by Young, M. L.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Penelope
“Good morning, my little jetsetter,” Blake said, as he got dressed next to the bed.
“Why didn’t you wake me up?” I asked, rubbing my eyes.
“We still have some time. I thought I’d take a quick shower and get dressed before making us some breakfast,” Blake said.
“That sounds nice,” I said, before plopping my head back down against the pillow.
“Go get in the shower and I’ll get started downstairs,” Blake said.
I rolled out of bed and shuffled towards my bag before pulling out my clothes for the day and taking them into the bathroom with me. I set them down before turning on the shower, all fifty thousand sprayer heads, and walking inside once the area was nice and steamy. The water hit my body from all directions and I felt like I was in a human car wash. Every speck of dust and dirt on my body was quickly shot off. As one hit me right in the back I felt my muscles loosen and relax.
I washed off, trying to do so quickly, as I hadn’t a clue how long we had before we needed to leave. I got dressed, dried my hair with my towel, and put on a little bit of light makeup before putting away my things and going downstairs. Blake just finished getting breakfast ready, as he set it on the counter and got out two plates.
“Nice shower?” he asked.
“Mm, yeah, I love that thing. All those sprayer heads are amazing,” I said.
“It’s probably the best investment I put into this place,” he said.
We ate crepes with strawberries and bananas that melted decadently in my mouth. I couldn’t believe the things I got to eat when I was with him, and it almost made me jealous that I couldn’t eat this stuff all the time.
After we finished, Blake put the dishes in the sink and said that we needed to get going soon. We went upstairs, got our suitcases, and headed back downstairs before grabbing our jackets and heading down the elevator. Gustav was there, as always, and he put away our luggage before opening my door and helping me in. Blake got in on the other side and cozied up to me, and as Gustav got in the car, I saw him looking back at me in the mirror with a smile on his face. I was pretty sure this was the first time he’d actually been around us when we were together. I winked at him, thinking about our discussion earlier, and off we went.
I looked over at Blake as I held his hand and got closer to him. Traffic was horrendous, and Blake was looking at his phone, checking his email and the news, which was probably what he did all the time when Gustav drove him. I kept my mouth shut, opting to not say anything, as I just enjoyed the view. It was peaceful just looking out of the window.
We pulled into a private airport, which was wildly different from any commercial one I’d ever been to. It was small, a regional place, and there were no jumbo jets anywhere in sight. There were only private planes for people like Blake and tiny little planes with a propeller on the front. We pulled up to the plane, which was sitting there with the steps down, and the pilots came off the plane with the flight attendant.
Gustav opened our doors and helped us out before we said goodbye and he took out our luggage for the crew to handle. We walked up to the pilots, who Blake must’ve used before, because he smiled and shook their hands while asking how their families were. I introduced myself, and the pilots said we were leaving in about fifteen minutes. The flight attendant, Paige, welcomed us and asked if we’d like any drinks. I passed, but Blake said water would be fine. We walked up the steps and into the plane.
The seats, which were wrapped in a light tan leather, must have been softer than the clouds they flew through, and the interior, which was a glazed wood, looked as if it had been polished a thousand and one times. I sank into my seat as I sat down and felt as if I were weightless. I knew I could easily fall asleep in this, but it was only a two-hour flight. Besides, I’d just had a full night’s sleep in the most luxurious bed known to mankind.
Paige brought Blake his water, and the pilots soon came back onto the plane and it was locked up. They went into the cockpit, making sure everything was good, before announcing over the intercom that we were heading out. The plane pulled out before getting onto the runway and I felt my stomach tumble a bit. I wasn’t great on planes, and I really hadn’t been on them all too often during my lifetime. I think it had to do more with the takeoff than anything else. I’d rather have my feet firmly on the ground than be thirty thousand feet or however high this thing went up in the air.
We turned around and sat at the end of the runway. I gripped the wooden armrests with all my might. My hands, which were turning a little white from gripping so hard, wouldn’t let go of this seat even if the plane ripped in half. Blake, who was sitting across from me, didn’t even notice as he read a magazine like nothing was bothering him. How was he so calm? I guess flying a lot makes you a little more used to what’s going on around you. I wasn’t so lucky.
I didn’t say anything to him as the engines began to roar and our little jet started to accelerate at what felt like the speed of sound. I felt my stomach drop as I closed my eyes and tried to take deep, steady breaths so I wouldn’t get too anxious. I felt the front wheels lift off the ground before the back ones did the same, and we were airborne. My ears popped as I opened my jaw to try to fix the problem, but to no avail. As we turned a little, my stomach turned even more, and I felt something against my knee. I opened my eyes to see Blake, looking concerned, his hand on my knee.
“It’s okay. I know you’re scared, but we’re safe,” he said.
And suddenly, I felt a little calmer. My hands softened on the armrests and I began to get feeling back in them. Blake kept his eyes locked on mine, which admittedly helped a lot, as I couldn’t be tempted to look out the window.
“Are you better?” he asked.
“Yeah, a little,” I said.
“Take a sip,” he said, before taking the cap off his bottle of water and handing it to me.
I took a big sip, a few big ones, actually, before handing it back and taking a deep breath. As the plane stabilized in the air, I felt normal, as I knew that the worst part was over. There was something about feeling like I was being ejected thousands of feet into the air that never sat well with me and likely never would.
Blake handed me a shopping magazine and told me to keep myself occupied so I’d be okay. I accepted his advice and went through the magazine, looking at outlandish toys and gadgets that I knew were never necessary, yet most people desired them. There was something about a two-in-one potato peeler and back scratcher with a laser on it that just screamed, “I need that.”
Paige took care of all our needs, as she was always a moment away in the back of the plane. I didn’t know what she did back there, but I bet she was incredibly glad to be doing it here and not on a regular aircraft. At least she didn’t have a lot of snotty passengers causing her grief.
I set down the magazine and took a small catnap, as the change in pressure and oxygen seemed to make me a little tired. I put my hands in my lap, put the back of my head against the pillow cloud of leather, and dozed off for a little bit longer than I’d anticipated.
When I awoke, the wheels were skidding against the runway and we’d landed in Seattle. My eyes jolted open, the sound scaring me awake, as Blake smiled and told me we were finally here. I wiped my eyes, took a sip of water, and felt calm again as I looked outside and saw we were slowly going towards our destination. I’d successfully gotten through a two-hour flight without any problems, and I couldn’t have been happier.
A car waited outside as Blake shook the pilots’ hands and said goodbye to Paige. The driver, who sadly wasn’t Gustav, welcomed us as our luggage was taken off the plane and set inside the SUV’s trunk. We got in the back, cozied up together like on our earlier car ride, and the driver got back in and took us towards our hotel.
“So, where are we staying?” I asked.
“The Four Seasons, of course,” Blake said with a smile, as if I should’ve known.
As we left
the airport and were soon in the streets of Seattle, I couldn’t have been more thrilled. I looked out my window like a child and gazed in awe at the beautiful streets and buildings. It was all so…magical. San Francisco had almost corrupted me, and even though it was a beautifully winding city, it was nothing compared to Seattle. I almost wanted to look for tech jobs up here, where I knew there would be a lot, but that meant leaving Blake and Nicolette, which wasn’t an option in the slightest.
Our car pulled up to the Four Seasons as a doorman, who was a bit older, opened my door and held my hand as I got out of the car. Blake came around the other side, as another doorman opened his door, and buttoned his suit jacket as we stood outside the hotel. The building, which was incredibly modern, screamed elegance. The lines outside were sharp and long as the building itself looked like something out of an art exhibit. I’d seen nice places like this before in magazines and on TV, but never in person. I couldn’t believe I was going to stay here.
“Good morning, Mr. Hunter. My name is Jack Writhe, and I’m the general manager of the Four Seasons Seattle. On behalf of our entire company, I’d like to formally welcome you for the night,” Jack said, as he shook our hands.
“It’s nice to meet you, Jack. I know we’re a little early, but I hope that’s okay,” Blake said.
“That’s more than fine. We here at the Four Seasons pride ourselves on efficiency and professionalism. We’ve taken the liberty of checking you into your room early, and I’d love to personally escort you there as our bellhops take care of your bags. We have you booked in our Presidential Suite, and if you’d follow me, I’ll take you there,” Jack, said.
I looked at Blake with a smile as Jack led us towards the room. I couldn’t believe I was staying in the Presidential Suite. It all sounded so…presidential! I’d seen things in movies about these types of rooms, but I always thought they were made up just for the movies. I didn’t actually think they had these grand rooms available for regular people to stay in. Well, I guess Blake wasn’t a regular person, the more I thought about it.
The glitzy lobby, which felt as grand as that in the White House, shimmered in my eyes as we walked towards the elevators. Jack told us all about Seattle in the interim, as well as things to do if we were interested, and said that we had a full-time concierge available twenty-four-seven should we need anything at all. We could want a single stick of gum and they’d get it and bring it to us within minutes.
As we stood in front of the room, which featured two massive doors, I was a little nervous and excited. Jack opened the doors, which swung effortlessly, and revealed a beautiful view of the water. I walked in and my jaw dropped as I looked over Elliott Bay. The water was breathtaking as the massive and incredibly clean windows framed the most beautiful aspects of Seattle like they were in a painting. Birds flew overhead and I swore I saw a whale breaching far in the distance, though I was likely imagining it. I couldn’t believe I was here.
“The suite, which is just short of 2,500 square feet, features a king-sized bedroom, a marble bath, and also a guest bath with a shower, should you have any visitors. You will find all of your modern amenities and more, and you will have full access to our spa and facilities, should you wish. There are multiple telephones around the suite, should you feel the need to use them. We are always available for you, and will fix any problem you may have. I am going to give you the key, and please, let me know if there are any problems,” Jack said, before handing Blake and I room keys.
“Thank you for your time, Jack. I greatly appreciate it. We’ll let you know if we need anything,” Blake said, before shaking Jack’s hand.
He nodded and walked out the doors just as two bellhops were placing our luggage inside the room. They left, closing the doors behind them. I turned back around and looked out at the view.
“Amazing, isn’t it?” Blake asked.
“Yeah, I read about it before in a travel article. I can’t believe I’m here looking at it, though, and from up here!” I said.
“Tenth floor is nice. It’s not as high as some places in San Fran, but there aren’t a ton of skyscrapers here. I like it. You have Elliott Bay and Puget Sound right there in front of you, like it’s there only for your enjoyment. This room isn’t bad, either,” Blake said.
“Room?” I asked. “This is more like a house. Hell, it’s bigger than most houses.”
“It’s amazing what money can buy. It was a bargain for the night,” he said.
“I don’t think your idea of a bargain is the same as mine,” I said.
“Yeah, probably not,” he said, smiling.
“When’s your first meeting?” I asked.
“Soon. I have about twenty minutes to just hang out, though, if you’d like to,” he said.
“Of course. There’s nothing I love more than spending time with you,” I said.
We sat down on the sectional couch and looked out over the bay as small boats whizzed by. I looked at him, as his gaze was focused outside and not on me. We were finally here, and that meant more than one thing. I was going to have to tell him about what I did soon, and I wasn’t sure how he was going to take it. Being here with him almost made it seem more real, and I knew I wasn’t going to be able to hide from it for much longer. What if I had to tell him here? What if he asked me to be his girlfriend tonight or tomorrow? I had to tell him before that happened.
“I should get going. I got a notification that my car is here,” Blake said.
“Will I see you soon?” I asked.
“Very soon. Let me know if you decide to go out and do anything. Please feel free to do so. Use this if you want to get yourself something or see something,” Blake said, handing me a credit card.
“Thank you,” I said.
“You’re welcome,” he said, before kissing me.
I walked him to the door before closing it and going back to my spot on the couch. I didn’t know if it was the room, the view, or being way up here, but something about being here was making me think a lot. How was I going to go about this? How was I going to make it through? I guess all I could do was try, and try I would. I just hoped it didn’t blow up in my face.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Blake
I had so much on my mind as I entered the meeting for the new office spaces. I felt horrible for leaving Penny almost right away, but I suppose she knew the nature of this trip and that I’d have to go and conduct business. It was still a little crazy that she was even here with me. I never would’ve thought of bringing a girl I was seeing or an ex-girlfriend with me on a trip before, but there was something about her that made me know it was okay. I knew she wouldn’t cause any problems or make me regret it, and I wanted nothing more than to give her a trip she so very much deserved. She’d worked so hard in her life and seemingly gotten so little in return. She was barely scraping by when I came along, and although our arrangement wasn’t what it once was, I knew it was on to bigger and better things.
I’d planned something for us that I knew she was going to love. The one thing she really wanted to see, the Space Needle, was going to let us into their restaurant with an accelerated reservation so that we could have a special night together. I’d reserved a table, though I opted not to rent out the entire place, as I wanted to give other couples a chance at romance on this night. The weather forecast was fairly clear, and at around five hundred feet in the air, we’d dine in the clouds as we looked over the city.
I knew it was dangerous to not tell her, for fear that she would go there on her own today and see the view without me, but I felt like it was too big of a surprise to tell. I wanted to tell her we were going to dinner, have her get dressed, and then just take her there without telling her. I knew it was something she’d never forget.
I sat in the meeting as paper after paper was presented. We were renting temporary spaces, as we were still in negotiations to demolish a few old vacant buildings and build a new facility just for our company. The building our San Francisco branch was in ob
viously wasn’t just for us, as it was a skyscraper, but this lovely little place would be just RandomMeetX and its subsidiaries, which were growing by the minute.
As I sat in my executive leather chair, I looked out a nearby window and towards the bay as I wondered if Penny was still on that couch, looking over it as well, and if she missed me as much as I missed her. All I wanted to do was expedite this meeting, but it seemed to go at a snail’s pace as more amendments were added to the agreement. The city was giving us trouble about building this new facility. You’d think they’d want more business and jobs in their city, but I guess that wasn’t how Seattle rolled.
As the negotiations came to an end six hours later, I was far too happy to shake everyone’s hands and call it a day. I had a meeting tomorrow morning, but I still had some of the day to give to Penny and make her entire trip. Our plane wasn’t going to leave until around seven tomorrow night, so I knew we’d be able to have unencumbered fun in this beautiful city.
As I walked out and got into my car, I pulled out my phone to let Penny know I was coming back to the hotel. She texted back, saying she was there, and that she couldn’t wait to see me. I smiled, like I always did when I talked to her, and put my phone away as we sat in a little traffic that was anything but joyful.
When we pulled up to the hotel, my door was opened and I nodded to the doorman as I buttoned my suit jacket and briskly walked towards the elevators. Staff said hello to me along the way, even calling me by name, which was something that seemed to happen whenever I visited a hotel. I guess they told their employees somebody important was coming and made them be on their best behavior.
I slid my key card in the door and saw the green light before opening it. Penny was on the couch with a bottle of wine on some ice. With two glasses in her hands, she clanked them together before smiling as the soft glow of the falling sun gleamed on her supple red cheeks. I was smitten as I looked at her smile, causing me to smile too, before I walked towards her and took a glass from her hand. I poured the wine into our glasses and we toasted to a great vacation. We both took a sip from our glasses as we kept our eyes on one another.