by Ali Parker
But saying goodbye to the place that had been mine and Piper’s home for so long hit me hard. I shed a couple of tears before closing and locking the front door for the last time and leaving behind a huge part of our lives.
I had to remind myself on the way to the airport that this was what I wanted and needed.
Change.
A new life, new city, new job.
Just like Piper, it was time for me to step into the next stage of my life. Who knew what could happen now?
I passed through security without any problems and found my gate on the other side, where I waited with a book. Strangers milling around all over the place distracted me and I ended up doing more people-watching than reading.
A mother with a young son, probably no more than six, stood in line in one of the convenience stores buying snacks for the flight while the boy touched everything and anything in sight. She grabbed his wrist and asked him to stop, but he kept trying to touch the candy bars under the register until his mother gave up and bought him a whole bunch more.
He’d either be high on sugar for the flight or in a food coma. Time would tell.
A man in a baseball cap sat two rows down from me frantically typing away on his laptop. Every now and then, he’d glance up, look around, take a deep breath, and keep writing. I wondered if he had deadlines he was sticking to or if he wanted to get as much done as possible before boarding and he had to pay for internet connection.
Beside me, a frail old couple sat shoulder to shoulder working on their own crossword puzzles. Occasionally, they’d talk back and forth and help each other solve their puzzles by offering suggestions, but for the most part, they were content to sit quietly beside each other and wait for their flight.
I wondered what awaited all these strangers in Silicon Valley.
Family? New opportunities? Vacation? Business?
A flight attendant announced that boarding for my flight had begun. Passengers with accessibility needs began boarding first, and while I waited for my section to be called—first class, of course, because Max refused to buy me a seat in coach—I sent him a quick text letting him know I was about to board.
First class was called and I swept up out of my chair and slung my carry-on over my shoulder. I fell into line behind a few other passengers, inched toward the front of the line, and flashed my boarding pass one last time before I made my way down the boarding ramp to the plane.
I was shown to my seat and was grateful to find it beside a window. I had my own little pod and wouldn’t have to step over someone’s legs to get to the bathroom should I need to use it in the air. With any luck, I wouldn’t have to. I hated using the bathrooms on airplanes. They freaked me out. The loud rush of the toilet flushing, the itty-bitty space, the smell of the soap, it was all unpleasant. I’d wait to use the washroom during my two-hour layover in Denver.
Also not ideal but necessary.
I’d get out, stretch my legs, grab some snacks for the second of my flights, and re-board.
The flight took off and I gazed out the window and watched New York grow smaller and smaller beneath me. I whispered a quiet farewell with a hand pressed to the window, thanked the city for everything it had given me, and promised to return one day as a visitor.
New York vanished as we passed through fluffy white clouds and popped up above them. Bright blue skies stretched on for eternity over a sea of clouds and I leaned back in my seat with a content sigh, feeling like I was right where I was supposed to be for the first time in months.
Possibly longer.
I committed myself to starting this journey out on the right foot. I enjoyed the in-flight omelette and two cups of coffee. I knew I was testing my luck with my strategy to avoid the bathrooms but I figured I might as well enjoy flying first class while I could. The food was better than expected and the coffee was better than what I drank at home.
I could get used to this life of luxury.
Denver International Airport was a surprisingly pleasant place to spend my layover. I found my next gate quickly, freshened up in the bathroom, and sat down in a lounge to have a glass of chilled white wine and read my book.
Yet again, I watched strangers milling about, going to wherever it was they were going to instead of reading.
My second flight was less comfortable than the first, but I still made the most of it. By the time I landed in San Jose, I was ready to get to my new apartment and have a shower. There was something about being on an airplane that clung to your skin. I didn’t like it. I felt like I’d had a sweaty sleep or was standing out by the ocean and covered in saltwater spray.
After collecting my luggage at baggage claim, I found my way through the airport to find Max, who I assumed would be picking me up. When I found a stranger in a black suit with a whiteboard and my name written on it, I frowned.
“Miss Clarke?” the driver asked. He was a thin man with nicely combed white hair. He wore a dark blue suit and had a friendly smile that stretched his salt and pepper beard.
“That’s me,” I said.
“Mr. Fisher sent me to drive you to your new apartment,” the driver said. “My name is Jonathan. I’ll also be driving you into the office for the next couple of weeks or for as long as you need me.”
Jonathan led me outside to where a shiny black Range Rover was parked at the curb. We loaded my bags into the trunk and I got in the passenger seat. A bottle of water was tucked in the door as well as a variety of snacks like granola bars, bags of candied peanuts, caramel corn, and chips.
“Help yourself,” Jonathan said as we pulled away from the curb. “It’s about a twenty-minute drive from here to your apartment. Mr. Fisher wanted to make sure your new residence was close to the office. In fact, you can see the headquarters building from your living-room window.”
My stomach fluttered with a burst of sudden nerves. “Is that so?”
Jonathan nodded matter-of-factly. “Indeed, it is. I’ve stocked your fridge so you don’t have to worry about going to the grocer and you can enjoy your first evening in the city. I’ll pick you up tomorrow morning at eight o’clock on the dot to bring you into the office. Would you like anything in particular? I can stop and pick up coffees on the way, or anything you prefer. I am entirely at your disposal.”
“I don’t…” I trailed off. Was this for real? “I’m sorry, I’m a little overwhelmed at the moment.”
“Not to worry, not to worry. I left my cell phone number on a notepad on the kitchen counter. Call me or text me if you decide you need anything. If I don’t hear from you, I’ll arrive at eight o’clock as scheduled.”
“Okay.”
I spent the remainder of the drive listening to Jonathan recount how many years he’d worked for Max and how he loved this kind of work. It paid handsomely and granted him and his wife the ability to pay off their mortgage and buy an RV, which they took with them for a whole month of travel in June before the weather got too hot. Before working for Max, he’d been an attendant at a luxury hotel in Silicon Valley and Max recruited him into his employ.
“He’s a good man, that Mr. Fisher,” Jonathan said as we came to a stop outside a thirty-story apartment building of shiny glass, large balconies, and a grand entrance with marble pillars. “This is you, Miss Clarke.”
I gazed up at the amazing structure. “Are you serious?”
“Absolutely.” Jonathan got out and began unloading my bags.
I sat in the front seat paralyzed by the splendor of the building.
Jonathan came around and opened my door for me with a chuckle. “Max warned me you might be overwhelmed by it. This is one of the best apartments in Silicon Valley. It’s resort-style living at its finest. There’s a rooftop pool and bar for your leisure, as well as an indoor gym, library, dance room, and conference rooms.” Jonathan handed me a key that he fished out of his pocket. “You’re on the top floor, room thirty twenty-four. Would you like help up?”
I shook my head but no words came out of me.
<
br /> Jonathan gave me a slight bow. “Enjoy your evening, Miss Clarke. Remember you have my number if you need anything at all.”
It took me a minute to get myself going, but eventually I made my way through the doors into the lobby of the building. People milled around on polished white floors beneath a crystal chandelier. I made my way to the elevators and rode to the top floor, where I wandered down a wide, well-lit hallway to my place at the end.
A corner unit, of course.
I pushed through the door and dragged my bags in behind me.
“Holy shit,” I breathed.
The door latched closed behind me as I scanned the apartment. Max had downplayed my accommodations significantly. This place was beautiful.
Like the lobby, it had glossy white floors, but they were broken up by plush carpets in shades of white or soft gray. There was hardly any furniture in the place and I was glad for that because it let me soak in all the details of the embossed wallpaper, stone fireplace, and floor-to-ceiling black-trimmed windows. Down below, about a mile to the south, was Apple headquarters.
I burst outside onto my balcony and rushed to the railing. The sun beat down on my shoulders and top of my head as I gazed out at the impressive structure. I’d only ever seen pictures of the round building, designed to reduce earthquake shaking by eighty percent. It was almost a mile in circumference and was often referred to as the Spaceship because of the earthquake tech.
I couldn’t believe I was going to be working there. The butterflies in my stomach were now swirling with excitement. I found my phone and held it up to the view as I dialed Piper.
This was going to knock her on her ass.
Chapter 6
Max
Pregnant. She’s pregnant. With my baby.
Shawn scampered along beside me. “At one o’clock, you have a tour with one of the design teams. I can push that back to two o’clock if your meeting at noon runs late.”
This isn’t how I was supposed to become a father.
Shawn and I hooked a right and made our way down the hall toward my office.
My assistant’s eyes flicked from me to the calendar he referred to in his hands. “Do you want to take lunch before or after the meeting? It’s going to be hard to squeeze it in with the tour booked so close to the meeting. That was an oversight on my part. Sorry, boss. I mean Max.”
How was this even possible? How far along was she? How long had it been since Sienna and I had—
“Max?”
I blinked at my assistant. “Sorry, what?”
Shawn frowned. “We can do this later.”
“No, no, I’m listening.”
“When do you want to have lunch?”
“It doesn’t matter,” I said, and we continued making our way to my office.
“Of course it matters. Here, how about we…”
I didn’t hear the rest of what Shawn said, but I nodded along anyway because he was always capable of making my schedule work better than I was.
My heart hadn’t stopped racing all week. Ever since that call with Sienna, I’d felt like someone stuck a knife in my gut and left it there just for kicks.
I hadn’t told a soul about this new development and didn’t intend to until it was absolutely necessary. My grandmother wanted great-grandchildren desperately but she wouldn’t want them this way. And Holly?
I grimaced. Holly couldn’t stand Sienna.
She’s going to kill me.
“Janie should be here any minute,” Shawn said, his attention on his calendar.
I stopped walking again. Shit.
“Right,” I breathed.
I’d completely forgotten that Janie started today. Hell, I’d forgotten she landed yesterday, even though she texted me. I meant to give her a call last night and check in and see how she was feeling but I was too busy trying to wrap my head around what my future was going to look like now that I was going to be a father.
I’d always wanted to have children of my own. I’d just been starting to wonder if that would ever be in the cards for me and now, here I was, on my way to fatherhood.
With the wrong woman.
This wasn’t what I wanted. What was it going to cost to have Sienna in my life forever now?
Too much.
The thought made my skin itch.
But I couldn’t abandon her and the baby. I would stand by Sienna and make sure our child had everything they needed. Sienna might be crazy, but I would damn well make sure I was there to guarantee the child was loved, safe, and given every chance in this unfair world to succeed. With a mother like Sienna, they’d need all the help they could get, and I could give that.
My entire future was shifting before my eyes.
“Max, what’s going on with you?” Shawn asked, putting a hand on my arm.
I blinked. “What?”
“You’ve been somewhere else all morning. Are you sleeping?”
“Yes,” I lied. “Not that it’s any of your business.”
Shawn licked his lips. “I’m just… I’m starting to worry, sir.”
I arched an eyebrow.
Shawn swallowed. “I’m starting to worry, Max.”
“There’s nothing to worry about.”
Shawn rubbed the back of his neck and looked around to make sure we were alone. We were. “Forgive me but I don’t believe you.”
I narrowed my eyes at my assistant.
Shawn cleared his throat. “You’re falling asleep at your desk. You showed up late three times this week. You’ve missed meetings. You’re hardly ever actually present when you are here, and half the time, you’re not listening to me. Something is up. I’m not the only one who’s noticed. If you need something, just tell me. It’s my job to help.”
“Everything is fine, Shawn. It’s personal. I’m handling it.”
“Are you?”
“Do I need to hire another assistant who doesn’t ask so many questions?”
Shawn chewed the inside of his cheek and shook his head. “No.”
“Good,” I said, rolling my shoulders to dismiss some of my irritation. I knew Shawn was coming from a good place but the last thing I needed right now was someone breathing down my neck. “Pencil in lunch whenever you think works best. And send Janie to my office when she arrives. I’d like to—”
“Max Fisher.”
The voice felt like a hand wrapping around the knife in my gut and pushing it in deeper.
Janie.
I looked up to the elevator, where Janie had just stepped into the lobby of my office. She looked absolutely stunning in a sleek black dress with cap sleeves. Her dark hair was pinned back in a tight bun, and her eyes, stormy and less starry than I remembered, were fixed on me.
Her lips curled in a soft, burgundy smile. “Where’s this swanky private office of mine?”
For the first time all week, I grinned.
Shawn looked back and forth between us. “Do you want me to show Miss Clarke to her office?”
“I’ll take it from here, Shawn,” I said.
My assistant started asking questions about having to rearrange my schedule if I deviated this morning, but I ignored him and went to Janie, who hadn’t taken her eyes off me as I approached. Her smile lingered and her cheeks flushed a pretty shade of pink when I stopped in front of her.
“Long time no see.” I immediately wished I’d said anything other than that.
She laughed softly, unbothered by the cliché greeting. “This place is even more impressive than you made it sound. And my apartment? Wow.”
“You like it?”
“Like it?” she asked, cocking her head to the side. “Max, I could fit ten of my old apartments into this new one. You didn’t have to go for something so fancy. I’m sure it isn’t cheap.”
“You’re worth every penny. I wanted you to start out on the right foot here.”
She reached out, fingers stretching for the font of my jacket, and froze, catching herself in the middle of a gesture that used
to be comfortable between us but was no longer acceptable in the workplace. She let her hand fall back down to her side. “I’m grateful, Max.”
“We’ll see if you feel the same way once you get to work. Can I show you to your office?”
Janie nodded. Little sparkly earrings caught the light above and winked at me. “Lead the way.”
I brought Janie down the main hall toward my office. I’d vacated the one next to mine so we could work close together. I told myself it made sense to work so closely to the office manager. It wasn’t a decision made strictly so I could see Janie more often.
I pushed open the office door and let Janie inside.
She stopped when she was three feet in and turned back to me, her eyes wide with surprise. “This is my office?”
I nodded. “Don’t like it?”
“Max,” she breathed, shaking her head as she wandered deeper into the office and soaked in the sight. “This is too much.”
“No such thing.”
I knew Janie well enough to know what she needed to be the best version of herself. I’d brought in colorful art and had it mounted on the walls. I’d filled bookshelves with nonfiction and fiction novels alike and allotted a corner of the room strictly to lounging. White velvet armchairs sat near the windows beside a coffee bar equipped with its own espresso machine and a variety of teas.
A liquor bar sat in the opposite corner for long nights at the office.
Her desk sat in the middle of the room centered upon a black and white patterned carpet. The desk itself was white but trimmed in black so it stood out. Her computer waited for her, along with a notepad filled in with all her login information for her first few days. There were several plants in the room, as well as a fresh bouquet of summery flowers in a vase on the desk.
Janie ran her finger along the edge of her desk. “You have no idea how much this means to me, Max. I don’t know how to thank you for this.”
I slid my hands in my pockets and watched the woman I thought I might marry one day walk around her desk and settle into the high-back black chair behind her desk. She giggled as she kicked her heels up onto the desk and showed off her royal blue pumps.
