Page 43 of Code Block
As they followed the crowd through the airport to the baggage claim, Claire struggled to keep up with Noah's long stride. Mostly it was her fault, trying to take in everything at once. While the airport looked indistinguishable from others she'd traveled through, the different accents assaulting her ears set her head spinning trying to take in all the people.
She spotted a restroom sign. "Noah, I need to use the restroom."
He turned and followed her gaze to the signs. "Good idea," he said, before walking toward the men's room.
Claire shrugged and lugged her bags to the ladies' room, hurrying as quickly as she could because, with the pace he was setting, she wasn't sure Noah would wait for her. Despite his reassurances last night about taking care of her, he appeared to have little patience with her curiosity for her new surroundings. When she stepped back into the hallway, she found him leaning against the wall, waiting for her.
"Thanks for waiting," she said.
He pressed his lips tight, then kicked off the wall and headed to the baggage area again, leaving her to wrestle with her things. She didn't need help, and his hands were full just like hers, but gosh, it sure would have been polite for him to ask.
"I'm assuming you checked a bag?" he asked as they got closer to the exit.
"Yes. You didn't?" She looked over at the carry-on he pulled behind him.
"No need. I live here, remember? I've got everything I need in here." He nodded at his carry-on. "Honestly, it probably worked better that I didn't. Not sure it would have made the connection."
"Oh, right." She had forgotten this was home for him and the apartment he occupied in Houston was corporate housing provided by Caprock. It must be weird splitting time between two homes. "I guess it's a little late to ask this, but what's the plan for this week? How am I getting from the hotel to the plant each day? And can you tell me exactly what I'm supposed to do while I'm here?"
He grimaced. "They assigned me to be your chauffeur for the week. I'll pick you up at your hotel each morning and drop you off after work. I expect the IT and accounting team will have an agenda for you. And we can still do project work from here."
"Noah?" She waited until he looked at her. "I know that's inconvenient for you. Sorry for the trouble."
His face softened. "It's not too bad. Your hotel is on my way. And it will give us a chance to review progress each day on the way home."
They rounded a corner, and Noah directed her toward the customs line. "When you're done, head to baggage claim. I'll meet you there."
The customs line didn't take long and wasn't nearly as exciting as she'd expected it to be. Just answer a few questions, get a stamp on your passport, and carry on. Afterward, she followed the signs to the baggage claim area and spotted Noah talking to a man in a black suit. She waved at them, then made her way to the carousel to wait for her bag.
Once she'd retrieved her luggage, she joined them. "I made it through."
The man smiled and reached for her bag. "Well, done, miss. I'm Ferris. I'll be dropping you and Mr. Raines off today. Shall we go?"
"Thank you, Ferris. I'm happy to meet you." Claire followed the men to the black four-door car Noah had called a hire car. Once their belongings were loaded into the trunk, and she and Noah comfortably ensconced in the back, Ferris calmly drove them away from the airport and into London proper.
Claire watched wide-eyed while they traveled through the city and tried to stay awake to view the countryside, but her eyelids grew heavy and she found her head lolling.
"Claire," Noah spoke, and she snapped her head up for the second time. "It's a two-hour drive. You really should get some sleep."
"But I want to see everything," she mumbled. Maybe she'd rest her eyes for a minute.
The cessation of movement woke her. Ferris put the car in park and Claire sat up to look around. "Are we at the hotel?" she asked.
"Nope," Noah said. "My place was on the way." He gathered his laptop and coat. "I'll pick you up tomorrow morning at half past seven and we'll head to the plant."
"But it's still morning. Shouldn't we go straight there?" She was confused. Today was a workday.
Noah cracked a small smile. "Trust me, the crash is coming. You should probably grab an early lunch—there are a couple of restaurants near the hotel—then take a nap. By the time you wake up, it will be morning in Houston and you can get some work done from your room. The restaurant at the hotel is pretty good for supper later."
"Oh. Okay." Claire tried not to sound disappointed that he wouldn't be joining her. She didn't want to admit it, but she was nervous about being on her own in a foreign country. Even having a reluctant Noah beside her would be better than being alone trying to figure everything out.
"Claire." She looked up reluctantly. "You'll be okay." He smiled again at her, then closed the car door.
She watched him walk toward a row of stone houses all mashed together. They reminded her of condos back home. He unlocked a bright blue door and disappeared inside. She'd never thought about what his home would look like or how his world functioned outside the office. What did a pretty blue door reveal about the quiet operations manager?
"Ready, miss?" Ferris was back in the car and ready to go.
"Yep. Let the adventure continue!" She swallowed down her fear and pictured herself in her superhero pose, taking on the world.
