“Good idea. I’ll have everything ready by the time I leave on my last day next week. And hey, it’s been great working with you. Way to go stepping in when Jackson left. You made the transition seamless. I’ll leave a card for Jackson to say goodbye and wish him luck. Also, if you end up with this position open again, I’d be happy to move into a more permanent role.”
“I’ll pass it on, be sure to put that in your card to Jackson too. Thanks for rolling with the punches, Rebecca. You did great. Best of luck with your next job.”
“Thanks, Cici.”
She quietly shuts the door, leaving me to chastise myself for being such a bitch about the Eli thing. Thankfully, I only have a few more days of guilt before I’ll never see her again. I’m ready to have Cindy back. She’s been here for years, and not only is she a rock star at her job, but also understands the family drama. I visited her when I first came back to meet her new baby. She’s adorable, the kind of baby to make you want to have one of your own, which Lord knows, I don’t. Cindy is a natural mom. Hell, she’s been mothering Jackson and me for the past several years, so it’s no wonder. I’m sure Jackson will be happy to have her back as well. Rebecca could be a hurtful reminder about the Mia situation. When he showed up one day to find Rebecca sitting where Mia was supposed to be, it didn’t make the best first impression—not that Rebecca’s to blame, but whatever. All will be right in the world in a few weeks.
Monday couldn’t come soon enough with how often it crossed my mind over the weekend. Looking at my clock for the thousandth time, I finally hear Eli’s voice outside my door. Thank God, so I can stop obsessing. I’ve been a bundle of nerves all day in anticipation, which is not normal behavior for helping afriend. Stuffing my anxiety down,I grab my purse and open the door to see Rebecca shamelessly flirting with said friend.
“Hey, thanks for picking me up,” I say as I walk right over and give him a hug.Who am I?
“Anytime, cutie. You ready?”
“Yep.” I beam, then turn to Rebecca. “We’ll have to do something special for your last day tomorrow. I’ll have Eli help me come up with something. Have a good night!” That may have been a little too overzealous.
“You too,” she says with a hint of suspicion in her voice.
Glancing toward Eli on the way out confirms that my odd behavior didn’t go unnoticed according to the slight smirk he’s sporting. Oh well. Hopefully he doesn’t read too much into it.
“I’d like to arrive alive, ’kay?” I say as we near the car.
He laughs, opening the door. “Noted.”
We’re making small talk on the way when it dawns on me that I have no idea where we’re going. It’s at that moment that he pulls into the parking garage of a building that houses Dubree Enterprises on the top two floors. “What restaurant is it? It must be close by.”
“Depending on your mode of transportation,” he says ambiguously.
He leads me into the building and to the elevator, pushing the button for the top floor.
“I had no idea there was a restaurant here, or are they bringing the food to us?”
He gets a mischievous look in his eyes. “There isn’t, and they’re not.” He’s being undeniably vague.
I doubt I’ll get an answer, but I ask anyway, “Then why are we here?”
“You’re about to find out,” he says playfully with a wink. And damn him for making my panties melt right then and there.
We pop out of the elevator, only to walk up a flight of stairs andoutside a door labeled Rooftop Access to a fricking helicopter in front of us.What the…?
I stop dead in my tracks, not willing to go any closer without some answers. “Eli, what’s going on?”
“I told you—we’re doing a tasting.”
“Then why are we getting in a helicopter?”
He smirks. “Well, the restaurant happens to be in Los Angeles.”
“Are you kidding me right now?” I screech. “Why wouldn’t you tell me that?”
“It was irrelevant.”
“I think it’s pretty frickin’ relevant. How safe is that thing?”
“Safer than a car.”
“That’s only true if you’re driving.”
“Harsh.” He grabs my hand and tugs me forward. “Come on, cutie, we have someplace to be. And I have the best pilot in San Diego. You’re safe.”
