Free First Class to Portland by Aj Harmon

opened the door and she slid in the front seat. “But
you have no idea where we are going,” she continued.
    Matt tipped the valet and jumped in the driver’s seat.
“That’s why they made a navigation system,” he pointed to the GPS on the
console.
    “Ok,” she conceded. “We are going on the I-5 south to the
I-205. Then take the second West Linn exit.”
    Matt maneuvered the car into traffic and made his way
through downtown Portland. “You know, I come here about twice a year,” he said.
“I’m not a complete stranger to your city.”
    “What business do you have here?” she asked.
    “A couple of high-rises and a few malls. When the real estate
market crashed a few years ago, we were able to scoop up some really good deals
here. We were fortunate to not have been hit hard in the recession. Mark was
amazing locating some really good acquisitions in the northwest.”
    “Is he running things for you while you’re here?”
    “Actually,” Matt confessed, “I have made him a partner. He
now owns thirty-five percent of MEL Holdings.”
    “Wow!”
    “And you were the reason why.”
    “What?” Janie was shocked. “How?”
    “Well it started at the Yankees game. When you were asking
Mark about working for me, I realized that I have never thought of him as an
employee, always a partner. But I started the company and when the legal entity
was all set up it was just me. But not long after, Mark started working with me
and I never really thought about it. And then when I was going to…well, when…
anyway, I decided that if I wanted to step back a bit I needed to make it all
official, so the papers were all signed last week.”
    Janie was confused, but didn’t ask any questions. “That’s
amazing. You’re amazing.”
    “No, just ready to start a new chapter in my life.” He
reached for her hand and lifted it to his lips. She smiled as she watched him
kiss her palm. It sent shivers down her spine.
    “Which exit?” he asked.
    Janie navigated him to the realtor’s office and they pulled
in the parking lot.
    “If you don’t mind, I’ll just wait here for you,” he
grinned.
    “Hmmm. Probably a good idea. We might just avoid a nasty
catfight if you’re not around,” she giggled.
    Janie jumped out of the car and ran into the office. Matt
took the opportunity to call Angela while he was alone.
    “Yes Angela. All is good here.” He grinned at his secretary
who never, ever got involved in his personal life until now. He guessed she saw
the real thing in Janie too. “I need you to book a ticket for Janie on the
return flight with me on Thursday please. No. One way. And there are a couple
of other things I need you to do too.”
    A couple of minutes later he’d hung up the phone and Janie
came out of the realtor’s office, Amanda at her side. She was talking to Janie
but when she looked up and saw him she turned and waved, tilting her head and
smiling like the Cheshire Cat. Matt frowned and reached across the seat and
opened the passenger door for Janie. She climbed in and slammed the door shut.
    “So it’s really going to be like this for me all the time?”
she whined.
    Matt laughed. “I only have eyes for you, Janie Anderson!”
    *****
    Matt and Janie pulled up in front of her house. They had
decided to visit the Japanese Gardens and Janie wanted to get changed first.
    “I’ll just wait out here,” Matt offered as he put the car in
Park.
    Janie tilted her head as she turned to him, forehead
wrinkled.
    “First off, we won’t ever make it to the garden if I come
in,” he winked. “And, if I was to be perfectly honest, I feel a little
uncomfortable being in your house.”
    “Why?” she asked. “Not big enough for you?” she laughed.
    Matt was serious. “No. It was the house that you shared with
your husband and, I don’t know, it feels kind of weird being there.”
    Janie nodded. She had shrugged off the same feeling the
other night when he was there. But she had pushed it aside and