“That’s my girl,” Dad says.
With the business items taken care of, I relax and just visit with my dad. Mom wakes from her nap and he moves her to join us in the living room. I don’t often bother her with the business side of the bakery, as it just upsets her that she’s not a part of it anymore, but I fill her in on the PG parts of my week with Nathan and how I’m trying to get things in order to go visit him.
By the time I make it home, I’ve got a pep in my step. My aunt being willing to help out is one of the biggest hurdles, not everyone can bake to my standards, but I know she can, and trust that between her and Lacey, my bakery won’t burn down if I take a vacation for a few days.
13
Nathan
Like I’ve done every day this week, I leave the office at five. Rose has adjusted to my new schedule, but I also think she’s figured out that I also tend to come back down to the office after I’ve had my time to talk to Harper each evening. I’m not a fan of the three-hour time difference, but I can’t do anything about it.
“Night, Nathan, don’t put in too many hours tonight,” she scolds me.
“I’ll see what I can do,” I tell her, smiling as I walk down the hall.
My phone is ringing before I even make it into my apartment. I slide my finger across the screen, answering the FaceTime call as I pull my tie off and toss it onto the barstool.
“Hey, babe,” I greet, smiling at Harper through the camera. I can tell she’s excited about something, she’s practically bouncing out of her shoes. She has her iPad propped up on the kitchen counter and I can see she’s mixing something as she stands there.
“Hi! Guess what?” she asks.
“What? It must be something good for how excited you are,” I add.
“We hired two girls today!” she exclaims.
“Really!?” I ask, excited about what this means for the chances of her coming to see me.
“Yep, so, you know what that means?” she asks, setting down the bowl and getting closer to the camera.
“You’re ready to come warm my bed for a week?” I ask, quirking an eyebrow at her.
“Yep,” she agrees quickly.
“Really?!” I ask, my excitement getting the best of me. “When can I send the jet to pick you up? I’ll send it tonight, if you want.”
“Slow your horses. I need to do a few training sessions. I was thinking that maybe I could come out sometime late next week, maybe fly out Thursday after we close and then return the following Sunday.”
“Yes, yes to all of it.” I’ll basically agree to anything she can give me, at this point.
She laughs at my excitement. “Why do I have a feeling you’d have said yes to anything I suggested?” she asks, and I watch as she pours the batter into muffin tins.
“What are you making?” I ask, wishing I were there next to her, sneaking licks of the spoon between stolen kisses.
“Some vanilla bean cupcakes. I felt like celebrating, and baking is how I do that.”
“I wish I were there to celebrate with you. Send me a list of everything you want or need in order to bake or cook while you’re here, and I’ll make sure to have it stocked and ready.”
“Excuse me, mister. Do you expect me to come and slave away feeding you while I’m on vacation? Aren’t you the one supposed to be spoiling me?”
“If spoiling is what you want, then spoiling is what you’ll get.” I smirk at her. “What does that consist of? Never leaving my bed, more orgasms that you can count? Champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries, a shopping spree? Maybe a day at the spa? You name it and I’ll make it happen.”
“I’ll let you know. Some of that sounds very tempting, but mostly I just want to spend time with you. See you in your natural element. Maybe spy on you while you’re working, just to see how sexy you look in the boardroom.”
“Don’t go giving me any ideas, now. I could easily kick everyone out of the boardroom and lay you down on the table and feast away.”
“I’m not sure your employees would appreciate knowing that you’ve had sex in the office. Wait, you haven’t had sex in your office before, have you?” she asks.
I blow out a breath because I don’t want to lie to her. “I’m not proud of it, but yes, I have had sex in my office before. It was a long time ago. A date showed up before we had to go to a charity event, and well, one thing led to another and we had sex. It wasn’t with an employee and it only ever happened the one time,” I tell her honestly.
“Thank you for being honest with me,” she says, but I can see she’s lost a little bit of the sparkle in her eyes.
“I’ll always be honest with you, Harper. That’s what will make this work. We have to be open and honest about everything. Just like you had to be honest with me about your reasonings behind wanting to wait for any investments in your business from me. I’ll be honest with you about anything in my life. I won’t let a lie tear us apart.”
“Thank you,” she says, blowing out a big breath. “It isn’t my story to tell, but Lacey went through a nasty divorce. Her ex was a master at manipulation and lying to her about almost everything. When she caught him and unraveled everything he’d lied about, it was overwhelming, even for me, and it wasn’t my life. I realized then just how much someone else’s lies can affect those around them, and make them guilty by association, according to others.”
“That really sucks, did she get everything settled, then?” he asks.
“Yes, he’s in jail and was stripped of all parental rights. It wasn’t a pretty few years, but she’s a strong woman. With lots of support from family, she pulled through and is standing on her own, now. I’m so proud of her and all that she’s overcome. I just hope that she can one day meet a man who can show her that not all men are bad, not all are narcissistic liars.”
“Sounds like she should be proud of herself. I can’t imagine having to overcome all of that.”
“Yeah, it was a tough few years, but enough about that.”
“I’ll file flight plans tomorrow and arrange for the jet to pick you up. What time were you wanting to leave?” I ask.
“I was thinking any time after four. That gives me a chance to run home and take a shower before needing to be at the airport. I can have my bags packed the night before, so all I have to do is toss in the last-minute items and head out the door.”
“Don’t forget, with the private jet, you don’t have to be there two hours beforehand. I’ll send the pilot an email now with your requested times and see what they can get scheduled with the airports.”
“Sounds good! Now, to count down the days until I get to see you again!” she squeals, that sparkle back from earlier.
We fall into what has become our normal nightly conversation. I tell her about my day, and she tells me about hers. Usually filling me in on the town gossip, especially if my grandmother is involved in it.
I pull out one of the meals that Shelly left for me this week, heating it up according to the note on top. “What are you having tonight?” Harper asks.
“The note says a spicy beef enchilada with Spanish rice. I also have some queso and chips to go with it.”
“Sounds yummy. You’ll have to let her know that I’ll feed you while I’m in town, so no need to leave you meals.”
“Wait just a minute. You got all mad when I asked if you’d be cooking for me, earlier.”
“I was just giving you a hard time, of course I’ll cook for you. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I won’t complain if we go out to eat or order in sometimes, but doing that for over a week will get old.”
“I get it, I’m just giving you a hard time back. We can just go with the flow. There is a store just a few blocks away, or we can always order groceries for delivery,” I tell her.
I finish up my dinner, taking the call into the living room, and get comfortable on the couch. She’s long-since finished baking her cupcakes and has settled in for the night, as well.
“Babe, that is the fourth time you’
ve yawned in the past few minutes, why don’t you go to bed and we’ll talk tomorrow.”
“Okay,” she agrees. “Good night.”
“Night,” I say before ending the call. I pull up my email and shoot the message off about her flights. I want those set up and ready as soon as possible. She might have been joking about a countdown until we get to see each other again, but she isn’t wrong. I’ve got a week to go until I’ve got my girl in my arms, and I can’t wait.
14
Harper
The past week has flown by. I’ve spent most days balancing training my two new employees, Nicole and Tracy. They’ve each picked up everything fairly easy, not that it is hard. Plate or box up the items people want, or grab their special order from the rack and ring them up. Clean up the tables as people clear out, wash, rinse, repeat.
The moment of truth has finally arrived. My dad is picking me up in about five minutes to take me to the airport. I still can’t believe my first time on an airplane is on a private jet. I only know what to expect from what I’ve seen on TV shows and movies, so I’m excited to experience it for myself.
“Ready to go, sweetheart?” Dad asks as I open the door before he can even make it up the steps.
“Yep!” I tell him, stepping outside with my suitcase in hand. I stop and lock up, then follow him to his car. I place my suitcase in the backseat, along with my shoulder bag that holds my iPad, kindle, and everything else I wanted readily available on the flight. Nathan stressed that it didn’t matter what I packed, getting through security for a private flight was nothing like security for a commercial flight. He had me send him a list of what shampoo and conditioner I use so he could just buy some for me to keep at his place, since, as he said many times, he plans on me being there more than this one trip.
“Have a great time, we’ll keep everything going for you here,” Dad says.
“Thanks, Dad. Love you.”
“We love you, too, baby girl. You deserve this time away, now go enjoy yourself,” Dad says before getting back in his car and leaving me at the airport.
I head inside and check in at the small desk. They check my ID and then send me out a door to where the airplane is waiting for me. I walk up the stairs, entering the cabin, and can’t believe how nice it is in here.
“Ms. Taylor,” a middle-aged woman greets me. “I’m Taylor, and I’ll be your flight attendant today. Can I take your bag for you?” she offers, holding out a hand for it.
“Oh, sure. Thank you,” I reply, stammering a little over my words. “Nice name, I don’t think I’ll forget it.”
“Thank you, and likewise.” Taylor smiles before taking my bag. She tucks it away into an open luggage compartment, before turning back to me. “You can have a seat anywhere you like; would you care for something to drink or eat before we take off?” she asks.
“I’m good for now, thank you. I’ll admit, this is my first time ever flying, so I’m a little overwhelmed.”
“Oh, sweetie. I’ll take good care of you. We’ve got some great pilots today, so find a place and I’ll be by with some snacks.”
“Thank you,” I state, going further into the plane. The front has two rows of what I’ve seen in movies as ‘first class’ style seats. Large, leather chairs that look like they can recline back. Past those, on the left, is a couch that backs against the windows, and on the right is two oversized seats, not quite the size of love seats, but definitely larger than the seats upfront. They face each other with a table between them. Back behind them is two doors, both closed.
I drop my bag on the oversized seat, and sit down next to it, opening the window shade so that I can watch as we take off. I hear my phone ringing from my bag, so I quickly find it and answer Nathan’s call.
“Hello, you didn’t tell me how amazing this plane is,” I state before he can say anything.
He laughs into the phone. “So I take it you’ve made it on board.”
“I have, just took my seat.”
“Is Taylor treating you well?” he asks.
“She’s been super nice so far, but I just got on a couple minutes ago.”
“She’s one of the best, if you need anything, just ask her for it and she should be able to help you. If you aren’t feeling well, they’ve got medicine, or you can lay down and nap. The plane is stocked with pillows and blankets.”
“You’ve thought about almost everything,” I comment.
“Leo and I have spent many hours on that jet, it needs to be well stocked and ready for us if we need to hop on it to go to a meeting.”
“Taylor is heading my way; I think they’re ready for us to go, as she just shut the door.”
“Sounds good, babe. I’ll meet you at the airport in just over five hours.”
“See you then!” I tell him, my excitement building.
“Are you all set? The captain is ready to take off.”
“I’m ready when they are,” I tell her.
“I brought you a little something to eat,” she says, setting down a little charcuterie board. “Would you like anything to drink?”
“Can you do a sprite with a splash of cranberry juice?” I ask.
“Absolutely, would you like ice?”
“Yes, please.”
“All right, I’ll be right back,” she states. I take the cover off the board, selecting a cracker and spreading some soft cheese on it that’s labeled with a small flag as goat cheese with honey. The flavor bursts on my tongue as I feel the plane start to move.
Taylor brings me my drink in a much fancier glass than I’d have guessed they’d have on a plane, but being a private one, they can have much nicer things. I’m sure I’d never find this kind of food spread on a commercial flight, but having never been on one, I can’t say for sure.
Take off is like nothing I’ve ever experienced. It was super cool to watch everything go by as we sped down the runway. I watched with rapt attention as we made it into the sky and high above the ground. Eventually, we ended up above the clouds, thus blocking my view of everything below. I pulled my kindle out of my bag, hoping the story I’ve been reading the past couple of days will hold my attention while I fly to the other side of the country.
“How are you doing?” Taylor asks. I look at my watch and see that we’re down to only an hour or so until we should be landing.
“I’m great, thank you.”
“Can I get you anything else?” she offers.
“I’ll take a refill of my drink, if it isn’t a hassle.”
“Of course not, did you want anything else to eat?”
“Is there another charcuterie board?” I ask. “That was really good.”
“Of course. They are really good; I love it when we can get them,” she states.
“Bring one for yourself and we can eat together, I mean, if you’re allowed to do that?” I say, realizing I have no idea if she’s allowed to do what I suggested.
“Sure, I can sit with you for a while,” she replies. “Let me just go refill your drink and I’ll be back with everything.”
I turn back to my kindle, finishing up the last few pages of my chapter as Taylor returns. She sets my drink and the two boards down, then takes the seat across from me.
We make small talk, discussing flying and what California will be like when we make it in. She helps pass the time until she has to return to the front to do whatever it is that she has to do before we land.
As soon as the wheels hit the ground, I flip my phone from airplane mode to get a signal. I know that Nathan is here, but I text him anyways that we’ve landed.
Harper: Just landed! Can’t wait to see you.
Nathan: I’ll be at the bottom of the stairs. Can’t wait to have you in my arms.
Harper: {kissy face}
I feel the plane come to a stop, then a few bells chime. As soon as those go off, the door opens, and I can see some stairs being wheeled up to the side of the plane. Sure enough, Nathan is standing at the bottom. I sling my bag over my shoulder
and head for the door. Taylor has already pulled out my suitcase and is handing it over to someone to carry down for me.
“Thank you for everything; you made my first ever flight the best experience I could have asked for. I hope to see you again when I fly back home.”
“It was my pleasure, and I’m glad you enjoyed it. I’ll see you again next weekend,” she confirms. “And I’ll do my best to get you another charcuterie board for that flight.” She winks at me before I step off onto the stairs.
I look down and see Nathan’s smiling face. I practically run down the stairs, trying my best to be careful so I don’t miss a step and tumble down them, hurting myself in the process.
“God, I missed you,” Nathan says, his lips next to my ear as he holds me tight in a hug. I pull back far enough to press my lips to his. I missed the feeling of his lips against mine.
“I missed you, too,” I tell him as we separate from the kiss.
“Let’s get out of here,” he states, linking our fingers together and tugging me toward a car. He takes my suitcase with his other hand, placing it in the trunk before opening the back door and letting me slide in, before he follows me. It is then that I realize there is a driver in the front. Nathan closes the partition between us, giving us privacy in the back.
His lips land back on mine and he pulls me into a greedy kiss. He tugs until I’m straddling his lap, my knees on either side of his hips. I can feel his erection pressing into my core and I’m suddenly overcome with the need to have him inside of me.
“Slow, baby. We’ll get there when we get to my place,” he states, slowing things back down.
I whimper at the thought of having to wait, but slide from his lap and sit next to him. “If you insist.”
Nothing Bundt Love Page 8
