Chapter 15-Maya
1291 Words
The international arrivals terminal was a chaotic mess of noise and humidity that hit Ariana like a physical wall. The air-conditioning was struggling against the afternoon heat, and the crowd was a sea of sweaty faces and jagged luggage carts. Ariana stood by the metal railing, her feet aching in her office heels, feeling the grime of a long day at the marketing firm coating her skin. Beside her, Cassie was scrolling through her phone, remarkably composed for someone who had just spent eight hours staring at spreadsheets and was now stuck at an airport.
Cassie had been a steadying presence since her transfer from the upstate branch. She was practical, she didn't gossip, and she’d stepped into the workflow at the firm without causing a stir. But today, the hierarchy was about to reset.
Then, the sliding doors hissed open, and there she was.
Maya looked like she’d been dragged through three different climate zones. Her hair was a frizzy halo of dark curls, her skin was tanned a deep bronze, and she was wearing a travel hoodie that had definitely seen better days. She was hauling a suitcase that was clearly over the weight limit, its wheels squeaking a high-pitched protest against the floor.
"God, I hate this airport!" Maya shouted the moment she spotted Ariana. She didn't wait for the crowd to part; she just plowed through with her suitcase like a battering ram.
"Welcome home!" Ariana laughed, the sound genuine for the first time in weeks.
The hug was intense. Maya smelled like stale airplane air and expensive duty-free chocolate. She pulled back, her eyes immediately doing a frantic, best-friend sweep of Ariana’s face. "You look tired. Why are you so tired? Are you eating?" Maya demanded, not even pausing for breathing space. She turned her sharp gaze to the woman standing next to Ariana. "And you must be the new girl."
"Maya, this is Cassie," Ariana said, stepping between them. "She moved over from the other branch while you were out. She’s been my sanity at the firm."
Maya didn't do the polite corporate handshake. She squinted at Cassie, checking her out with a bluntness that made most people uncomfortable. "If Ari says you’re okay, then you’re okay. But I’m the best friend. I have seniority. Don't forget it."
Cassie didn't flinch. She actually grinned, grabbing one of Maya’s smaller overflow bags. "I’ve heard enough stories to know my place, Maya. Don't worry."
"Good," Maya grunted, wiping sweat from her forehead. "Now get me out of here. I need a shower and a bed that doesn't belong to a plane."
The walk to the parking garage was a slow crawl through the heat. As they approached the silver hatchback, Ariana saw Adrian. He was leaning against the car, staring down at his phone with a bored expression. He had his hoodie sleeves pushed up to his elbows, and his hair was a mess. He looked exactly like a guy who had been sitting in a hot car for forty minutes.
"That's him?" Maya whispered, her voice loud enough to echo off the concrete walls.
"That’s Adrian," Ariana said.
Maya didn't waste time. She marched right up to him and dropped her heavy suitcase at his feet with a loud *thud*. Adrian didn't jump. He just looked up from his phone, blinked at the massive bag, and then looked at Maya.
"So you're the one everyone is freaking out about," Maya said, crossing her arms. "Lucia called me the second I landed. She sounded like she was having a nervous breakdown. She thinks you’re some kind of high-level threat because of that audit."
Adrian didn't give a smooth, mysterious speech. He didn't look like a billionaire; he just looked like a man who was hot, tired, and not in the mood for a lecture. He rubbed the back of his neck and let out a long, heavy sigh.
"I'm just the guy living in the guest room, Maya," Adrian said, his voice flat and a little gravelly. He reached down and gripped the handle of the suitcase, his knuckles white as he hoisted the weight. "And honestly, I don't care what Lucia says. I'm just trying to get these bags into the trunk before we all melt."
"She says you aren't who you say you are," Maya pushed, stepping into his space.
Adrian tossed the suitcase into the back. The car groaned. He wiped his hands on his jeans and looked at her, totally unimpressed. "Most people in this city aren't who they say they are, Maya. Can we go? It’s a long drive to your place."
Ariana climbed into the passenger seat. The "billionaire" vibe was nowhere to be found. He just seemed like a guy who was over the drama. He shifted the car into gear, the engine idling roughly.
As they pulled out of the garage, Maya was already at it from the back seat, leaning forward between the headrests. "Mark is going crazy, you know. He thinks you're some mastermind who’s out to get his family."
Adrian hit a speed bump a little too hard, and the car jolted. "Mark thinks a lot of things. Most of them are wrong. He’s just a guy with too much time and his dad's credit card. Now he’s got lawyers to talk to instead of bothering Ariana. That was the deal. End of story."
He didn't sound like a mastermind. He sounded like a man who had handled a nuisance and wanted to stop talking about it so he could go home.
The drive was a blur of traffic and Maya’s endless stories about her trip. She watched Adrian in the rearview mirror like she was waiting for him to slip up, but Adrian didn't say much at all. He just navigated the midday traffic, swearing under his breath when a bus cut him off.
When they finally got to Maya’s apartment complex, the heat was even worse. Adrian hauled the heavy luggage out of the trunk, his t-shirt sticking to his back. He wasn't acting like a ghost or a hero; he was just sweating and struggling with an oversized suitcase like anyone else would.
"You're not what I expected," Maya said, leaning against the doorframe of her building as she watched him lug the first bag toward the stairs.
Adrian stopped for a second, catching his breath. He wiped some sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand and looked up at her. He didn't look like a man with a grand plan. He just looked like he’d survived a very long day. A quick, tired smirk hit his face—the kind of look you give when you've managed to get through a mess and you're just glad to be at the finish line.
"Good," Adrian said, his voice low but firm. "Expectations are annoying. They usually lead to people sticking their noses where they don't belong. Let's just get this stuff inside so I can sit down."
Maya rolled her eyes, but she didn't push him again. She grabbed her smaller bag and led the way into her apartment. As Ariana watched Adrian haul the last of the luggage into Maya’s living room, she realized that the "peace" he had bought her wasn't about some high-level conspiracy. It was just about a man who was willing to get his hands dirty so she didn't have to.
Adrian dropped the final bag on the floor of Maya's entryway and straightened up, his breath coming in short bursts. He wasn't a CEO, and he wasn't a ghost. He was just a man finishing a job.
"There," Adrian said, looking at Maya with that same tired smirk. "You're home. Can we eat now?"
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