Page 31 of Sage

“That would be perfect,” Hans managed to squeak out.

“Great, how does tomorrow at eleven o’clock in the morning sound? You’ll be interviewing with Marshall.”

“I can’t wait to talk with him.”

“So, go ahead and put you down for that time?” Sylvia seemed frustrated with him while still remaining cordial.

“Yes, that works for me. Thank you so much.” Hans hurried and responded before she told him to take the job and shove it. “Have a great day.”

“You too.” She hung up the phone.

Hans sat in his car staring at the steering wheel as he processed how quickly everything was lining up for him.

It seems like someone is looking out for me.

The following day came and went, the interview Hans had with Marshall had gone so well that he ended up being hired on the spot. They would be sending him an offer letter to his email within the next few days.

Hans felt immense relief, knowing that if all went well, he would be reunited with Sage sooner rather than later. He was ready to start his next chapter and close the one that he was currently living, forced to play both the good and the bad cop.

On Tuesday morning, Hans woke up to the proposal that he didn’t expect to receive so quickly, all he had to do was accept the offer and let them know when he would be available to start.

Chapter Twenty One

New York, New York

When moving to New York, Hans’ intention was to find his own home. However, to help get him there sooner, Marcy offered to let him stay in her spare bedroom until he was able to find a place of his own. An offer he accepted faster than a speeding bullet.

The apartment complex normally penalized residents for breaking their contracts early, but due to recent events, they understood Hans’ desire to leave. Ultimately they agreed that if he was willing to forfeit his security deposit, they would allow him to break the rental agreement without penalty. Everything was going according to plan, and almost felt like they were happening too easily. Hans kept an open mind, remaining positive and reminding himself that if anything didn’t go the way he wanted, it would work itself out.

When he went to the precinct to pack up his office, Hans was greeted with a going away party. His soon-to-be former coworkers celebrated that not only did he make it out alive, he was moving onto bigger and better things outside of the small town of Acadia. Everything was going smoothly, but there was one last thing that he needed to do...

Ding-dong.

Hans stepped foot one last time inside The Shake Shack to say goodbye to the one person he could always count on: Delilah.

“Hey, you upgraded from the bell?” Hans sat down in the booth that he had once shared with Frank, the original detective who took an interest in Gretta’s disappearance.

“Yeah, it was time for a change.” Delilah patted him on the shoulder. “And the word on the street is that you agree.”

“Oh, so you’ve heard.” Hans tried to act surprised, but even he knew that Acadia was a small enough town that word got around like a town whore. “Yep, I’m leaving in the morning.”

“What about your things? How are you going to pack up your apartment in time?”

“I’ve hired movers to do the packing and delivery for me. They’ll be bringing my things within the next couple of weeks. I’ll either have a new place for them to take it to, or get a storage unit to hold it all temporarily,” he explained.

“Do you really think you’re going to have your own place?” Delilah winked at Hans.

“It’s too soon,” Hans reasoned. “Sage needs space to figure out who she is and I need space too...” He paused.

“To live out your bachelor lifestyle?”

Hans blushed.

He hadn’t lived with anyone as an adult. He had lived with his parents until he moved into an apartment just outside the college campus. Alana was the closest to having someone live with him. Much like with Marco, she had weekends that she had planned to stay the night and had left her own toiletries for her more extended stays.

“Is that too much to ask?” Hans inquired.

“Of course not, dear.” Delilah smiled and went to grab him a menu and a cup of coffee.

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