16. Liz
LIZ
I firmly believed in the law of balance. It was something my mom had ingrained in us since we were kids.
“Don’t ask too much of life all at once. The universe will think you’re greedy.”
My niece was healthy, and they let her go home after five days in the hospital. She’d had an RSV, which was common in children and not life-threatening, though the symptoms looked ugly.
Declan was thoroughly charming me. He cooked breakfast almost every morning. Sometimes he even worked from home in the afternoon, and we could sneak some time together in between my shifts.
I couldn’t possibly expect to find my bakery right now too, could I? That would send the message to the universe that I was greedy.
So when I received a phone call from my realtor on a sunny day two weeks later, I assumed he’d only give me bad news, as usual: that he was still looking, that the market was tough.
I put down my knife and snuck into the pantry at Richard’s so no one could overhear me. I was completely stunned when Andreas said, "Liz, I found the perfect place for you."
"Oh, I'm so excited. Where is it?" I held my breath in anticipation.
“It's near Millennium Park."
"That's a prime location."
"It is, and it's also in your budget. The only trick is they want us to see it today. I got us an appointment in one hour."
"What? Today? But I’m at work."
"I thought you might say that. Is there any way you can move things around? It's a very coveted location. They could barely squeeze us in."
I cursed inwardly. "Let me try to talk to my boss. I’ll get back to you.”
“Sure.”
After hanging up, I bit my lower lip, making a mental plan. Richard was going to be pissed. Honestly, I would be too if an employee decided to walk out in the middle of a workday. But this was the first place the realtor had found me in months . I couldn’t pass it up.
Rolling my shoulders, I left the pantry.
“I’ll be right back,” I told my colleagues, heading out of the kitchen. Richard was usually in the back office, dealing with administrative stuff. Fortunately, his door was open, and he was standing in front of the printer.
“Hey, Richard. Can I come in for a second?”
“Sure. Anything wrong?”
"Listen, I told you how I want to open my bakery, right?”
He nodded.
“My realtor called and said he wants to show me a great space. I have to be there in an hour."
Richard narrowed his eyes. "You better not want to walk out right now. I need you here to do your work."
“I understand, and I don’t want to leave you in the lurch, but I’ll come right back after I see the space. Otherwise, I’ll lose it. The only opportunity is now.”
“You’re not committed at all to this job.”
His comment was unexpected and hurtful. I blinked repeatedly, shocked that he’d come to that conclusion after all the months I’d worked for him. “You know that’s not true. The only other time I missed a shift was when you sent me home because I’d burned myself the day before.”
“Liz, you know I demand loyalty from my employees. I don’t think that’s too much to ask. So, if you’re not taking this job seriously, I’ll have to find someone else.”
I stared at him. You’re going to let me go? Well, fuck you .
“I am taking it very seriously. But I also told you from the very beginning that as soon as I find a location for my bakery, I’ll leave. Not that I’m leaving now—I’m looking at the property—but either way, you know how hard I’ve worked for you.”
“Should I consider this your notice?”
Fuck you twice . It was on the tip of my tongue to say it out loud, but I had to be reasonable. Things might not work out, and I’d still need this job.
“No, Richard. I can’t know for sure if I’ll get the space. And even then, I’d give you time to find someone else before I left.”
“Fine. Get out of here.”
I smiled politely, knowing it was best if I didn’t open my mouth.
“And don’t bother coming back today. I’ll have someone step in for you and do two jobs.”
I knew that last dig was to make me feel guilty for overworking one of my colleagues. Richard was such a tool.
I decided not to give him the satisfaction and said, “Okay.”
Before leaving, I poked my head in the kitchen, apologizing to my team. I disliked Richard intensely, but I liked the crew. They all gave me a thumbs-up and wished me luck when I told them why I needed to leave at the drop of a hat.
“We’ll keep our fingers crossed,” Lola said. I’d been closest to her from the start. She gave me tips about the job—and about Richard—and I covered her shifts whenever she was sick or couldn’t make it. It was nice to have a colleague to count on.
“Thanks, Lola. I’ll let you know how things pan out.”
As soon as I left the building, I texted Andreas that I was ready to go.
He sent me the link to the listing, and I wanted to dance out of sheer joy. The location really was amazing. I zoomed in on the map, barely believing that I could nab a space right next to the exit from the subway station. Dream come true!
The only problematic aspect was that it was tiny, even for a bakery that would only sell to-go, but I was sure that once I saw it, I’d change my mind. It had to work. This was the first space my realtor had been excited about in months.
Usually I sent my parents videos of the places I visited, but today, I wished someone would come with me and share my joy.
On a whim, I texted Declan.
Liz: Hey, I know it's short notice, but I'm going to see a potential space for my bakery. Would love it if you could join me.
Butterflies filled my stomach when I saw the words "Declan typing" on my screen.
Oh my God, maybe this is going to happen. Maybe he’ll come with me.
Declan: Sure, I’d love to. When?
Liz: I’m meeting the realtor in 30 minutes. Here’s the address.
Declan: I’ll be there in 45.
Liz: Okay.
I was lucky Declan took me to work and I didn’t ride my bike, because I’d have had to carry it with me all through the city. After checking online the best way to get there, I decided a detour was in order. I wanted to get off at Washington Station.
I was smiling from ear to ear as I walked from the station to the address, soaking in the city’s vibe.
There were commercial spaces on the ground floor of all the buildings.
It was an eclectic mix of restaurants, pubs, shops, a UPS store, and even a hotel.
The address was on a corner, which was honestly a dream because it gave the space even more visibility.
There was a crooked sign with dangling letters hanging off it.
I was pretty sure it read Tasty Tots, whatever that was.
Andreas was inside and opened the door for me. I expected him to be alone, but he was with another man.
"Liz, this is Jack, the owner of the place."
"Hi, Jack," I said. Andreas had shown me five other spots, and the owner had never been present.
"I hear you want to lease this space to open a bakery," Jack said.
"Yes. I see there’s already a counter here that’s in good shape. And appliances.”
"Yeah. The place before you was also a bakery. They specialized in gluten-free bread, and apparently it wasn't enough."
I bit the inside of my cheek, putting my hands on my hips and looking around. Right. So, obviously the previous business not being profitable wasn't the best news.
"Are they for sale too?”
He brightened up. "Yes they are. I’ll send you an estimate."
"Yes, please do that. I’m going to have to check them out before signing anything, of course."
This would be amazing. I’d be able to open right away.
“I assume the permits for operating a bakery are green-lit?” I asked.
“Yes, they are. I checked everything beforehand,” Andreas said.
I took a quick look around. The place was indeed very small.
I probably couldn’t have more than four customers inside at a time, but that was fine.
I only planned to sell goods over the counter, not have people sit inside.
Early on, when I first met Andreas, he told me that would work to my advantage, not only because my rent would be less but there wouldn’t be as much competition to get the available space, because most people wanted more square footage.
"I think you’ll find this place to be just what you need.
Foot traffic is amazing, and you have appliances and furniture already available to get started.
" Jack was trying hard to sell me on the place, which told me he probably didn't have a lot of offers already.
And I liked it a lot, except for one thing.
"It is a great place. However, the rent is a bit out of my price range."
He pinched his nose, like he wasn't expecting me to negotiate.
"It's the market price."
"It is slightly above,” Andreas said.
Jack didn’t say anything right away. I could practically hear his wheels turning. Even though it was too expensive, I didn't want to lose the spot. It was the best place Andreas had shown me in months.
I kept a poker face. I was sure that because I wanted to lease the appliances and furniture as well, I had a competitive advantage. Selling this stuff was the responsibility of the previous lease owners, but for Jack, it all meant a smoother, easier transition.
I had butterflies in my stomach. My whole body seemed to explode with anxiousness. I couldn't believe this was happening. My bakery was happening. I’d dreamed about it for so long. It felt like it would never come true, that it would stay just that—a dream.
The door opened, and I looked over my shoulder as Declan entered the space.
My God, he was sexy and oozed power. What was it that made him dominate the room the second he stepped inside? Was it his confidence, his custom-made suit, those cuff links, or all of the above?
Whatever it was, the effect he had on the other two was noticeable. My realtor was clearly impressed, and Jack frowned, looking Declan up and down.
"Declan, hi. You came just in time. This is my realtor, Andreas, and this is my potential landlord, Jack."
"Nice to meet you," he said, nodding to them both. "Declan Maxwell."