The Billionaire's Assistant

Chapter 48

"Hey," he said, standing suddenly. "Can I show you something?"

Kat nodded, standing as well.

"It was the only present my grandfather ever got my grandmother that she liked," he said, heading for the door of his office. Kat turned towards him without following, confused.

"We're not using the elevator?" she asked, pointing to the currently blank spot in the wall where it appeared.

"This ride is a tiny bit more expensive," said Jove, pushing open his office door. "C'mon."

They walked through the excessively and colorfully decorated lobby, Kat's confusion mounting as they veered away from the elevator and headed towards the stairwell.

"What are we doing?" she inquired to Jove's back.

He turned, cellophane in hand.

"You'll see," he said.

She followed him into the stairwell and up one flight, the next landing a heavy duty steel door marked 'R'. Jove punched a code quickly into the keypad right below the door handle and pushed it open, offering Kat a hand so she could step through first. Her concern about their destination dissolved as she took his hand, feeling herself melt as their palms connected.

Kat stepped into the bright glare of day, the muted gray expanse of concrete that stretched before her reflecting the light. She blinked, adjusting, then noticed the bright red markings in the center of the enormous rooftop that easily dwarfed a football field.

"Is this a helipad?" she cried, turning to Jove.

He had his hand resting on his brow to shield his eyes, looking upwards.

"Yup," he called as an impossibly loud, chopping whir filled the air.

"Hold my hand," Jove called over the noise, and Kat took it gratefully as she watched the hulking piece of machinery settle itself down gracefully.

The wind was nearly blowing her backwards and Jove gripped her hand tightly, pulling her close to his body.

"Stay close," he called as the blades began to slow. "C'mon."

Kat followed him, her hand still tucked in his, and wondered how her day had taken this turn, how she was about to board a helicopter with this man to an unknown location.

"Where are we going?" she asked again, unsure if he could hear her over the gradually quieting blades as they slowed to a stop.

Jove waved at the man in the cockpit then swung the cumbersome door open expertly, putting out a hand for Kat to climb in first.

"You'll like it," he whispered in her ear in answer as she took the large step up into the helicopter.

Kat had never been in a helicopter, had never even seen one up close, and she looked around in wonder at the plush black leather seats and matching black interior. A pane of glass was affixed between the two back seats and the front seats where the pilot was sitting, fiddling with knobs and speaking into the microphone on his headset. She scooched to the seat furthest from the open door and Jove stepped in behind her, sitting and pulling the door closed. The blades were nearly still and the interior of the aircraft was much quieter than the helipad had been, especially with the door closed.

"Where are we going?" Kat asked for a third time.

"To my grandma's house," said Jove. "We kept it exactly like she had it, perfectly persevered." He smiled as the whir began anew. "You'll love it, I swear."

"Buckle up," he instructed, fastening himself in with the three pronged buckle and then reaching over and fastening Kat's when she gave him a lost look.

She pointed to two helmets similar to the pilots tucked into a low shelf just above their feet.

"Do we need those?" she asked, raising her voice against the increasing volume.

Jove shook his head. "No," he called. "Short ride. Unless you think you can't go 20 minutes without talking to me."

Kat blushed and looked away, knowing Jove was laughing despite the whir in her ears.

23 stomach turning minutes later they were landing, Kat refusing to open her eyes till they were safely on the ground.

"You ok Kat?" Jove asked as he popped the door open, grabbing her hand once again to help her safely out once he had fully excited the helicopter.

"Didn't love it," she replied queasily. "Where are we?"

She turned in circles, taking in the dense forest around her. They had landed on another large slab of concrete similar to the Tillibenton headquarters' roof, but this one was in the middle of a forest, no structures for as far as Kat could see.

The sky was a strikingly clear, painfully bright blue, not a cloud marring its countenance, and Kat stepped closer to Jove, the immensity and seeming endlessness of the space around her frightening her a bit for a reason she couldn't place.

"Just a little bit more to go," said Jove, giving the body of the helicopter two taps. "Thanks Clark," he called loudly, and the man inside nodded and gave him a thumbs up.

He was still holding her hand, unnecessarily at this point, and Kat couldn't help but note how natural it felt, how at ease she was knowing she was being held by him. He looked down at her.

"Ready?"

She nodded, trusting him, ready to step into the woods and follow him if he asked, when a long black town car pulled into view, spraying up dust from a dirt trail Kat had failed to notice before it pulled onto the smooth concrete of the tarmac. .

Kat laughed aloud, relieved.

"What?" he asked with mock incredulity. He laughed as well. "I told you Kat, if I was gonna kidnap you, you'd know."

She blushed, ducking her head, and followed him to the car which was easing to a stop a few feet away from them. Jove opened the door and she slid in, growing used to the plush comfortability of the seats in every vehicle Jove transported her in.

Jove slid in next to her, buckled his seatbelt, then reached across her and buckled her just as he had on the plane, his hands just barely brushing her body as he pulled the band across her torso.

"I could've done it," she said.

"I know," Jove replied, shooting her those unreadable eyes. "Hey Ambrose," he went on, directing the greeting to the besuited man driving the car.

"Mr. Tillibenton," the man acknowledged, looking back at them in the rearview mirror with a nod before putting the car in drive and making a wide turn back to the dirt road from which he'd come.