The Law of Motion (Law Series) (83 page)

              “Alright, that means we got another bachelor party to plan.” Dario grinned conspiratorially with Macon.

             
“No, no, no, save those plans for Adrian’s soirée, I’m a bit too old for that. Besides, I haven’t been a bachelor for some time in my eyes.” Dad rejected.

             
Macon frowned at that idea. “Well we gotta do something man, dinner or a trip at least, come on I’m living my bachelorhood out through you guys.”

             
“Keep on and you’ll be a bachelor again.” Kristen threatened with a smile.

             
Ross laughed making a sound that mimicked the crack of a whip. Tink took a sip of her tea again, still saying nothing. Everyone quieted down again when the sound of Alyssa’s office door opened.

             
Carmen walked out with Alyssa, still holding her hand, almost like she wasn’t sure Alyssa was real and would disappear again if she let go. “So I will try to explain as much as I can to Mama and the others, you know how the Espinosa tempers can be.”

             
Alyssa laughed lightly, “Yes I can remember vaguely, I think I still have one myself.”

             
Carmen became aware of us, and stopped, looking the group of us over, “I want to thank all of you, for being there for my cousin when we couldn’t be. Which one of you is Margaux?”

             
Margaux stood up, and almost skipped over to her. Carmen planted a kiss on both of her cheeks, “Thank you for bringing us together again, the Espinosa family is in your debt.”

             
“No debt needed, just make sure you’re here for the wedding in May, all of you.” Tink smiled pleased that she was helping.

             
She nodded, her white teeth flashing an uncontainable smile. She turned her head to me, “You’re Adrian then.”

             
“And you’re Carmen.” I repeated extending my hand to her, though I had never heard of her before today.

             
She frowned at my hand, and extended her arms, “We’re going to be family now Adrian, I think that you should be able to hug me.”

             
I gave her a quick hug and she smiled to Alyssa as I pulled away. “You did very well with this one.”

             
Alyssa winked at me when she answered, “I got pretty lucky.”

             
“
I
got lucky.” I corrected shaking my head.

             
Hunter stood up with open arms, “Do I get another hug
Carmela
?”

             
Carmen’s lips hardened in a line and she sent five fingers and a palm across his face in a
thwack
. A few of the girls gasped but Hunter just rubbed the spot on his cheek and concluded, “I guess that hug was a one-time thing then.”

             
Alyssa crossed her arms groaning, like this shit happened every day, “Guys…”

             
Carmen just ignored her, keeping her gaze on Hunter. “You knew where she was and you never
told
us.
You
should have been the one to call us.”

             
Alyssa pinched the bridge of her nose and exhaled, “We just got back in contact Carmen. It’s not his fault.”

             
“Unless it was an hour ago, I don’t want to hear it Alyssa.” Carmen refused. Well at least I wasn’t the only one that didn’t like him.

             
Hunter just rolled his eyes at her, “Oh course you don’t. Heaven forbid Carmela listens to anybody.”

             
“It’s
Carmen
.” She corrected.

             
Alyssa gave him a warning glance, but it softened to a pleading look, “Hunt…”

             
“
Fine
,” He surrendered with a groan. “ I have a report to write anyway. I’ll call you tomorrow, Babes. Have a safe trip back,
Carmela
.”

             
She shrieked internally as the door chimed again. “It’s
Carmen
.” But he was already gone.

             
Alyssa just sighed, but the face I knew was trying to hide her amusement, “Just… let it go Carm.”

             
“He’s so
infuriating
.” She muttered low enough for basically Alyssa. Then she took a deep breath and her attitude changed, like he had never upset her.

             
Carmen retook Alyssa’s hand as she introduced her to everyone formally. “Ithas been great meeting all of you, and I will see you all again in the near future.” Alyssa walked her to the door where they finally let go of each other, “Two weeks.” Carmen turned back to stress, “Any longer an
d
you know how they are.”

             
“They’ll come here. I know, don’t worry I’ll be there.” Alyssa promised.

             
Carmen took one last look at me, “You should bring him with you, Mom would
love
to meet him.”

             
“That
would
be interesting.” Alyssa agreed. “Send everyone my love and I will see you soon.”

             
Once they said their goodbyes, Tink filled the silence with a smug statement. “That went well.”

             
“For now, I still have to go back.” Alyssa sighed wearily. “But Carmen said she would come back with me.”

             
I pulled her to me, being able to for the first time since I left her office, “Don’t worry we’ll get through it together.”

             
“Mmm Hmmm.” She nodded in my chest before looking up at me. “What would you say to meeting my family?”

“They’re back! They’re back! They’re back!” Tink announced when we walked back into Gravity. We had been gone for two weeks, though it only felt like days. Adrian and I had no free moment to ourselves and though I had once thrived on privacy it felt good to be surrounded by the family I hadn’t seen in over five years.

             
Kristen chided Tink playfully, “Can we let them in the door first Margaux?” Tink poked her tongue at her before giving us a few feet of space. Kristen smiled ignoring it, and I was glad that whatever issue there was between them had been settled. “How was the trip you two?”

             
“It was…
interesting
.” Adrian admitted.

             
Doc came down the hall joining us in the lobby, “Interesting huh? Did the family not take a liking to you?” She asked, her voice slightly worried.

             
“There was an expected wariness, considering they haven’t seen me in years and I show up engaged, but no, they loved Adrian.” I assured going through the assemblage of mail at the front desk.

             
“Maybe a bit too much.” Adrian added making me crack up.

             
That got Jackson’s attention, “What happened?”

             
“A few of my aunt’s saw Adrian as quite the beef cake.” I answered matter-of-factly.

             
Macon hollered and howled in laughter, “Handsy cougars?”

             
I huffed a laugh as I attempted to scold, “Don’t call my aunts cougars.”

             
“Well I want to know what happened.” Tink demanded sitting cross legged on the coffee table. “Tell, tell, tell.”

             
I smiled, because I had missed her chanting of threes. I took a seat and told them everything that happened. My cousin lived in Atlanta now, so we took a layover there so that the three of us could fly in together.

              I admitted to being nervous the entire flight and that Adrian assured me that it would be ok, and I didn’t have to answer any questions I didn’t want to. When I responded with a worried sarcastic, “You don’t know my family.” He ran his finger down the bridge of my nose and patiently continued to reassure me which helped me feel better. Until we landed.

             
When we got to my aunt’s house it seemed like so many members of my family were waiting to greet me.  They all had a thousand questions asked in a thousand tones, and they all wanted the answers at one time. Tia Alta was my saving grace.

             
She shushed my entire family and took me into the back alone. Carmen had called and told her the summary long before we got there, but she still wanted to hear it from me. I gave her the same half-truth version I gave Carmen. That I was doing a Public Relations piece in Cuba when me and my film crew were taken hostage. I couldn’t tell her the full truth, for so many reasons, but what I shared with her she took it better than I imagined. She cried a little; but when I was finished she squeezed my hand, wiped her eyes, and promised me that I wouldn’t have to worry.

             
She took me back in front of my entire family and told them that her baby sister’s only daughter had returned safely, and that was all that mattered. She told them that when life gives us miracles, our job isn’t to question them but to be thankful. Therefore no one was to question me about why I was gone for so long.

             
You see, the thing about my aunt was, when my grandfather passed she assumed the role of the family matriarch and though she was kind, she had a no nonsense side. No one questioned when she decided something, and she was always included in a decision involving the family.

             
Everyone spent the entire two weeks catching me up on things I’ve missed over the years, and though I was still wary to their touch, I soldiered through it and though I had to spend a lot of time translating, my family loved Adrian. They saw him as the man that brought me home, and in a lot of ways they were right, because I wouldn’t have been brave enough to make the trip without him.

              “Great, great, great! Now that that is settled, we can focus on your wedding.” Tink declared getting up.

             
Kristen added, “We have so many things to show you Chance. You’re going to
die
.”

             
“I’m… pretty sure that I won’t.” I muttered not wanting to look at linen shades until my eyes bled.

             
The front door chimed and for a second I was thankful for the distraction. That was, until I saw Paul standing in the doorway with a large bouquet of flowers.  “Hello everyone.” He greeted while his eyes searched my group for me, “Hello Alyssa.”

             
There were a few muttered ‘heys’ in response.

             
“Well
Giselle
I have that… paperwork to do.” Dario declared dismissing himself down the hall to his office.

             
Jackson, Ross, and Macon were right behind him, “Yeah man let me help you with that.”

             
I shook my head because Dario and Macon were infamous for not doing their reports but I suppose they also knew that it was best to steer clear of a Neil vs. Marshall visit.

             
“You ok, Honeyface?” Adrian asked appraising my expression, unsure if he should stick around or duck behind cover like the rest of my wussy security team.

             
I nodded kissing him on the lips, “I’m good, go do your paperwork.”

             
“I’ll be in the back if you need me.” He promised, and I rolled my eyes at the fact he skipped over what I said about doing his reports.

             
My girls didn’t leave the front, but they did scatter around finding things to do. Doc, went back to something she was sketching. Kristen and Tink went behind the reception desk going over future clients she would need to look into.

             
“Paul, you think a CEO would really be used to making an appointment.” I smirked sarcastically. I wasn’t as harsh as I would have been normally, because Paul did do me a huge favor, so I could at least be cordial. “You can’t just show up in your Armani suit and flowers and expect to get an audience.”

             
“Actually Alyssa, that’s a Brioni Vanquish II,” Kristen corrected looking up from her computer.

             
“Yep, yep, yep.” Tink concurred not looking up from what she was doing.

             
Paul noted with praise, “Ah, you have an eye for Italian clothing?”

             
Kristen blushed and nodded the same way she always did with Paul, “Who doesn’t know Brioni? That suit was woven with pashmina, vicuna, and qiviuk.”