Chapter 41
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
MAIA
“ L adies and gentlemen, welcome to San Francisco International Airport. Local time is nine thirty a.m., and the temperature is seventy-three degrees Fahrenheit.
“For your safety and comfort, please remain seated with your seat belt…”
I tune out the flight attendant and turn on my phone, waiting for a text or a notification.
There’s nothing. I’m tempted to message Gatsby. After sending him my letter that I’d be arriving this week, he didn’t contact me. Well, he sent me flowers every day until I left, and then I received a few more while I visited my parents in San Diego.
It appears that they’re fond of Gatsby and his brothers.
They’ve met Lysander, Caspian, and Aslan so far.
A lot has happened since I decided to take care of myself.
It feels like I’ve been gone for years. Once the plane stops, I stretch and unbuckle my seat belt.
I stand up and reach for my items in the overhead compartment.
Visiting my parents before coming home was a good idea, up until Mom packed me a bunch of leftovers to bring with me. She’s worried that I don’t know how to feed myself. She suggested I take cooking classes. I’m not bad at it, I just don’t have much time to practice.
“Thank you,” I tell the captain and flight attendants as I exit the aircraft.
I march toward the terminal, wondering if I should wait for a cab or call an Uber. It’s when I’m going down in the escalator toward the exit of the airport when I spot him. Gatsby Spearman, looking incredibly dashing with a sexy smirk that says, welcome home, babe.
“You’re here.” I almost run toward him.
He picks me up and presses me against his chest.
“How?” I whisper, hugging him tightly.
Gatsby sets me back on the floor and brushes some strands away from my face. “Your mom might’ve given me your flight information.”
“I heard you went to visit them a few times.”
He kisses the top of my head. “Fuck, I missed you so much.”
“You did?”
“So much it hurt, but I knew you’d come back. I have a five-step plan to woo you.”
“What?!”
He pulls out a laminated card from his wallet. “Here.”
Make her fall madly in love with me.
Propose to her.
Marry her.
Have children.
Enjoy the rest of my life with her.
I laugh, but also cry happy tears.
“This is…”
“Ingenious. I learned from the best,” he says, taking my lips and kissing me hard.
I try to speak, stop him. I have a speech. I can’t remember what I was going to say because the heat of the kiss fogs my brain. I sink into the depth of his soul and stay there, enjoying the warmth of his body and the passion of his kiss.
“I think we should go home,” he mumbles against my lips.
“Home?”
“Your place or mine. We’ll figure out where we sleep later. I just need you—almost as much as I needed that kiss.”
“We…”
“Luggage?” he asks, taking my hand.
I shake my head. “No. Mom thought it’d be smarter to ship it.”
“Huh, she listened to my suggestion.”
“How close are you to my parents?”
There’s a glitter in his eye. “Let’s just say I might be their favorite son.”
“They don’t have sons.”
“See, you’re proving me right. I told you long ago that if they got to know me, they’d love me,” he argues as we walk through the crowded airport.
When we’re out, I spot a Rivian SUV like mine, but this one is black. “You changed cars?”
“Yes. Do you like it?”
“Maia, good morning,” Owen greets me, opening the door.
“Morning.” I’m so happy to see him that I give him a hug.
“He’s here,” I say, ecstatic while I make my way inside the SUV.
“I mentioned it in my letters. I’m not going to New York as often. I brought part of my staff to San Fran.”
“Sharon?”
“No, she has family in New York and manages the penthouse. My brothers and I share a housekeeper. That reminds me, Aslan bought a new house. He’s in the middle of remodeling it, but once he’s done, he’s going to vacate his penthouse. Do you want to move there?”
“We’re moving in together?”
“Didn’t you see my five-step plan?”
“Are you doing them all in one day?”
“It seems like the sensible thing.”
“I don’t think so. First, I have to settle down, then we can talk about your methodical plan.”
“You’re no fun.”
“Oh, I can be,” I whisper. “I’ll demonstrate once we’re home.”
“Where to, sir?”
I give a pleading smile to Gatsby. “My house, please?”
“You heard the lady.”
“He knows where I live, doesn’t he?”
“It’s a long story.”
My house looks just exactly as it did a few months back. Gray, lifeless, and depleted. On the other hand, the place next door changed since the last time I was here. There’s a scaffold on the right side. Maybe the neighbors decided to fix it?
What if they sold it and moved to another city or state?
I make a note on my phone to call the realtor. Selling is an option, but I won’t make any hasty decisions until I have lived at least a few months in my house.
“What are you thinking?”
I point at the house. “That place gave me an idea. Not sure if I want to do it.”
“Do you like the changes?”
“It’s different.”
He grins. “Obviously. The colors were driving me crazy. I still can’t believe Aslan bought it and is letting me renovate it for him.”
“Your brother is moving here?”
“Yes, do you have a problem with it?”
“No, I don’t actually know him. It’ll be nice if I get to know your family before you continue pushing your agenda.”
“It’s a good agenda.”
“Debatable,” I say, unlocking and pushing the door open.
The house feels cold and sterile. I used to believe that this could be an extraordinary home. It’s not. I should sell it. Maybe someone else can create a happy place with it.
“I was right,” Gatsby says.
“About?”
“This house. It has character and a good foundation. Just imagine this.” He points at the living room.
“We knock out that wall and make it a large living area, bringing more light and warmth. We rip up the carpets. I’m sure the wood floors underneath just need some polishing. We’ll change the bathrooms.”
“You’re going to renovate my house.”
Gatsby caresses the wall. “She’s been asking me to do that since the first time we met. When Aslan bought the place next door, I thought we could be neighbors.”
“Did he buy it because I live here?”
“No. I mentioned it to him after he closed the deal. We could make a door between the houses so we can visit each other. Over the weekends, we’ll visit the vineyard.” He shrugs. “We can always use another hand in the tasting room.”
“What if I want to visit my parents?”
“Then we’ll fly to them, or they’ll come and stay with us. It’s up to you.”
“I need a studio.”
“For?”
“Painting. The first time I was asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I said an artist. But then, Mom and Dad said that was a hobby, not a career.”
“So, what are you planning to do with MarkTech.”
“I don’t know yet, because I still love what I do, and I don’t want to just get rid of it.”
“That’s where I’m at with GAAM. By the way, now that you’re talking to me without wanting to stab me in the back or poison me, we should discuss your part in my company.”
“Part?”
“You’re co-owner. If you had answered one of those forty-four times I tried to contact you, you’d know about it.”
“Why?”
“You’re the brains behind the applications.”
I feel like an idiot, but the past is there, where it belongs, and it doesn’t matter. “I own part of the company?”
He bobs his head a couple of times.
This simplifies everything. “What happens if we merge our companies?”
He wiggles his eyebrows. “Can we discuss a different kind of merger?”
“Do you think of anything other than sex?”
“I might tomorrow, but don’t expect much from me tonight.”
“I love you, Gatsby Spearman.”
He smiles widely. “I love you more.”
His words have so much meaning. They assure me that this time I can trust him with everything, including my heart.