CHAPTER 58: A TRIP

Embarrassment was all that was written on Lillian’s face as she sat in the passanger’s side of the car....

Ethan’s car.

He, on the other hand, had his eyes focused on the road as he drove, completely unaware of the fact that Lillian was just a mention of her drunk night away from jumping out of the car.

Speaking of the night she got drunk.

"Y’know, I’m having a hard time believing that you didn’t take advantage of my beautiful defenseless friend that night."

Yeah, Lillian really regretted bringing Aria along.

The three were currently headed to the airport, heading to California.

They were headed for a business meeting...well, Lillian was. Aria just tagged along for vacation and since she was paying for her trip, Lillian couldn’t exactly refuse.

Not that she would have, anyway—Aria had a way of making herself part of plans whether she wanted her there or not.

Ethan also claimed to be going for a vacation and a change of scenery. Lillian didn’t believe that for a second. Ethan Carter didn’t strike her as the type to just... take vacations.

But she chose to say nothing or maybe couldn’t since she was still extremely embarrassed and couldn’t exactly say anything to him.

Ethan’s hands remained steady on the steering wheel, without moving his gaze from the road. "Your faith in me is inspiring," he replied dryly, there was a small smirk on his face as he drove.

Aria, seated comfortably in the back with her sunglasses perched on her head, leaned forward between the two seats. "I’m just saying, most guys wouldn’t resist when presented with such a rare opportunity." Her tone was teasing.

Lillian groaned and slumped lower in her seat, covering half her face with her hand. "Can we not have this conversation?" she muttered.

"No, no, I think we should," Aria said, clearly enjoying herself. "For the sake of my friend’s dignity, of course."

Ethan just chuckled and continued driving. He didn’t mind Aria tagging along, after all, she was Lillian’s moral boost and she might need her.

The drive continued with Aria asking questions just to embarrass Lillian and Ethan occasionally responding to her questions.

But even though she was embarrassed,Lillian was even more nervous, after all, this was her first time handling a deal of this scale entirely on her own.

The meeting with Google wasn’t just another contract signing, it was the kind of deal that could put Ethan’s company in an entirely different league. She’d spent the last two weeks obsessing over every detail: the pitch, the numbers, the prototypes, even the tone of her opening greeting.

And yet, despite all the preparation, her stomach still felt like it had been tied into a series of sailor’s knots.

Aria’s teasing faded into the background as Lillian mentally ticked through her checklist again. She was bringing her lead software architect to handle the technical deep dive, her marketing director for brand positioning, and their legal counsel to make sure no one slipped in a clause that could come back to bite them.

All sharp minds, all dependable... but none of them could stand in for her. This was her deal to win or lose.

Ethan glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, catching the subtle tension in her posture. "Relax," he said casually. "If you’ve done your homework, you’ll be fine."

She turned her head toward him, frowning slightly. "It’s easy for you to say. You’re not the one about to walk into a room full of Google executives and convince them we’re worth partnering with."

"No," Ethan said, smirking faintly, "I’m just the guy who’s betting you can pull it off."

Aria leaned forward again, resting her chin on the back of Lillian’s seat. "And if you don’t, at least you’ve got a free trip to California. Worst case, we hit the beach, drink margaritas, and cry about it in style."

"That’s not comforting," Lillian muttered, though she couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at her lips.

The airport came into view up ahead, and as Ethan pulled into the departures lane, Lillian took a deep breath.

She was ready for this and she’d be sure not to break the trust places in her by Ethan. She got outside the car as soon as Ethan completely parked.

The air outside was warm, carrying the faint scent of jet fuel and coffee from the terminal. Aria was already snapping a quick selfie with the airport sign in the background while Ethan retrieved their luggage from the trunk.

"Gate C, right?" Ethan asked, handing Lillian her carry-on.

She nodded, adjusting the strap on her shoulder. "Yeah. We’ve got about forty minutes before boarding."

"Perfect," Aria chirped, slipping her sunglasses down over her eyes. "Plenty of time to grab overpriced pastries."

She pulled Lillian into the airport, specifically by the snack shops, while Ethan walked to take care of parking arrangements.

He gave them a short nod. "Go ahead, I’ll meet you at the gate," he said before striding toward the short-term parking office.

Lillian let Aria drag her toward a coffee shop tucked between two newsstands. The scent of fresh espresso and buttered croissants made Lillian almost forget her nervousness... almost.

"So," Aria said, eyeing a display case of pastries, "do we go for responsible protein or shameless carbs?"

"Carbs," Lillian muttered. "If I’m going to have a heart attack before this meeting, I might as well enjoy it."

They ordered, Aria getting an elaborate latte with whipped cream and sprinkles, Lillian settling for a plain cappuccino and a chocolate croissant and found a small table near the window.

Outside, she could see Ethan speaking to the parking attendant, handing over his keys, and signing paperwork.

Even from here, she noticed how no one seemed to rush him, despite the line forming behind. He just had... that effect.

"You’re staring," Aria said around a bite of almond danish.

"I’m not," Lillian replied quickly, tearing a piece off her croissant.

"You totally are. Look at you—tracking his every move like some nervous intern with a crush on her boss."

Lillian gave her a flat look. "I don’t have a crush."

"Uh-huh," Aria said, unconvinced, sipping her coffee. "You’re just overly invested in his parking situation because... you’re a car enthusiast?"

Before Lillian could retort, Ethan reappeared, making his way through the crowd toward them. He didn’t say much, just set his bag down beside the table and took the seat across from her.

"All set?" she asked.

"All set," he confirmed. "Car will be waiting when we get back."

Then, without missing a beat, he added, "You should eat more than that. It’s going to be a long day."

"I’m fine," she said, taking another bite just to prove it.

He gave her a look, one of those unreadable expressions, and then glanced at the departure board above the café entrance. "They’ll be boarding soon."

And just like that, her heart rate picked up again.

___________

The flight lasted for almost five hours before the airplane finally touched down.

Throughout the flight, Lillian tried to distract herself as she opened her laptop, reviewed her pitch slides for the hundredth time, even jotted down a few potential questions Google’s team might ask but her brain kept circling back to the same thought:

’what if I mess this up?’

Aria, of course, had no such concerns. She’d spent most of the flight watching a rom-com on her tablet, laughing loud enough to earn a few annoyed glances from nearby passengers.

Ethan, on the other hand, had been quiet the entire time, earbuds in, eyes occasionally drifting over to her screen when he noticed her flipping through slides again.

But he chose to say nothing, after all, this was her test to face and he had temporarily already removed the biggest obstacle in her way, so everything else was up to her.

When the captain announced their descent into California, Lillian’s stomach gave a traitorous lurch that had nothing to do with turbulence.

The warm West Coast sunlight spilled into the cabin as they landed, and the moment they stepped outside, Lillian was hit with a breeze carrying the faint scent of the ocean.

Aria immediately stretched her arms overhead and let out a blissful sigh. "Oh, I can already feel my skin getting happier."

Lillian rolled her eyes but couldn’t help smiling at Aria’s dramatics. She tightened her grip on the handle of her carry-on, scanning the crowd as they made their way toward the terminal exit.

Ethan walked slightly ahead of them, his long stride forcing Lillian to keep pace. He glanced back briefly. "Car should be waiting outside."

"Already?" Aria asked, tilting her head. "You didn’t even make a call."

Ethan’s lips curved faintly. "Arrangements were made before we left."

Well, Athena did using the company’s funds and name, but that information was unimportant.

Lillian wasn’t sure if he was smug or simply stating a fact, but either way, it fit him. And just like Ethan said, there was a matte-black SUV parked right at the curb, The Ameswell hotel’s logo discreetly embossed near the rear door.

The driver, dressed in a clean suit that looked like it had never known a wrinkle, stepped forward the moment he spotted them. "Mrs. Hayes, welcome to California," he greeted, opening the rear passenger door with a small bow of his head.

He recognized them because Athena had taken the liberty of sending the hotel Lillian’s picture.

Aria’s brows immediately shot up. "Well, this is fancy," she murmured, clearly impressed.

Ethan motioned for Lillian and Aria to get in first before walking in after them.

"Complimentary beverages are in the side compartment," the driver said politely before pulling away from the curb, heading directly to the hotel ’OmniTech Corp’s had booked for this stay.