Eloise

A helicopter. This man flew here in a helicopter. No wonder why his hair has a flip to it.

"Ever flown?" He sweeps his arm to encourage me to keep moving. We're gathering quite the attention here seeing he's parked this thing in an open field.

There's a pilot, a man talking in the microphone next to his lips.

"Uh, commercially only, I'm afraid." Taken back, my mind is struggling to keep up with everything that is happening. None of this feels real. After sitting through a ten-minute drive, I wasn't exactly sure what tricks he had up his sleeve. A helicopter wasn't anywhere near my list of possibilities here.

"Then I am delighted to take a first." Looking satisfied with my reaction, he helps me inside.

I'm doing this. I'm really doing this. Charity will never believe me when I tell her. Even if I took a picture of myself, I'd struggle to believe this is happening.

"Rick is a great pilot. He'll have us there in no time. I'll get you back in a matter of a couple of hours. I don't want to take too much of your time." He continues to reassure me as if he thinks I'm going to suddenly get cold feet.

In truth, I'm all in. I'm going with the flow on this one. This is an opportunity of a lifetime. No way am I going to start questioning it now. No point in accidentally ruining something great.

The whoosh of the blades is deafening once they start rotating. Lifting from the ground, loose strands of hair whip my cheeks. In a matter of minutes, we're in the air. I can't take my eyes off of the view, it's incredible. When fear isn't nipping at my chest, other emotions come creeping in. This is amazing.

"Handling yourself?"

Looking next to me, Jake is watching closely. Like he's feeding off my responses, his grin grows when I tell him the truth.

"This feels like a once-in-a-lifetime sort of opportunity." Unable to beat away my smile, I shake my head. "Mr. McCoy–"

"Jake," he insists, making it hard to make this feel like a professional setting. I mean, this man is trying to convince me to accept his business proposal.

"Jake, this is incredible." The fact that this man can fly around so casually at his disposal, I can hardly wrap my mind around it. "Do you do this a lot?"

"Only when I desperately need to see someone," he confesses with ease. "Or, when I'm trying to impress them. You happen to be both."

Sputtering out a laugh at that, I struggle between looking at him and the view.

I might not understand why he's so determined to win me over, but I won't admit that I'm one stop away from agreeing to whatever he wants. Call it my desperation or his charisma.

"Now, I do have a question." Jake continues looking in my direction, his voice carried through the headset we're wearing. "Tell me about the video."

Oh god. Of course, he'd wait until there was no place to run and hide. I don't need to think twice about which video he's referring to. If this man wants my business as badly as he claims, then I do not doubt that he knows of my reputation.

"You watched it?" Grimacing, the heat of embarrassment returns in full force. "Despite that clip, you still want me?"

"Well, I'm here, aren't I?" Chuckling, he doesn't look bothered in the slightest. "I want to hear your side of things. That video didn't give me much to go off besides discovering how good your aim is. You've got a killer throw."

I shouldn't laugh, but I do. "He was a problem customer and a terrible person who was stalking my employee to the point where I got tired of him bringing issues to the bakery. The cops weren't doing much about him and the anger started building from there. I made it clear that he was no longer welcome." A sigh leaves my lips. "I may have gotten angrier than I should, and now everyone thinks I beat my customers with pastries."

Jake snorts and I do the same. After all this time, I've moved on from it. Charity might try to apologize whenever she thinks I regret my decisions, but I always tell her not to.

"That's all?"

I nod. "That's all. Hard to defend myself when that video paints a picture. Once word went out, my name was dragged through the mud. I'm assuming you know that if you're bringing up the video."

He doesn't deny or confirm, but he looks satisfied. He doesn't ask more questions about the past, thank goodness.

Soaring across the sky, we reach our destination in what feels like half an hour. I know the city enough to know we've reached Seattle.

The fantasy of my situation doesn't grow any more realistic even after we get in the car waiting for us.

Everything is happening in a blur. I'm struggling to keep up at this point.

"Just a short drive now, and we'll be there in no time." Without even knowing him, there's something about this man that makes me want to trust him. The way he is always smiling, always speaking in an alluring tone, it's a dangerous combo.

Seattle's traffic is terrible, and while I take in the long lines of cars, I feel his stare against the back of my neck.

I'm not sure why he is so fascinated with me, but he's not trying to hide his interest in the slightest. Not to say I'm appealing or not, but I'm starting to question if his intentions are completely business-related. My hands curl against my lap and I feel my phone vibrating against my fingers.

Charity has replied to my message about the helicopter. Vibrating more than once, I'm sure she's sending more than one question in reply.

"The city might seem rough, but I can assure you, I am pretty determined to win you over. If you were to consider completely moving your business, I wouldn't mind offering housing to ensure a short commute."

Before I get the chance to look at her replies, his words catch me off guard.

Even he must be able to see how insane this is, right? Rather than determination, it feels more like desperation.

I might feel pretty confident when it comes to my skills, but I am not that good. If I started paying attention to my surroundings, I am sure I could easily pick out a bakery or two on the way to our destination.

"Sounds a bit too good to be true." Shifting against the seat, I finally look his way. "Why me?"

Jake purses his lips, taking his sweet time to give me the answer I desperately need.

"I want you," his smile grows, "simple as that."

None of this feels simple. Before I can start poking for a deeper answer, the car comes to a stop and the driver glances behind in our direction.

"We have arrived, sir."

"Wonderful." Jake opens his door and beckons me to follow him. "Stay close, I would hate for you to get lost."

Once I'm out of the car, I'm too distracted by the large skyscraper to even nod to his words.

Turns out, this place is not only real, but it is huge. Forgetting to breathe, my head feels like it's swimming. Inhaling sharply, I try not to linger behind.

As I follow beside him, I see men in suits and women in pencil skirts moving in and out of the building. Compared to my uniform, I am feeling extremely underdressed. Thankfully, no one bats an eye in my direction. Rather, everyone gives their attention to Jake.

While I did not doubt that he was an important figure earlier, I am caught off guard by how many people stop to take in his presence.

He seems like he is a social creature, having no issue returning greetings and shaking hands whenever they come his way.

I grow more and more interested in this man as every second passes. Now that I know he's truly authentic, I'm going to go home and do some research on him. That way, the next time he decides to make an appearance, I am a little more prepared.

Once we make it inside the building, I'm hit with cool air-conditioned air. Entering a lobby, I am amazed to see how many bodies are moving about.

From the large desks against the walls with people answering phone calls, people I assume are more workers move about. There is also a freaking coffee shop tucked away in the corner. With a line of four customers waiting, I can bet the business is constant. Hell, the smell of coffee grounds is appealing enough to make me want a cup myself.

Jake leads me over toward the shop, making it harder to deny the craving for something sweet. Knowing I shouldn't, I shake away the urge to make the request.

"Right here," Jake starts back up as we hover right next to the shop, "is where you will be."

Blinking, I can see there is already the start of construction. With Jake leading the way inside, I see a few men in lime green shirts using power drills. The whirl of machinery makes me raise my voice.

"I'm surprised to see something already in the works. I hate to ask, but what happens if I say no?"

Much to my surprise, he shrugs. It's like the thought hadn't crossed his mind. A golden opportunity like this would only be denied by an idiot.

"I suppose the man at the top might kill me, but I'd rather not start planning my funeral if it's possible. Therefore, I will be trying my hardest to convince you otherwise." He steps around the sawdust scattered across the ground. "It'll take a few more weeks before this place will be up and running. You'll have to pick out your equipment and I'll deal with the deliveries."

He goes on and on, from writing up contracts and a bunch of business talk that would've made me fall asleep if I weren't wired on life.

"As I mentioned in the email, I'll cover the moving costs. There are plenty of living options that should do the trick." Pursing his lips, he thinks for a moment. "I think I've gone over most of it. Any questions or concerns I can take care of to move this along?"

"Yes, actually." There's only one thing stopping me from taking this deal and it's the woman who has stuck at my side. "I have an employee I'd like to take with me. Of course, I'd have to talk to her first, but I'd like for her to be moved here as well. That won't be a problem, will it?"

"As I implied earlier, I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get you here, Eloise. If it gets the ball rolling, then I will happily take her on as well." Shoving his hands in his pockets, he agrees with ease.

Charity won't believe me when I tell her. Seeing as she's lived in her mother's basement for ages, I'm sure she'd take the offer of moving to the city without thinking twice.

The last hurdle in my way is acknowledging how I feel. Returning to Seattle is like facing the past I left behind.

All I want is to run a bakery. I thought it would be easier in a small town without any competition. Turns out, it's easier to ruin your reputation when everyone in that town hears about everything that happens.

In this building, plenty of people are possible customers. If I rework my menu, start from scratch and never slip up like I have in the past, I can do something here. I can have what I want with the aid of this man.

Even if he wants a percentage of my profits in return for having my business here, I'm sure the safety net will make this better. It's a good offer, and I know I won't have to take much time to think about it.

Jake leads me out of the construction area, taking me back to the lobby.

"How about a tour? I am pretty curious about this place." Noticing the way people pass by with tablets in hand, I'm more than interested to learn what this place is all about. Sure, I can do my research, but where is all the fun in that?

For the first time today, this man looks hesitant. Rubbing the back of his neck, his smile almost falls off of his face.

"I would rather wait on that. If I'm going to be honest with you, you're a secret in a sense. I want to surprise those on top." His shoulders sink slightly, "though I can promise one in the future. I hope that is alright."

A bit disappointing, but expected.

"How about I treat you to a delicious coffee and get you back home? I don't want to be greedy here and take up all of your time."

He's right. I don't want to leave Charity alone forever. Plus, I can't wait to tell her about everything, including what we have to offer her. I'm guessing Jake is a busy man as well.

Walking with him, he goes on with the small details. With time being the only thing in our way, I know the next few weeks will feel neverending.