Jason stared at the lady in front of him. He wanted to hear more of her talk. More importantly, he needed to know what lay beneath the controlled exterior that was so similar to his own highly trained staff.
"It's you right? Jay Jennings, the head of Blackwatch Security?" Alicia asked cheerfully.
"How come you're here? Do you often come here?" She asked question after question, the soldier in her trying to dissect his habits, his vulnerabilities.
Jason smiled, genuinely amused by her rapid-fire interrogation. He was used to being the one asking the probing questions. He didn't know which one to answer first.
He instinctively reached out and held her hand—a simple, grounding gesture—for her to listen to him.
"Yes, I am. And yes, I come here occasionally. You know Chris, right? He's my buddy".
"Yeah, I remember. Lucy's boyfriend," Alicia confirmed, her focus briefly shifting to the practical connection. She signalled him to the bench close by.
Jason, however, never left her hand even when they sat down. His thumb brushed lightly over her wrist. Alicia was overjoyed inside but felt a little uneasy—that simple, prolonged contact felt more dangerous than a direct threat.
She was used to weaponising touch, not savouring it.
He immediately let go of her hand, sensing her sudden stiffness. He leaned in slightly, his professional curiosity mixing with pure attraction.
"You're friends with Lucy. How come today is the first time I'm seeing you here?"
Jason turned to face her. He always saw Lucy and Kristen here whenever he was around. He never thought there was a third one of them.
A third diamond, he mused. How come she never came? From the look of things, all three ladies were well built. He remembered vividly the first time he saw Kristen.
Alicia felt like a child being questioned about where she had been all this time, whilst her friends had fun. All are adults.
It was the one kind of vulnerability she couldn't mask. as she had never known such a world existed—a world of casual, safe friendships. She only knew hierarchies and deadlines.
"I usually do it alone. I have some equipment at home," she admitted, preferring the solitude and control of her private compound.
Jason nodded, understanding the need for privacy at their level of wealth and public exposure. He knew the burden of fame.
"I usually don't get along with the crowd," She muttered awkwardly, revealing a rare glimpse of her deep-seated isolation.
He heard her clearly. There was a heavy silence around them, the gym noise fading into the background.
Alicia saw how awkward the atmosphere had become. Was it because of what she said? She quickly changed the subject to one in which she had expertise, hoping to appear normal.
"So how was the Blackwatch contract in Dubai? I was a little busy, so I did not have time to check the news".
Alicia said that to change the mood. Although she had watched the news. Yeah, it didn't go quite that well. It was a draw.
"It was a draw," He answered, impressed she tracked his corporate movements. He almost smiled, realising she was as competitive as he was, even when watching global events.
"Can I ask you a question?"
Alicia, although she knew the kind of high-pressure life that Jason lived, still wanted to ask him. Of course, she was a big fan of his business prowess.
Not to the extent that she knew he was currently single, a thought that made her face heat up. She felt her cheeks reddening with the thought of that.
Jason once again nodded. He liked the way she was interested in his life, seeing beyond the money to the rigour of his work.
"How do you guys do it? I mean, manage global security crises and have time for personal things as well?"
"Well, it's simple...." Jason started, leaning in to give her his undivided attention.
"Hey, guys. Wow, Alicia. I thought you wanted to run," Lucy's voice cut through the private moment.
"Didn't know it was the other way round." Lucy winked at her, referring to her running away from the conversation.
Alicia hoped Jason could answer her. But as usual, someone had to interrupt. Chris and Lucy stood there smiling from corner to corner.
"Got to go, Alicia." Lucy reminded her. The time was up.
Jason watched as Alicia gathered her things, his hope dwindling. He wished it had never had to end. Chris stared at him with a smirk.
"Since you're buddies with Chris, then no problem," Alicia said, her professional mask sliding back into place.
"Talk to you later". It was a promise that sounded like a command.
She waved at him and began walking out of the place. Lucy also said goodbye to the men and followed suit.
Both men watched as the far door opened and closed.
"Like her?"
Jason nodded, the feeling hitting him like a physical blow.
"Come on, let's go." Chris helped his friend onto his feet. They also went out of the place.
Hoping to have seen them off. But they were the only ones outside.
"If you want that lady, then make it quick," Chris said as he opened his car's door. The smirk was gone, replaced by a serious look.
"She's got just seven days more to return to the barracks," He said and drove his car away. The words hung in the air: Barracks. Not a holiday, but a deployment.
Jason stood there in awe. The silence that followed Chris's revelation was deafening, crushing the pleasant hum of the city street. A soldier. An elite operator. The CEO of a massive security firm found himself utterly blindsided by the one thing he should have identified immediately: a peer in discipline, but a superior in secrecy.
That explained the flawless running form, the controlled wealth, and the utter isolation. It wasn't just fame; it was a wall built by profession.
Seven days. The phrase hammered against his skull like a clock ticking down to disaster. He had met the most fascinating woman of his life, and she was a ghost with an expiration date.
His attraction shifted immediately from appreciation to an urgent, dangerous need to claim her before she vanished.
He had always approached life with a calculated strategy, whether in business or in training, but this situation demanded reckless speed.
Seven days to cross the chasm of her secrecy. Seven days to convince a woman who had spent years running from her past that she deserved a future, and a family.
It was an impossible mission, yet the kind of challenge that electrified his blood.
He pulled out his phone, already reviewing the information he had access to. A woman with her profile, wealth, and military ties could not simply disappear into "barracks" without leaving a trace. He would pull every string Blackwatch Security commanded.
He needed a strategy, a name, a location, and a list of her vulnerabilities. He had to penetrate her defences, not as a security expert, but as a man who suddenly realised he was willing to sacrifice his own guarded life for a chance at hers.
Now what? He had no choice but to get into his car as well.
The hope, however, was a scorching burn in his chest. She said, "Talk to you later," not "goodbye". It was a directive, an opening, and he would take it.
Jason felt like he should be doing the vibe thing instead of Alicia—running away from commitment, from the civilian pull of family.
But in this case, the opposite was true. It felt awkward, this sudden, overwhelming drive to pursue a woman who was already halfway out the door.
All the way, he liked her confidence. It challenged his own. He liked that she was a warrior hiding in plain sight.
He just had to make sure that the next time they spoke, it wouldn't be about business or a draw in a contract. He drove his car away, already plotting his moves for the next seven days.