FERRIS AIRCRAFT, INC

The world is not prepared for the awesomeness that is to come from B and I plotting. but we dgaf

[coastcity1x1]

WHERE IS MY MIND? → Denaleigh

[coastcity1x1]

analeighmars:

Analeigh’s darted quickly from the sidewalk they walked on to him as soon as the last words left his lips. She beamed as a smirk appeared on the lips before a dimple appeared alongside to join it. Hayden was bringing out the old Analeigh just as soon as he showed up tonight, and she knew this. This was nothing new though. He was always only the one to see the real Analeigh all the time. Not that she hid herself from people, but due to what they had, he saw all of Analeigh, the bad, the good, and the ugly. She just knew he was special, the one she loved and trusted most, and he was back.

“Oh, really? So, if I disappeared and headed off to Gotham, Los Angeles, or maybe even Metropolis, you would come?” Her eyes zoned in on him as she waited for his answer, hoping he would say what she wanted to hear. As time passed, the less and less she thought of Blake, and she this was not a good sign. Analeigh knew she deserved this though, happiness, and as cliche as this sounded, Hayden was the only source of this. She knew this, and she was not going to let him go so easily, especially not again. Nope, he was here to stay, and Analeigh was going to make sure of this.

Seeing the way Hayden responded, Analeigh wondered if he felt the same way he used to. She always believed they would come back to each other. Like he had said though, she never believed it would happen this soon, not that she minded. Honestly, Analeigh assumed she would see again when she was past prime and tied down or something. However, here he was, all nerves and smiles. “Hey, look at me!” She said as she used her free hand to lift his head up, so that he was looking at her now. “Stop being so nervous. It’s just me, you know?” She hoped this would relax him.

Oh, who was she kidding. She knew why he was nervous. Hell, she was too. She just wanted Hayden to relax knowing she felt the same way, despite the ring keeping Analeigh from doing so. She wanted to say something, yet nothing seemed to leave Analeigh’s lips. “I’m nervous to, if that helps…” she trailed off as she let go of his hand and extended it out to him. “So, take a breath and let all that out. Please. Let’s just have a good night, yeah?” She asked him as she waited for him take it, hopefully.

After Hayden hit her with questions though, Analeigh begin to reminisce of all the things they used to share and talk about. “Stop!” She laughed before smacking him, knowing he was just mocking her. “You know I hate them,” she replied as she took his hand back after smacking him. “Yeah! At the moment, I’m writing for The Coastline Daily News, and I occasionally help out people with either acting or singing for their projects. So, I still have yet to give up on my dreams, you know…” She sighed, remembering she promised him she would be someone by the time she reached 25. “How about you, handsome” Analeigh joked, hoping to move on from her failings and unfulfilled dreams.

Den's throat clenched slightly as Analeigh asked if he would follow her. She wanted him to say yes, and he wanted to say yes. But he had the sinking feeling that if she was to run from him this time, it would be because the truth came out. Him following her after that may change her tone on the matter. Still, he had to keep honest as he wanted to do that as much as he could, "I don't know," he muttered, genuinely conflicted until he had to let at least some truth be known, "If you told me which city you're going to, then yeah. I would. Even if you didn't tell me where in it you were, or what you were doing. I would find you." If the time ever came for that, he would do it for himself. The case would be dropped, he would find her, and they could really be them. No worries of secrets coming out, no other lovers in the background, just Analeigh and Den. What a nice world that was to picture, "Saying I'd find you sounds a little psycho stalker, huh?" He chuckled, making light of the situation so it couldn't become an in depth conversation.

A moment later his attention was being beckoned, and before he could muster up the courage to look back at her, she did it for him. The blond always managed to help Hayden take the next step in many ways, shapes, and forms. Then she was telling him she was nervous and that took him back. She had been honest with her feelings up to a point, because emotions weren't the preferred topic of conversation for her. However, on the other hand she was good at calming him down. Really calming him down, not just making him quiet or get composed. Analeigh made his mind slow down and life take a pause even though it was going past them both so quickly.

"All right, it's a deal. Let's have a good night and take a deep breath." He smiled, nudging her with his shoulder to show his commitment to their agreement, "On my count, we take a deep breath in and out," he directed, assuming she was on the same page as him, "one... two... three." And with that, he opened his mouth to take a gulp of air, hold it in for a moment, and then let it out slow and steady. The simple practice helped immensely.

It had to work given they were able to move on and just talk about their lives. She went on to let him know the small details he wanted to know. Hayden was making a mental checklist of things to remember about his old best friend as they started the new chapter they'd be going through. He listened attentively, noting her small career change and he did wonder if that was really where she wanted to be. Or if life just put her there, such as life did for him. Granted, he didn't ever really have an endgame goal for his life, Den was just trying to get through it.

"Me? Nothing really." He started with, really not sure what he could say he was doing. There had to be a way to word it though, "I do some freelance work. People hire me for one thing or another and I do my best to figure out or get what they want." Den smiled, surprised as well he managed to reply and how much better it sounded out loud than he thought it would, "I'm really like an assistant for hire. It's not glamorous, but it pays the bills and keeps me busy." Now all he had to do was hope that she wasn't going to ask for more than that so he could talk about something other than careers, "It also helps pay for the rabbit food I need to get for my pet." Growing up Den never had any pets, no dogs, no cats, not even fish. Once he was an adult and on his own, he changed that shortly after getting his own place, "His name is Buster. I think you'd like him."

[coastcity1x1]

WHERE IS MY MIND? → Denaleigh

[coastcity1x1]

analeighmars:

Analeigh laughed as Hayden teased back, looking amused. She proceeded to move closer and shoved him a bit. “Shut up, you asshole,” joking obviously. “The good kind, obviously.” She smiled wide at the sight of seeing him wink, a rush of emotion swelling up inside. Seeing him blush like he used to was a sight to behold, something she cherished always. The way his cheeks swelled up, the way he would look away in the hope of masking his face. Fucking asshole. When he laughed nervously, she could not help doing the same. “You okay?” Analeigh asked as she inched forward and stooped down just a little to get him to look back up. She smiled, the dimple sneaking up.

She followed him along the sidewalk, avoiding any questions about his flushed cheeks and wide smiles to avoid making him anymore nervous. Analeigh would look up for a second before looking back down or over to Hayden, waiting for him to break the silence, giving him the chance to soak this all up and calm down. Well, them really since she was just as nervous though she was doing a good job in hiding this. Analeigh’s eyes remained on the sidewalk before them as his outburst registered. Smiling, she walked forward and answered back, enjoying the sight of the night. “How good though?”

Teasing was routine for them, always had been. Analeigh’s eyes darted up and glanced at Hayden. “I’d be lying if I said I was disappointed to see you.” She laughed. Oh, yeah. You’re fucking ecstatic, your ass is above the moon now. His next comment made Analeigh realize something though. With the way she left things…why would he expect to see Analeigh again? She walked away from the life she was building and disappeared only to build up a new one, leaving him behind.

“Yeah, yeah. I know… I was an asshole,” she frowned in realizing this. She really was. Hayden deserved so much, and Analeigh simply disappeared like nothing, giving him nothing. Sighing in realization, Analeigh finally smiled in thinking of the good. “I’m back though, if this is any consolation.” Analeigh’s grip firmed as the heels moved down the sidewalk. “And I don’t think I’m walking away so easily this time, not saying before was easy.” You ass, you abandoned him.

Analeigh’s eyes danced back up to his as she waited for a second to speak. “Really good…? Jerk. I’d say damn fucking amazing instead.” She laughed, flashing Hayden a smile. “I think we both know ‘really good’ is an understatement, right?” She raised a brow, eyeing him. His last words rang for a while before she was finally able to speak up again. “You really thought you’d never see me again?” Analeigh’s eyes locked with Hayden’s hoping the words inside Analeigh’s mind would leave the lips.

Silence. The lump pushing down as she searched for the reason why she was frozen. Blake… She looked away immediately, disappointed. Why was she thinking of him? Analeigh sighed as they continued walking, knowing she had to say something. “Well… I’m glad to say seeing you is the happiest I’ve been in a while,” she waited for a moment before turning to see him, offering a smile.

Hayden tried hard not to correct Analeigh as she called herself an asshole. It wasn't that he believed it, but there was going to be no winning against her about that. If she felt she was an asshole, well, that wasn't going to just change by words. He would just have to take the time to prove to her she was wrong about that, and that he really didn't have ill feelings toward her. Although, she may have been able to guess what without his assistance. Plus, she was quick to show him how much she meant she wanted to do right.

"Well, even if you did walk away... I wouldn't give up so easily to find you again." Hayden promised. Professionally that was technically true. Still, he knew it was mainly coming from a place of himself that was reserved only for her. They were older, years old, but he could have sworn that they were back in high school again. Time was all about perspective, some philosopher had to of said something like that before. It was most likely one who had felt the same way Den was feeling about the blond beside him. Though he knew whoever they had fallen far was nothing like Analeigh Tipton. Most love stories didn't include a girl that called someone a jerk one minute and then say they were the happiest than they'd been awhile to see them again. Analeigh shook up his life, there was no denying that.

"Honestly, no, I did think I would see you again." Despite all of the time that passed, every hour and every minute, he had never thought Analeigh had left him. Of course she had, but he never felt that she had really walked away from him. How Den's heart saw it was more along the lines of life had been trying to prove that no matter the circumstance, they would find each other again. It would have just been better if it wasn't in this way, where he had found Analeigh because of a job. Still, he had to count his blessings where he could-- he didn't get very many of them, "What I really meant was I didn't think I'd get a chance to see you so soon." His timid nature took over as a shy smile popped up and his eyes went to look back at his feet to hide it. Not many people told him they were happy to see him given his line of work.

"I hope that the next time I see you, you can still say that." Hayden joked, but knew that it was possible this was the only time she'd say that. At least if he were to really take his job as seriously as he did his other cases. His professional nature was going to be fighting his own morals later on today. But for now, he could allow himself to be happy along with her. He was having a shot to learn about Analeigh all over again, and for it to be directly from her rather than from tailing her. This was probably more than he deserved, yet, he was going to take advantage of it.

"What have you been up to over the years? Job? Are you living here? Has your stance on the cuteness of possums changed?" Those were things he wanted to know just for himself, it had nothing to do with the case. As soon as he walked through the restaurant doors, Hayden knew this wasn't just going to be a job. He had just been trying to kid himself until he couldn't anymore.

[coastcity1x1]

WHERE IS MY MIND? → Denaleigh

[coastcity1x1]

analeighmars:

My gosh how happy she was just to see him again. This was like some dream of hers from long ago, Den showing up to save the day. Not that she was a damsel in distress. Oh, no. As a matter of fact, she punched a guy who was trying to pick a fight with Hayden once, so she gave him one. She remembered Den having to pull her off of the guy as she grabbed on to the guy’s shirt to keep punching. She had given him two black eyes and some bad bruises while also giving herself a week of suspension, plenty of time she thought to catch up on the list of films Den had given her, “The 250 Must See Films Of All Time.” She smiled at the thought of this before realizing there was silence.

“Oh my god, sorry! I totally did not just space out on you…” Analeigh looked away from his gaze, slightly embarrassed. Fuck. Did he catch me looking at him like that? Her glance returned to him for a moment after scratching the back of her head. She was nervous again. “I’m really sorry. I guess this wine is doing more damage than good,” she joked, knowing well it was the latter. Analeigh laughed, her eyes remaining on him as her right fingers fiddled with her hair. “Oh, you. Always looking out for others as I descended into madness ready to wreak havoc,” she smirked.

Her eyes darted from his own down to his lips when he spoke, remembering how she used to dream of them, remembering how scared she was to lose him and had to settle with being just friends, even if it was her choice. Fucking shit, you stupid bitch. Stop thinking of him. Realizing he was triggering all these memories to resurface in her mind, Analeigh closed her eyes as she scratched along the edge of her forehead to left, hoping somehow this would work. Oddly enough, it did the trick. Her former pressed lips had now creased into a grin as Den mentioned the breadsticks. Of course.

“Really? I think it’s fair to say, they were fairly disappointing,” she teased again, holding a smile in this time, proud of that one. She wasn’t going to let go of that for a long time. “I only like the new wines of the week, or the occasional imported tequila each month.” Analeigh looked around as she rested her chin on her hand, not giving a crap about etiquette, something Blake used to bother her about. “Blake love this place…I hate it. Come to think of it, I was starting to think of this place as a bad omen since this is the second time Blake stands me up here. That was…until you showed up.”

She paused as her eyes danced from table to table until they finally landed on him. “I don’t think it’s so bad after all now,” the words leaving her lips. Her lips formed a wide smile before she stood up to leave, Den following suit. Grabbing her purse, she was ready to walk away when she saw him drop a tip on the table. You idiot. “No!” She basically screamed, alarming the room. Analeigh picked up the bill and returned it to his hands, grabbing one from her wallet. “For the trouble,” she said under her breath. Turning to Hayden, she saw his arm, but instead, she went for his hand, not caring for Blake.

“I see you’re back to your old ways,” she said to him as they began to walk away. “You just love making me feel like a bitch and rubbing it into my face, don’t you?” She turned back to face him laughing. Yeah, she was teasing him again. Analeigh couldn’t help it though. It’s who she was. Realizing people were beginning to look again, Analeigh’s annoyance with them began to creep up again. By now, he wine was really beginning to affect Analeigh’s behavior now because as she was walking out of the restaurant, she decided to leave with a lasting impression. Right as she was walking out the door, she immediately halted and turned back. “By the way, you guys are a bunch of assholes, but as you can see, my date has arrived. So, now, I will go off and have an amazing night.” 

Planting an obvious fake smile on her face, she turned back around and headed out, joining Den outside, slightly embarrassed yet proud she had just done that. “Sorry,” she approached him. “That’s the wine talking.” She saw that he slipped his hands into his pockets, causing her to frown for a second. Analeigh bit her lip as he mentioned the options before going for his arm and taking it. “How about…the hole in the wall pizza place?” She asked, eyeing him as she remembered their countless nights eating pizza.

Den should have known that the two of them were going to make an grand exit. Nothing that would get them in trouble, but just enough of something to make the night all the more memorable. That was all Analeigh, and he was oddly joyful at the fact she still was. If she had lost that then it would have made his job all the more hard. It would mean that his friend had strayed in such a way that she entirely lost herself. 

While she had looked downhearted on the occasions he had been tailing her, she didn't look defeated. Hayden knew that since he was in her life now, in a way, he would do what he could to ensure that she wouldn't ever be at that point. If that time came, he would definitely pick her over his job or even professional reputation. Even after only moments of being reunited, Den knew that wholeheartedly already. "A sorry? For that?" He inquired with a smirk, "I was thinking that they got off easy. The wine must have watered you down a little bit." Den gave a wink in Analeigh's direction to show he was only teasing, though she likely knew that already. He didn't think he was ever too hard to read when talking to people, unless his job required it. It wasn't his default setting, however. 

As soon as he caught Analeigh eyeing him, he felt his cheeks heat up. Most people thought guy's couldn't blush, but then again, a lot of people had never met Hayden. He looked down at the ground, seeing both of their feet facing each other and just that simply sight made him smile only to then chuckle. He wasn't going to be able to hide his happiness, that was all too clear, "Hole in the wall pizza it is," he agreed, giving some small nods while lifting his head to look back at the blond, his smile ever apparent.

Hayden started them in the direction of the place. It wasn't far, and he didn't want to risk either of them being seen in each other's cars. Plus, if they walked, there was more time for them to catch up. This was going to be his only opportunity to do that with her, "It's-it's really, really good to see you again, Analeigh." He blurted out while in the middle of trying to think of a good ice breaker. His brain had decided to take charge it seemed, or perhaps his heart. It felt ridiculous to say so outright, but that didn't mean it wasn't true. In fact, it was a complete understatement of the truth, though it was close enough considering the circumstance, "I didn't think I'd ever get the chance to." 

He had wanted to talk to her for years, but they had left things in such an uncertain place he didn't know if it was appropriate to. The gentleman, and wimp, in him decided to respect that. He regretted it greatly, unfortunately for him, he couldn't stop that part of his personality. His cautious nature led him to asking, "It isn't weird that I'm here, is it?"

[coastcity1x1]

WHERE IS MY MIND? → Denaleigh

[coastcity1x1]

analeighmars:

Analeigh was lost. Should I look? Smile? Talk? What??? She panicked and hoped to break the silence by saying something funny only to glance right at him without a word leaving her lips. You fucking dumbass. Thankfully, he spoke up before this became more awkward. “Fair? Since when did you say fair?” She joked, hoping this would break the ice. “Well, it’s fair to say he’s not coming, so I guess you’ll do,” Analeigh smiled, looking at him.

She had to stop looking, so she looked down, eyeing her glass. Just take a second, okay? And avoid saying anything stupid, please. She took a breath again before looking back up to continue the conversation. “I’m glad.” Analeigh inched up closer, her chest brushing the edge of the table. “You saved my ass from embarrassment since these assholes…” she glanced around the room, “seem to enjoy my boyfriend standing my ass up.”

Checking the time one last time in the hope of maybe seeing a message from him, Analeigh finally gave up and silenced the phone. She laughed and took the final sip before speaking. “Busy? My boyfriend is somewhere drinking away with some guys I don’t really know instead of having dinner with this piece of ass before the holidays. I obviously am, Hayden.” She smiled as she pulled away and dropped the phone inside the purse.

“Would he enjoy his girlfriend having dinner with some guy though?” Analeigh looked at him with her lips pursed. “Not that you happen to be just anyone, but he doesn’t know that.” As she finished speaking, the waiter approached the table, and she handed him the bill with  smile and thank you. “My bad…I took advantage of waiting and tested many of their wines, which explains why mouth keeps running.”

Stopping herself as he spoke, Analeigh almost wished she not stopped. Damn him. Why? Oh, fuck Blake. He’s somewhere else, obviously not thinking of you. “Oh, I’m with you. Believe me when I say I would slap him if he walked in just now,” she added, raising her eyebrow. Analeigh looked at Hayden and realized she would be upset with herself if she let him get away again, even if this meant losing Blake.

“Hey…do you mind if we go somewhere else? After all the drinking and waiting, I’m kind of fed up. I’m thinking maybe we should find someplace else, if you’re up for it!” She asked as she grinned at him, though she was feeling the nervousness again.

One of the best things about Analeigh had always been the fact she packed a punch with her. She could have sat there all night waiting for her boyfriend and still would be ready to deck anyone that dare told her he wasn't coming. It was only something she would be allowed to declare, and no one else. 

Knowing she kept that trait made him smile. He at least wouldn't regret getting the chance to talk to her once again. Granted, this was going to have to really be the last time if he wanted to keep himself from getting in any trouble. Being with Analeigh might not have been the bet way to go about staying out of it though.

Den laughed, honestly not caring in the least she was buzzed. She was always good company. It was why Den could somewhat understand why her boyfriend had suspected someone else was trying to get with her-- she was desirable. Of course, he didn't understand how he couldn't trust her as Den did the moment he met her, "Then for his own sake, let's hope he doesn't walk in." He didn't tack on how it also would be best for his own sake as well. 

If he was going to have one last night with Analeigh, he wasn't going to let the sense of dread take over him. His happiness to be with her was too great for that, and that's what made it easy for him to agree on getting out of there, "Don't worry, the only good thing about this place is the breadsticks. Granted... that's pretty much all I've had here." Den quipped, getting out of his chair and standing up.

They hadn't eaten, and he knew she didn't get anything to eat other than the bread and samples she mentioned. Still, he pulled his wallet out and left a twenty. He wasn't the richest guy, but he tried his best to provide tips for servers, "After you, lady Mars." Den smiled, his arm gesturing for her to walk past him first. 

As soon as they were out the door, Hayden felt like he was now a fugitive on the run. The strange thing about that was he felt excited by the idea rather than scared. Being adventurous with her came easy. Rather than go to his car, or even hers, he started them walking down the sidewalk. It seemed more... them, "I've got a few options: street vendor hot dogs, hole in the wall pizza place, or shanty looking diner with good burgers." His hands slipped in his pockets in an effort to keep them from touching hers, "So, go on and pick your poison."

[coastcity1x1]

WHERE IS MY MIND? → Denaleigh

[coastcity1x1]

analeighmars:

Analeigh remained in her seat, glued to her phone as her finger slid up and down the screen, her eyes following the motion. The time in Analeigh’s phone read 9:17 PM. He was running late…again. He had been late before, twenty-five minutes the latest to be exact. Usually, if he was late or gonna miss, he would call or leave Analeigh a message. However, Analeigh had yet to receive anything from him. Her patience was running thin, especially with how the relationship between them seemed to be heading south. She would wait those six minutes, and if he failed to show up, she was done.

Analeigh glanced up from the phone and eyed her wine glass, slowly feeling the eyes of the people in the restaurant. Brush them off, Analeigh. Brush them off. They know nothing. She closed her eyes for a second and raised the glass, pressing the glass upon her lips. Taking a deep breath, she flicked her head back just a bit and took in a large sip of the red wine, leaving a imprint of her crimson lipstick. Relax. If he fails to show up, his loss anyways. You gave him the best years of his life. She hoped this would somehow calm down the anxiety of having the people watching, though no luck yet.

The minutes were dwindling down, and the time read 9:23 PM. Why had she even shown up? Why was she still so invested in this relationship? She was doing all the work, and he was more than likely in his “office” or somewhere in town with the guys. He had avoided the apartment they had, only there when he needs to shower or sleep. Occasionally, he would hope to surprise Analeigh with takeout or some roses, but the magic was slowly fading away. She assumed this was because of the campaign and upcoming election. Just wait a while longer, a while longer. Just how long though?

Asshole. The time now read 9:25 PM. She was done. Analeigh laughed for just a moment before dropping the phone on the table to reach for the purse. She looked down as she searched for the wallet and noticed someone was approaching the table. Great. Here comes the bitch of a waiter to pester me again. Guess she’ll win this time. With hair blocking Analeigh’s sight, she was only able to make out a silhouette of a tall man, and quickly, she laughed again, assuming this was Blake. “Really? You show up twenty-five minutes without an explanation? Nope. Not again, you’re too late.”

Bingo! I found you. Let’s go and leave his ass. Let’s see how he feels. Grabbing the wallet and maintaining a firm grip, Analeigh looked up ready to see Blake when she heard those words only to be shocked to see him. Him, the guy whose face she had hoped she would fail to remember. Him, the guy whom she assumed she would fail to stumble upon again. Him, the guy she had failed to keep in her life because she let him get away. Him.  Analeigh remained still has her jaw dropped enough for his name to slip out of the mouth, the last bit of his name trailing off Analeigh’s lower lip.

“Hayden…” Just as his name slipped out, she realized the room had become dead quiet only for the room to roar back inside the ear, restoring the crescendo and echo of the people’s voices joining into a simple harmony of conversation and laughter. Before she speak, he took a seat as Analeigh slowly recovered from the shock of seeing him. “Yeah…go ahead.” Relax, dumbass. Be normal. Look happy to see him…because you know you fucking are. She looked down for a moment in hope of breathing before looking up. “Sorry, I just wasn’t expecting you. I was expecting my asshole of a boyfriend.”

Perhaps Den should have waited until she told him to take a seat, but he was needing to sit down as quick as possible. Being this close to Analeigh again was like the beginning of a lot of dreams he had once upon a time. He was certain that his knees would of given out had he stayed standing-- he was lucky she was okay with him doing so. 

It was comforting to him that she was so quick to agree to it. 

Previously, Hayden had this small fear that perhaps she wouldn't remember him the same way he remembered her. Now that he was sitting there, scanning over her face and taking in every aspect of it, he could see she did. 'Don't get too hopeful' he had to remind himself. 

"It's fair to say that you not expecting me makes sense." Den offered, trying to lighten the mood so they could both get past their shock at the situation. He should have been far less comfortable than he was given the reason he was there, the reason she was back in his life, was because he was tailing her. Seeing Analeigh like this had to be a one time deal if he wanted any chance at all of keeping the truth from spilling out. At least he could be honest in saying that sitting there in front of her wasn't part of the plan.

"I saw you through the window and I couldn't bring myself to just walk by." That was a truth, even if it was a loose interpretation of it. The PI in him was saying to play it safe and not say why he was there. The heart of his was telling him to not let her go. The conflict inside of him was going to be something he'd have to deal with later on. After he knew what kind of note they'd leave things this time around.

"If you're not busy, and don’t mine my company, we could still grab a bite to eat." Hayden was going to have to hold his breath and hope his client wasn't going to actually show up rather than simply be fashionably late, “I doubt your boyfriend would want you to skip a meal.” Against his better judgement he slipped out, “I know I wouldn’t.”

[coastcity1x1]

WHERE IS MY MIND? → Denaleigh

Hayden Barker knew how to lay low, how to look inconspicuous, how to stay just far enough from someone, and how to get close enough. He was good at being a private investigator, he had proved it many times before. That was why he had been hired for his current case, but unlike his other clients, the person he was having to tail was an old friend. It had been years since he had seen them, but Den knew that face when he saw it-- Analeigh.

How they went from high school friends to one of them being unknowingly followed by the other was quite the leap. But it was one that the two of them had made. After having to move away, staying in touch was hard. Technology now a days would have made it easier, however, when they were in high school cell phones weren't as common as now. They could have reconnected, but the truth of the matter was, neither of them did. Then, to make matters worse, once they did reconnect it was clearly different.

Analeigh was with someone now, and that someone had hired him to investigate her. They believed she was cheating, yet Den had yet to see any evidence of that. All he was seeing was that she seemed to try to do things to keep herself occupied, but when she thought she was alone she looked... sad. Den never wrote that in his reports though, that was an observation he kept for himself. Even now as he glanced in the window of the nice restaurant she was currently sitting at and saw her eyes staring at the empty seat in front of her.

She wasn't meeting someone to cheat, he knew that. He had heard her on the phone earlier in the day talking to her significant other to do lunch together. From the looks of it, he wasn't going to come. He thought, again, 'don't. Do. It. Den.' but it didn't matter. He was already turning the tablet off and standing up. Hayden had seen her look too sad too many times for him to allow it. Job, or not, he felt that underneath it all Analeigh was still his friend.

That was what got him to walk through the door and go straight to her table. "Is this seat taken?" He asked, trying to get her attention as he was leaned forward, hand on the chair to pull it back for himself to sit. He was still trying to push past his nerves and logical mind telling him he was screwing up big time. However, Den was already seated now and looking at the girl he once knew. And, not to her knowledge, still knew.