Chapter 11 Megan
MEGAN
On Thursday, I was a bit jittery in the back of the Uber.
I already drank three coffees. I’d woken up at five thirty and done a session of yoga.
I might have been a bit too eager—I think I pulled something while doing downward dog, which I could usually do in my sleep.
But my mind hadn’t been on yoga this morning.
It had been on the trip—more specifically on Luke.
I was so incredibly excited about the trip and the assignment.
I was already thinking about the options I would lay out for the client, but I was sure that when I saw the property itself, I'd be even more inspired.
Luke was a genius. No wonder it was such a coveted internship program.
I was also excited to ride in a private helicopter. Another first for me.
Luke had offered to pick me up from home, but he would have to get up at an ungodly hour to do that, so I declined.
Since we weren’t staying overnight, I only had my work bag with my laptop and other things.
I wasn’t even sure I could reach this place with public transportation.
It was near the Illinois Medical District.
I was so lost in my thoughts that I was completely surprised when the car arrived at the heliport. The building was small and gray, surrounded by a metal fence.
Luke was waiting in front. Heavens, he wore that suit so damn well.
He had a tie on again—I realized he probably always wore one when we met a client.
He’d paired a dark blue tie with cuff links of the same color.
His shirt was light gray. He’d thrown his jacket over one shoulder, holding it with two fingers, which seemed to be his typical stance.
I couldn’t help but notice how the muscles of his arm bulged. It was a sexy look on him.
He opened the door to my car, and I stepped out carefully. I’d chosen business wear as well—I had on a green dress with black ballerina shoes.
“Good morning, Megan. You look amazing,” Luke said.
“Thank you.” I blinked, completely thrown by the compliment. “You too. Always dressing to impress on client days, huh?”
“Are you implying I’m not impressive on other days?” The gleam in his eyes was panty melting.
“You’re always impressive,” I muttered, then pressed my lips together. Holy hell, this conversation was escalating quickly.
Luke chuckled. “We’re sliding into dangerous territory already, aren’t we? Lucky for us, my brother is with us today.”
Yes, very lucky.
“Travis will be right out. He went in to—speak of the devil.”
Travis exited the building, dressed casually in jeans and a polo shirt. These Maxwell men were something to admire.
“Megan, good to see you again,” he greeted me. “Ready to go?”
“Yes,” Luke and I said in unison.
Travis led us inside the building, explaining that we had to be weighed—our bags too—so he could distribute the weight properly in the helicopter.
There was a desk with two assistants who efficiently processed everything.
Travis led us out to the helipad a few minutes later. There were at least a dozen helicopters spread out on the platform.
“So, why do you own a helicopter?” I asked.
“I’ve always wanted one. It’s efficient. And I like piloting.”
“How long will it take us to get there?"
"Thirty minutes."
"Wow, that’s short. Thanks so much for doing this."
"No problem. I've got a lot of free time. I like flying my family around."
Luke patted his shoulder. "Good for you."
"How come you have so much free time?” I asked. “Donna said something about selling your company, but she didn't get into details."
"In a nutshell, I built my company when I was a sophomore in college, and I sold it last year. And now I'm enjoying my freedom."
"As you should," Luke said. "You started working way younger than the rest of us. Have your fun."
Travis winked at me. "And that is why he’s my favorite brother. Not nagging me to do something productive like Declan would."
Luke shrugged. "Declan wouldn't be Declan if he didn't worry about everyone.”
“Okay, let's chat more later. Ready?" Travis asked, looking at me as he opened a door.
I nodded, feeling a bit nervous.
"Do you get motion sickness?" he asked.
"No."
"Then you'll do fine."
"You keep it here when you don't use it?" I asked.
Travis nodded. "Yeah, it's the best spot near the city."
“Do you want shotgun?” Luke asked me. The check-in assistants said either of us could sit in the front.
I nodded eagerly.
“Okay, then. I’ll go in first.” He climbed into the back seat.
The step up to the helicopter was pretty high. Thank God I wasn’t wearing a tight dress. Luke took my hand, holding me steady. The contact took my breath away. I stepped up, and our gazes met briefly before I sat down. His eyes were a tad darker. He knew exactly how he affected me.
Once he was inside, Travis showed me how to strap in. The buckle was different from the ones in a plane or a car, but I quickly got the hang of it. He also handed me huge over-ear headphones.
"It's going to get pretty loud," he said, "and we'll be able to communicate with them."
"Awesome, thank you," I said, putting them over my head. He was such a great guy! Even if he had free time, he didn't have to do this.
The second the helicopter rose from the pad, my stomach lurched, but not in a bad way. It was pure flutters. This was so exciting and completely different from flying in an airplane.
"Okay, I'll admit, this is a bit scary," I said as we rose higher in the sky. On a plane, you only had that one small side window, but right now I had the full front view.
A few minutes later, we reached our maximum height and were on our way.
I loved seeing Chicago from above. The tall office buildings and the river were visible, and from this angle, it was breathtaking. We quickly left it behind us, though, as we passed the city’s border.
"What are you going to do today?" I heard Luke ask his brother through the headphones.
"I'm going to be in a coffee shop. I’ve got some emails to send," Travis said. "And when you guys are ready, we'll fly back."
"Thanks, man," Luke said.
I pressed my nose and forehead to the side window, glancing down.
I got a bit nauseous, so I sat up in my seat, looking straight ahead.
It was a completely clear blue sky, and it was very sunny here, though in the distance, I could see some storm clouds forming.
Or maybe they were already fading. I had no way to tell.
We started to descend far too soon, and I realized that our thirty minutes were almost up. The landing was smooth. This helipad was much smaller than the other one. Ours was the only helicopter in sight.
After getting out of the aircraft, we immediately stepped into the small building.
Luke and I went out through the front to get our car.
Travis stayed back, talking with the employee wearing a dark blue shirt with a small helicopter badge on the left side.
I looked up and down the street, but there wasn’t much to see besides a warehouse and fields.
I didn’t get small-town vibes, but I suspected we were on the outskirts of the town.
"Are we Ubering?" I asked.
"No, Charles said he'll pick us up. I think that's the car he sent for us. Wait, Charles himself is driving," Luke exclaimed when the car stopped and an elderly man stepped out.
"Megan. Luke. It's great to see you. Very smart, flying here."
"Thanks. My brother Travis brought us." Luke pointed at Travis, who’d just come out of the building.
"Good morning," Travis said.
"Hi, Travis. Do you need a ride?" Charles asked.
"Sure. Actually, you know what? No. You go ahead. I’ll just order an Uber."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. Don't worry. I don’t mind helping the River Falls economy," he responded with a grin.
"Okay," Luke said. "I'll be in touch when we’re there, okay?
"I recommend Delia's Coffee Shop. It's on the ground floor of my office building, and it's great. The Wi-Fi works perfectly, and the coffee is delicious," Charles suggested. He was a real estate mogul in the area.
Travis gave him a thumbs-up. "Thanks for the tip. That's where I'm heading, then."
I took shotgun again, sitting next to Charles. Luke was in the back seat.
"It's not far from here,” Charles told us. “It's great of you both to come here and see the location. You’re the only company who offered to do that."
I turned around, glancing over my shoulder at Luke, who winked at me. I thought this was common practice in the business, but apparently not.
Charles wanted to build a luxurious villa for his family. I couldn’t wait to see the property. We didn’t drive through the city, which was a pity. I’d seen a few pics, and it looked dreamy. I was sure it would inspire me.
We arrived a short while later in an area of the town that was obviously still in development, as there was nothing around us, just fields and tall, old trees. The air was thick with the smell of freshly cut grass and flowers in bloom.
"As you can see, I have a great view. There's nothing around," Charles said once we were on the property, making me laugh.
"Not right now," Luke said. "How are the zoning laws around here?"
Charles waved his hand. "They're going to build stuff around us in the next couple years.
I just know it. I'm the first one. I'll probably only get this view to myself for a few years, at best. But still, my land is large enough that I don't have to worry about anyone blocking my sunlight.
" He laughed at his joke, but he was right.
The property was huge, and it had plenty of big, sturdy trees to visually shield him from other houses.