Chapter Twelve: Better identity.
"Let me get this straight… a beautiful woman kissed you on the plane and not only did you not collect her number, you told her your name is Aiden?" A voice on the phone screamed at Alex.
"My name is Aiden, Zahra or at least it would have been if my father had gone with mother's suggestion after my birth" Alex tried to defend himself
"Dum-dum, we have been friends since the day you tried to take my lunch in grade school but ended up getting your Ass kicked and I don't even know you go by the name Aiden"
"Aiden is like my second middle name, if there is something like that"
"There isn't....You are a Masters, Alex…why did you lie to this Aaliyah about your name?" Zahra asked.
"Because for once, I didn't want to be Alex Blaine Masters, I didn't want to be the guy that his pregnant wife left for his… Zahra, I know it is wrong but for a few hours, I got to be Aiden and Aiden is great, he doesn't have the extra baggage Alex has. He kissed a girl he never met before, held a baby and he was kind of a jerk too. Aiden didn't worry about paparazzi or seeing dollar signs in some girl's eye. Aiden is fun and carefree"
"But I love Alex Blaine Masters, he is like my best friend and even though he can be a dummy sometimes, I will be sad if I lost him to Aiden. But this girl sounds great and I like her already. You need to find her" Zahra demanded.
"I don't know, I rather leave our encounter the way it is, Z" Alex told his best friend
"Anyway, I miss you. When am I seeing you?" Zahra asked
"Hopefully tomorrow morning when we go for our signature training, bye Zahra"
"See you later Dum-dum" Zahra said with a smile
"Hey, don't call me that" Zahra hung up before he could finish.
Alex couldn't fight the urge to punch himself on the face. Why did he lie? He didn't mean to. It blurted out before he could stop himself. When he saw Aaliyah sleeping leaving her infant unattended, it bought back bad memories for him.
It reminded him of Kate, it also reminded him of the child that was supposed to be his but never was. It was why he joined the Navy again after leaving it for so many years; it prevented him from doing something he would eventually regret more than losing his honor.
He finished his last tour almost a year and eight months ago and he had stayed away from Arkansan to avoid facing his family and Kate... to avoid having to look at Kate.
As Alex watched Aaliyah sleep in the airport and even though she left her baby unattended, she looked tired like she hasn't being getting enough sleep. The bags under her eyes and the way she rubbed her face as she slept made Alex feel badly for her. It was obvious she was new to the whole motherhood thing and when she rested her head on his shoulder, he couldn't in good conscious wake her up.
After she woke up abruptly and her first instinct was to look at her baby, the anger in Alex gradually faded away. She had a well-formed figure with imp-thin body. Her wasp waist and glossy skin made her all the more alluring to Alex. Her slender eyebrows came together when she spoke, after he told her she was heavy.
Alex liked her sassy voice even more. She was like no girl he had ever met before with her sharp tongue and blunt way of talking. She was her own person and he especially liked it when her long eyelashes batted whenever she was angry, which was all the time.
Alex pushed Aaliyah out of his mind. He needed to check on the resort and make sure, the manager has been doing a good job since he had being gone. The cab dropped him by the entrance and he walked inside himself.
Alex was casually dressed and was almost unrecognizable by his staff with exception to his manager. Physically, the resort was running smoothly, Alex just had to check out the resorts book and check how financially buoyant he was.
"Mr. Masters, I sent a car to pick you up from the airport!" Joe's voice was exceptionally loud.
"Yet I took a cab like a normal person. Come on Joe; tell me you didn't run my resorts into oblivion while I was taking a vacation"
Joe and Alex had known each other for almost fifteen years. Joe knew Alex as a wild teenager who drastically changed before his eighteenth birthday to take over his family's business and turned it into an empire. They were more of friends than employer/employee relationship.
"One could hardly call two tours to the most horrible war ridden parts of the world a vacation. I am glad you are home, kid"
Alex wondered when Joe would stop calling him Kid and since his attempts to stop the old man from calling him kid has been fruitless over the years, Alex stopped entirely.
"How are my Resorts, Joe?" Alex asked again.
"We've had a 35% increase over the years you've been running away and…"
"I wasn't running Joe. Serving my country is not same as running" Alex was getting tired of explaining himself to everyone.
"You need to talk to Kate and your family especially your father. I have made arrangements for you to…" Joe was interrupted by Alex.
"If I need someone to nag me about reconnecting with my family, I am sure Zahra would be perfect for the job since she has being doing it for the past four years and…Joe, if any of my family member ambushes me in my own resort, you will be out of a job" Alex threatened except as usual Joe doesn't seem to be affected by it.
"Do you know the first year; you started working for me that you fired me six times in two months?" Joe said as he poured a drink for Alex and himself.
"I think you mean when you started working for me and yes, I did fire you six times in two months but if memory serves me right, then in each case, you ignored me and continued working" Alex grinned and took a sip.
Joe was family to him even more than his blood family.
"I am sorry kid but I have to take you up on your offer. I am retiring, Mr. Masters"
Alex dropped the glass he was holding abruptly on the table and looked at Joe.
"But you can't Joe, I am not planning on staying in hot spring and I need you to keep running the business" Alex was sad about Joe leaving.
"I am old and tired and it is time you start running your business, Alex" Joe opened an antic cabinet in his office and bought out a file.
"I have taken it upon myself to list things that will require your attention and the first on the list as boss is to fire Andy. Most guests complained of their item missing anytime Alex take their bags up to their room" Joe spoke in a firm voice.
"I don't want to fire anyone, Joe. I just got here" Alex was tired.
"I have to go" Joe took his cap and his bag from the locked cabinet.
He picked up the only photo of his family on the table and placed it into his bag.
"Wait, don't tell me you are leaving today?" Alex asked
"I am, my plane ticket is booked and my daughter is expecting me. I wish you luck, Mr. Masters" Joe grinned like he was enjoying putting Alex on a spot.
After Joe left the office, Alex placed a call to an old buddy in Hot springs, if he needed information on the locals or needed to get something done without questions, Zach was his go to.
"Hey Zach, its Alex Masters. I need you to find someone for me….yes, I will pay the standard rate…she flew to Arkansas few minutes ago with me….Aaliyah Macks is her name…get back to me as soon as possible…okay Zach"
Alex made his way to the reception to have a talk with Andy the thief; it wasn't exactly how he envisioned spending his first day in Hot spring.
Andy was standing close to the elevator when Alex approached him. He didn't show on Andy's face whether he knew that Alex was his boss.
"I need to have a word with you in my office, Andy" Alex voice radiated authority
"I am sorry sir but I do not know you or where your office is?"
"My name is A…"
It was then Alex heard Aaliyah's voice as she approached him.
"Let me guess, you are stalking me, aren't you?" she asked him while dragging her baby.
"Since I got here before you, I think you like me and you followed me here" Alex said with a raised eyebrow
"Let me make this easier for you by walking away"
Aaliyah smiled at him for the first time.
"What are you doing here anyway?" Aaliyah asked curiously
"Like I was about to tell Andy here, my name is Aiden and I am the new resort Manager"