think they're travelling across Europe at the moment. They wanted me to come." He scoffs.

"Why didn't you?!" If I had that offer, I'd surely take it.

He opens his arms out wide, presenting the building to me and I finally understand.

"This — my work. It takes over my life. My parents hated when I started working here because I stopped coming to family gatherings. My friends dropped like flies when I stopped reaching out and kept cancelling. I never really had a shot at a relationship except maybe an affair with my secretary..." he looks over the edge of the building.

I hate that my stomach just dropped. Why am I getting jealous of his secretary?!

"... if she wasn't eighty and hadn't been happily married for fifty years."

I can't help but chuckle, though internally, I'm kicking myself for the way that made me feel. My plan at the beginning of the night was the leave him and now I'm jealous over some eighty-year-old secretary.

"I don't know. I guess my point is, I don't want you to disappear. I know I'm paying you to stick around but, a part of me is fooled by it. A part of me believes what I want to about you." He looks over to me.

"And what's that? What do you want to believe about me?" I pry, hoping he'll say what I want him to — something that will convince me to stay.

He just grins and shakes his head. "Can't tell you and then have you deny the fantasy. Let me wonder." He says before walking back towards the door to the stairs.

I can't help but grin at his answer. Let me wonder. I guess I'll be doing the same.

"Where are we going now?" I scamper quickly after him.

"Well, I wasn't going to make you have dinner out here in the cold, getting nearly blown over in the wind." He chuckles opening the door for me. "We'll order something in and eat it in my office in front of that big window you like."

I like the sound of that.