13. Ethan

Chapter 13

Ethan

I grip the metal rail in the elevator and take a deep breath. It does nothing to stifle the adrenaline rush or calm me down.

I shove my hand in my pocket and find my phone, squeezing it tightly. I haven’t been this nervous in my entire life. Ever. I couldn’t sleep last night. I couldn’t stomach anything this morning. What I am about to do is a little crazy. Okay, maybe a lot crazy. But it’s the only way for me to get what I want.

It’s probably extremely selfish of me to do things this way. But what good is it to be a billionaire, if I can’t use that to my advantage at least once in my life? I’ve never felt the need to. I doubt I ever will after this. But today, the course of my future depends on it.

The doors open and I head out via the lobby. I spot Jake immediately. He’s standing by the sliding doors of the entrance, browsing on his phone. Having put on a pair of tight gym clothes, he’s the epitome of mouth-watering. My cock throbs. He could be a model, that’s how delicious he looks. Any scout would gobble him right up.

Not that I’d allow that. He’s too talented as a chef for his potential to be wasted being a model.

Goosebumps rising all over me, I approach him. I can see the SUV outside waiting for me. It’s now or never.

“Hey.” He looks up, flashing me a nervous smile.

My heart skips a beat. He’s extra charming when he’s unsure of himself. “Hey. I see you already have plans for the day.”

He checks himself out. “Yeah. They gave me the day off since I subbed in that extra shift.” Perfect. So if my plan works, there is plenty of time to make the necessary arrangements. “Listen, I wanted to talk to you about something.”

What a coincidence. Me, too. “Sure.” I point at my preferred couch near the floor-to-ceiling window. It’s semi-private, so it offers the chance to have a conversation without having to worry about anyone overhearing.

I sit down, but Jake remains standing. He paces in front of the window, which exacerbates my own nerves. I need to get this over with, or I might chicken out.

“I’ll start,” I say, clearing my throat. “This might be a bit too direct, and it will probably sound crazy to you, but I ask that you listen until the end before you give me your answer.”

He knits his eyebrows together and worries his lips, then finally sits down. “Okay…”

I take a deep breath, squeezing the armrest. I center myself to its solidity and Jake’s presence. Charlie gave me his blessing. It will be fine. I’m a great negotiator. I can sell even the craziest idea. I’ve got the highest ratio of closed deals in the business field. I got this.

“I know I promised not to treat your business proposal as work, but you have to understand that you don’t come across that level of… competency and preparation often. The idea you have, and the way you want to go about it will make you and whoever is backing you a lot of money. I couldn’t let it go to waste. At the same time, I also didn’t want to break my promise to you.” I lace my hands together in my lap and hold his gaze. He looks a little apprehensive, but also curious. Good. That’s a great start. “So, I forwarded it to a friend. I know it’s not very nice of me to do it without telling you, but I was sure you wouldn’t let me do it otherwise. Besides, I wasn’t sure if she would be interested.”

“Okay…”

I nod and take out my phone, where the email from Phoebe is loaded. I hand it to him, butterflies flooding me as I watch him go through a myriad of expressions while he reads it. “It turns out she is. She’s already put together a preliminary sponsorship proposal. It includes a relocation and start-up grant. It’s money she’s willing to put in without any return on it because, just like me, she believes in your proposal.”

“Oh my god… This is…”

I don’t know if this is good or bad. I can’t read him. But I can’t lose him here, so I press on. “I’ve pinpointed a few locations in”— here goes nothing —“Miami. She’s based in New York, but she’s agreed for me to… supervise things instead of her. Miami will be the test run. If things go well, you’ll open a second restaurant in New York.”

“And if they don’t? What if it’s a flop?”

I fight off a grin. “She owes me a favor. So, we’ll call it even.”

Jake’s eyes go wide. He places my phone on the seat, frowns, looks at the snowy plains outside, then pins his attention back on me. “So, technically, there is no downside for me. Or a risk.”

“There is always a risk. It’s just…” I shrug, trying yet again to remain professional. “You got lucky, so it’s been mitigated for you. It’s a great opportunity to give your dream a real shot, Jake. I think you should take it.”

“Fuck. Fuck , this is crazy.” He blinks at me. “Lucky or not, things like these don’t just happen. You must be after something… So, um… I’d like to know why you are doing this for me?” he asks, suspicion dripping from his voice.

But it’s not the only thing. My heart does a flip. I think I’m catching a bit of excitement there. Anticipation. Hope? It’s only a flicker, but it’s there, alive in his enchanting eyes as they captivate me once again.

Okay, Ethan. You are on the finish line. It’s time to drop the bomb. Hopefully, you aren’t entirely delusional thinking this could work.

“I know we’ve known each other for just a few days. Things happened fast and there is a lot more we need to learn about each other, but I just… I know you are it for me. I can’t explain it. It’s a feeling.” I clutch my chest. “You make everything better. You bring color to my life, you make me excited to try things. I haven’t even thought about work while being with you, and work was the only thing that was worth anything to me. You changed that without even trying. You gave me more than a busy day to look forward to. I don’t dread free time; I look forward to it even if it’s just so we can plan things we could try together.”

His eyes shine. “Holy shit.”

Don’t give up now, Ethan. Say everything, so you don’t have regrets like that time in summer camp when you didn’t try skinny dipping with the other boys because you were afraid the teachers will catch you and tell your parents.

“If you felt even a fraction of what I did, and if you are willing to see if we can make things work between us, please come with me? I won’t flaunt my money like some sugar daddy. Unless you were into that? I’d give it a try, in that case. But I won’t stop you from trying to make it on your own. I will help you, of course, if you will let me. I guess… I just want to be with you. I thought about long-distance. I could commute. But you want to move south. You have an amazing business plan and a gimmick that pretty much guarantees it will be a success. You have Phoebe backing you up. And you have me, even if I am making an idiot out of myself right now. But, well, if that’s what it takes to make the man I’m in love agree to come with me, then so be it. So, well, what do you say?”

This is so cheesy. Top-tier Christmas movie cheesy. But I can’t help it. I’m willing to do anything so my unexpected fairytale romance can continue.

“I’m…” Jake narrows his eyes at me. It looks like he is unsure whether he should be smiling or scowling at me. “Speechless. Did you mean all of this, or is it some sort of a shitty joke?”

I load up the preliminary contract Phoebe and I prepared. It’s already been signed by her and me. After he’s skimmed through it, I show him the resignation letter to the hotel that I drafted for him. As he won’t really be giving management sufficient notice, I have arranged for a substitute to come in. I have also exempted them from having to compensate the new person for the first three months. I will be handling his salary since I am inconveniencing them by snatching Jack. It’s a win-win for them, so they won’t be complaining.

“You’ve gone a little overboard, I’d say,” Jake muses, flirting with a smile. Or is he about to laugh in my face?

“Only because you are worth it,” I say, wincing inwardly.

He does laugh, but it’s full of affection that’s like a salve to my frantically beating heart. “Jake, I, uh… I really want to give us a go. Your dream to open a restaurant just made it easier for me to come up with a deal you’ll hopefully have a hard time turning down. But I’m only doing it because I believe your business idea will be a success.

“You know,” he crosses his arms, smirking. “I didn’t think I had a chance with you beyond a hookup. So, I decided a fling was better than nothing… Except it didn’t quite work out the way I thought it would.”

I’m not sure what he’s saying. “I don’t follow.”

He leans in, cradling my cheek with his hand. It’s heaven. I sigh and lean into the touch, shivers dancing across my back. “You are made for me, babe. There’s no way I was going to let things between us just end.” He captures my lips in a soft, light kiss. “Even if I had to beg you to take me with you.”

A cluster of stars explode inside me. Joy blooms in my chest, driving a new wave of butterflies to my stomach. Oh God, this is… “So, you are… coming then? And giving life in Miami a try?”

He kisses me again, this time thoroughly but fast. “Hell yes, I am. There’s no way in hell I’m turning down the chance to be with the man I love. But then you had to throw in making my dream a reality into the mix, too? It’s basically a no-brainer. I’m all in, no second thoughts. I just hope you are ready for it.”

I hug him tight, kissing his cheek.

Am I ready for the whirlwind that Jake is? For my life to change into something unpredictable where every day will be a surprise? I don’t know. But as long as I have this man by my side, I’m not afraid to give it a go.