The Other Side of Greed by Lily Zante

Chapter Forty-Two

KYRA

“Are you ready?” he asks. We’ve driven over to the Loop. He’s told me nothing so far, and I was surprised when he said he’d pick me up at eight. The evening has already turned dusky.

I’d expected that we’d spend most of the day together, but as I’m quickly finding out, I should never underestimate things when it comes to Brad. He’d also told me to wear long slacks and a fitted jacket. That should have alerted me to the fact that it wasn’t a movie and dinner—or that he’s psychotic and controlling and that I should stay away.

I’m even more confused when he heads away from the buzzing area filled with bars and restaurants and I see signs for a heliport. I’m glad I had an apple and a small cup of yogurt before I left, otherwise I would be starving. “Where are we going?”

“You’ll see.”

He quirks a smile at me, almost tugging at my hand as I slow down. We soon turn the corner and I see a heliport directly in front of me, and a bright red helicopter with a big white H on the side.

“We’re going on a helicopter ride?” I suck in a breath. This man doesn’t do things by half.

Movie, dinner and a walk; these were the things I had in mind. Not a helicopter ride. This is all so different and exciting.

“Are you afraid of flying?” he asks, when I fall silent. Luckily, I’m not.

“What would you do if I was?” I ask, just to test the waters.

“I’d blindfold you and throw you into the helicopter. No point in wasting a good ride.”

My eyes pop. He sees the fear on my face, then puts his arm around my shoulder, hugging me to his side. He laughs. “Of course I wouldn’t. I’d ask you what you wanted to do.”

I let out an exaggerated sigh. “That’s good to know, and by the way, I’m not afraid of flying.”

“Then we’re good.”

He greets a couple of people who seem to be waiting for us, while I stare at the helicopter and look for signs for damage and wear and tear. Under the lights, it looks pretty good.

“Shall we?” Brad holds out his hand.

“Already?” I assumed we’d have to wait, even though this is a night-time ride. I’ve heard from others that these things are popular and I was expecting more people.

“Yes. Already.”

Brad introduces me to the pilot who seems very familiar and easy-going; it’s as if they know one another. I’m amazed at how good Brad is with people, and as I watch him talking, I realize that I’ve only known him in a very limited capacity. Here, with others, away from the factory and the food nights, he seems like a different person, in charge and in command. He takes my hand and leads me towards the helicopter.

“Aren’t we supposed to have safety instructions or something?” I imagined that we would have something like we do in an airline flight.

“I’ve been on a couple of these things before. Trust me. You’ll be okay.”

There it is again. The self-assured attitude. It’s almost as if he and the guy are friends.

“Do you do this often?” I ask, my heart thumping with fear.

“Not often, no. You look scared. Don’t be. I’ve got you.” He helps me in, and after a few reassuring words from the pilot, we’re in the air.

“Hey, Kyra, you okay?” It’s only when he asks me that I realize I’m gripping Brad’s hand extra tight. I nod.

Sitting beside him, with the world at our feet, I try not to get too intoxicated by the moment. The helicopter lifts up and away. Goosebumps shimmy across my arms, and my heart glides in my ribcage, soaring with the headiness of this moment.

Brad is doing something special for me. I’m a lucky gal.

“Would you like me to give a commentary?” the pilot asks. I stare at Brad, who raises an eyebrow at me. Once again, I’m unsure what’s going on. And then I start to get nervous. What if this is his friend? What if he’s not a qualified pilot? What if this is Brad’s way of trying to impress me? What if there isn’t proper insurance in place?

“Sure, why not?”

Why not? Aren’t they supposed to give a running commentary of the sights on these trips?

My doubts amplify. “Is this safe?” I whisper to Brad.

He must sense the unmistakable fear in my voice because he puts his arm around me and kisses me on the top of my head. “This is safe. I would never put you in danger. Mark, would you mind telling Kyra how long you’ve been doing this for?”

“Sixteen years. You’re in good hands, ma’am.”

“Hear that? Sixteen years.” He drops a kiss on my neck. The scent of his aftershave lingers in the air, and as I bury my face in his arm, it’s all I can smell.

Safely snuggled up against him, I start to feel better. Looking out, the skyline resembles a jeweled spider’s web cast all over the city which is ablaze with tall buildings all lit up.

The pilot mentions Willis Tower and Millennium Park as we fly over them. The aerial views of Navy Pier and Centennial Wheel are resplendent in the dark black velvet sky.

Every view is breath-taking.

I imagine in the daytime we’d get a better feel for each landmark and building, but Brad picked the right time, because at night, the city is magical. I feel as if I’m gliding around on a carpet flying above a sea of jewels. It is beautiful and rare, seeing the city from this angle, and in a way that very few people are able to.

Sitting close to Brad, the fear slowly leaves my body, and I crane my neck, eagerly looking out and around at the sights from this high up. “How long do we have?” I ask him after a while. This is as perfect a night as any, and for a first date, it’s unforgettable. I don’t want it to end.

“As long as you want.”

His cryptic answer confuses me. “How long did you book for?” I glance at my watch. We’ve been up here for about twenty minutes.

“How long did you want?” I’m convinced that he’s in cahoots with the pilot. They’re friends, and that’s why he’s able to do this. It makes sense, the friendliness between the two men, the slacking off of rules and regulations. All of it.

“You’re sure this is safe?”

“It’s safe.” He traces a finger along my lip. “You’re worrying, and it’s the last thing I wanted for our first time out. This is my small way to trying to make it up to you, Kyra.”

I swallow and decide to get over my niggling worries. Brad wouldn’t put my life in danger. He cares for me. He’s gone out of his way for me to meet Emma, and now he’s dazzling me with this beautiful night. I should learn to relax and enjoy this.

“Let’s stay a little bit longer,” I murmur, watching Wrigley Field below us, the green shimmering and floodlit.

The pilot soon stops talking, and I sit back and take in everything, but most of all, I marvel at the thought of me being up so high in the sky, with Brad, the new man in my life.

It feels as if I’ve turned a corner. I have never felt as cherished as this before. The first thing I do when we set back down on the ground, and we’ve thanked the pilot and walked away, is kiss him, long and deep, and with all the feeling in my heart. “Thank you for the best night of my life.”

BRAD

She looks as if I’ve given her the world. I’ve never seen anyone look so happy, and all this just after a helicopter ride. Keeping my real life separate from the life Kyra thinks I lead is tricky. Pretending that Mark is someone new, and that the helicopter doesn’t belong to me is tricky.

How will I ever explain to her?

We walk up a few stairs which lead to one of the best restaurants in the city. I’m reverting back to my Brandon Hawks playbook; not because I need to impress Kyra but because she deserves the best, and she expects so little. She does so much for others, and she doesn’t get all that love and attention back.

I wanted this night to be special for her.

“Do you come here often?” she asks, after the maître d’ has greeted us and shown us to our table. The man talks to me with a familiarity that makes me feel nervous. As much as I’m trying to get ready to tell her some things, I’m aware that the power of observation will plant more questions in her head. The last thing I need is for anyone to run into me and call me by my real name.

Perhaps I have become careless in my attempt to show her some of the real me. If the sleek and chic ambiance of this place hasn’t clued her in, the row of expensive cars parked outside should have done.

“I come here for business, mostly,” I tell her as we make ourselves comfortable in our plush seats. I’ve been here twice this month already—in my other life I lead away from Redhill—because this is the place to come to in order to impress people. I picked this place on a busy Saturday night hoping that I won’t run into business people.

“You mean for your start-ups?” She looks as if she doesn’t know whether to believe me. “I thought when you said start-up you were talking about you and a few guys starting something at the kitchen table.”

“Perception is everything. I have ideas and I believe in the project, and coming here signals those things.”

“It also signals that you have a lot of money.”

We stare at one another. I wonder if she’s testing me, if she knows or suspects more. In my desire to want to show her a good time, I might have been a bit too eager and overplayed things.

“It must be a cool project.” She looks at me over the menu, her eyes widening as she glances back at it again.

“It is. I think it’s one you’d like.” She has no idea that the real project I have in mind has to do with her and her dreams and vision for Greenways. After my instructions to Neville the other day, I’ve decided that instead of walking away, I can invest heavily in Redhill, as well as Greenways. I can give her that dream she has of expanding the factory. I can make that happen for her now. And I can get her goddamn roof fixed ASAP.

“I have no interest in online gaming,” she says, perusing the menu.

“I guess not. What would you like?” I ask, nodding at the menu.

“It all looks good.” She chews her lip.

“If you don’t like anything here we can go someplace else.”

“It’s not that. The food sounds delicious.”

“Then?”

She shakes her head, then closes the menu but still holds onto it. “It’s nothing.”

“It doesn’t look like it’s nothing.”

She chews her lip again. “I just … I just can’t help feeling lucky for everything I have.”

It’s guilt. She looks at the menu and now she feels guilty. “You’re already doing everything to help people less fortunate than you. Your food nights initiative, it’s a fantastic thing. But it doesn’t mean that you should feel guilty just because—”

“That’s not what I meant. That’s not it at all. I’m just really grateful for everything I have. This,” she rolls her shoulders and looks around the restaurant, “This place is beautiful. The food smells delicious. I’m just grateful for you. For the helicopter ride, for these hours together.”

Now I’m the one who feels like an idiot. “I … I didn’t realize that’s what you meant.”

“My mom used to tell us to recite five things we were grateful for each night. It made me see how much we have. How lucky we are.”

“Your mom sounds like a very special woman.”

“She was.” She opens the menu up again and examines it slowly. I watch her with interest. She’s so unlike Jessica. She’s so unlike the high-maintenance ball crushers I tend to date. I like being with this woman.

We place our order, and I raise my glass. “To our first date, at last.”

“At last.” She clinks her glass with mine. “I’m planning a meal for Simona when she returns. Maybe something like this, though maybe not as upscale. Sometime next week. She would love for you to be there. Will you come?”

I wince. I already have demands on my time. McGovern Holdings., and Jessica, which quickly spring to mind. I could ditch Jessica easily, but then she’ll find a way of never letting me forget. And I did promise her that I would try to make this one last time at the gallery. But I’ve also always turned Kyra down for events and I still regret not going to the city hall event. “What day?”

“I don’t know. I need to check with her.”

“Give me the date and time, and I’ll try to come.”

“Try?” Her voice is shaky. “Is it Emma?”

“What? No. No. It’s just … this … start-up … it’s taking up a lot of my time …” Guilt reaches into my soul and feels around with pincers. Where are my nerves of steel? My disregard for these people? I feel things now. I care. I care about Kyra, and I’m torn. Wearing this new cloak of concern makes me a little uneasy. Because a snake that sheds its skin is still a snake underneath.

Should I tell her? Should I come clean at this very moment and break this little bubble we have? We have a new understanding, but it’s still based on lies. It’s not the way to start something new.

“Well, that’s great. That’s really great, Brad.”

“Thanks. I have to meet with some people next week and I don’t know how long the negotiations will take.”

“Negotiations?”

“I prefer not to say too much about it just yet.” I chicken out like the coward I am.

“I understand,” she says, her voice soft, her eyes shining. “I’m so happy that this is working out for you.”

“Me too.” But the happier she is for me, the worse I feel. This is the moment when I should tell her that I’m taking the private jet to fly to Boston. I don’t know how long it will take for me to sweeten the people at McGovern Holdings. I should tell her that the helicopter we just flew in belongs to the family, and that Mark is our most trusted pilot.

What would she do if I spilled all of the truth now?

“Let’s just enjoy our dinner,” she says, while I’m still wondering how to broach the subject. “You don’t have to explain everything to me, all at once. We’re good now.”

“We are.” I will unravel my life to her slowly. We order and eat, talking about Redhill, and her vision and her plans. No more trying to gently persuade her to up and leave Greenways, I now find myself trying to sway her the other way.

Then we change the subject and talk about easier things, such as our favorite movies and songs and things we like to do.

Afterwards, we go for a walk along the river, talking about our plans and how awkward things might be when Fredrich and Simona find out we’re together.

“I’ll be leaving Redhill,” I announce suddenly, as soon as the idea comes to me. This is the simplest way to do this. I can’t be here. Being here, at Redhill, complicates things. Everything will be simpler if I leave.

She lets go of my hand, staring up at me as she stops walking. “When?”

“I don’t know.” The thought just came to me and I have no plan. All I know is that working with her, alongside her, juggling my two worlds, is becoming more complicated. Extricating myself from Redhill is the first step towards getting clarity. “It’s getting really busy with the other stuff.”

“So when were you thinking of leaving Redhill?”

I shrug. “Maybe once I get back from this meeting. If it’s okay with you, could I not come in to work this week. I need to prepare.”

“Yes, of course. You need to focus on your start-up. Are you saying you’ll leave soon?”

“Maybe I can work a week or two at Redhill, and then leave. That way I can tell Fredrich and Simona.”

She lets out a heavy breath. “It’s all happening so suddenly.” She stops at gazes at the water.

I lift her face to me. “It was only ever meant to be a temporary thing, Kyra. You didn’t even want to take me on.”

“That’s because I wasn’t sure about you. I had my suspicions. I wasn’t sure who you really were.” She moves closer, sliding her arms around my waist. “But now, now that I’m getting to know you, I think you could be a great asset to Redhill. You could help me to do so much, Brad.”

“You give me too much credit,” I tell her, as she looks up at me with admiration and hope in those naïve, trusting eyes. I try to muster my game face, something that is usually second nature for me, but it eludes me right now.

Disappointment sweeps across her features. It guts me, thinking that she was starting to think that I would have stayed. I can help her so much. Hawks Enterprises can go from being who we are to being a company with values and concern for the welfare of others. My father, bless his eighty-six-year-old heart, isn’t going to be pleased, but I’m certain I can forge a new way forward without making him completely unhappy.

“I can still give you ideas, I can still give you advice. It might be better for us to have that distance in our working lives.”

“But I was just getting used to having you around.”

“You can have me around.” I drop a kiss on her lips, hoping to reassure her. Hoping that once she knows the truth about me, she’ll still want to be with me. Leaving Redhill is the first step and it will make things easier. The distance, both mentally and physically, will allow me to unveil to her who I am and what I had planned to do.

We walk back and I feel as if a heavy load has been lifted from my chest. As we get into the car, she tells me what a beautiful evening she’s had, and then she thanks me.

“Don’t thank me, Kyra. I wanted us to have a proper date. No more sneaking around.” My gaze falls on her lips and I want to kiss her wildly again.

“No more steaming up the windows?” she asks, a naughty glint in her eyes.

I want to steam up the windows not only in the car but in the shower, and the bathroom, and everywhere I have plans to take her. In the extended pause that follows, I can sense what she’s thinking, and when I don’t say anything, she asks, “Did you want to come back to my place?”

I want her to come back to my place, but after tonight, it might be too much for her to take in all at once.

“I have another date planned for you tomorrow,” I announce.

“Tomorrow?”

“Yes.”

“Another date?”

“Yes, so if you had plans for going to the factory and checking the supplies for the next food night, it’s not going to happen.”

She laughs. “I lead a sorry existence, don’t I?”

“You make a difference in people’s lives, and that is priceless, but you need to have some time to enjoy your life.”

“You sound like Simona.”

“That woman talks a lot of sense.”

“She’s also been eager for you and I to get together.”

“Has she now?”

“I believe she coaxed me into hiring you because you were young and good-looking.”

“We’ll have to break the good news to her.”

“Not yet,” Kyra cries. I understand her reticence at a workplace romance. “Maybe tell them around them time you announce that you’re leaving.”

“See?” I kiss her on the nose. “Another advantage of me going.”

“She’ll be upset, so will Fredrich, but not as upset as me.”

“I’m not leaving your life, Kyra. We’re only just starting.”

She gives me a smile that I can grow used to; that I want to see before I go to sleep and wake up to. I intend to be in her life still, it just depends on whether she will still want me in hers once I confess.

“Tomorrow,” I say, starting the engine. “I’ll pick you up around four. Does that work for you?”

“I’ve been forbidden from checking the storeroom, so I’m going to be free the whole day. You could come earlier …”

Her sultry tone sends a message straight to my cock. I harden at the suggestions that her words have prompted in my brain. I could so easily take her up on her offer to go back to her place now. It would satisfy this burgeoning need that has been eating me up ever since I saw her naked.

I glance at her. “Or I could pick you up at four, take you out, and bring you back to my place.”

“You … you’re going to ask me to come back to your place?”

“Unless you don’t want to.”

“Well, this is unexpected. I don’t know what to say.”

“Say ‘yes’.”