Page 291 of The Maxwell Brothers

I decided not to give him the satisfaction and said, “Okay.”

Before leaving, I poked my head in the kitchen, apologizing to my team. I disliked Richard intensely, but I liked the crew.They all gave me a thumbs-up and wished me luck when I told them why I needed to leave at the drop of a hat.

“We’ll keep our fingers crossed,” Lola said. I’d been closest to her from the start. She gave me tips about the job—and about Richard—and I covered her shifts whenever she was sick or couldn’t make it. It was nice to have a colleague to count on.

“Thanks, Lola. I’ll let you know how things pan out.”

As soon as I left the building, I texted Andreas that I was ready to go.

He sent me the link to the listing, and I wanted to dance out of sheer joy. The location really was amazing. I zoomed in on the map, barely believing that I could nab a space right next to the exit from the subway station.Dream come true!

The only problematic aspect was that it was tiny, even for a bakery that would only sell to-go, but I was sure that once I saw it, I’d change my mind. It had to work. This was the first space my realtor had been excited about in months.

Usually I sent my parents videos of the places I visited, but today, I wished someone would come with me and share my joy.

On a whim, I texted Declan.

Liz: Hey, I know it's short notice, but I'm going to see a potential space for my bakery. Would love it if you could join me.

Butterflies filled my stomach when I saw the words "Declan typing" on my screen.

Oh my God, maybe this is going to happen. Maybe he’ll come with me.

Declan: Sure, I’d love to. When?

Liz: I’m meeting the realtor in 30 minutes. Here’s the address.

Declan: I’ll be there in 45.

Liz: Okay.

I was lucky Declan took me to work and I didn’t ride my bike, because I’d have had to carry it with me all through the city. After checking online the best way to get there, I decided a detour was in order. I wanted to get off at Washington Station.

I was smiling from ear to ear as I walked from the station to the address, soaking in the city’s vibe. There were commercial spaces on the ground floor of all the buildings. It was an eclectic mix of restaurants, pubs, shops, a UPS store, and even a hotel. The address was on a corner, which was honestly a dream because it gave the space even more visibility. There was a crooked sign with dangling letters hanging off it. I was pretty sure it read Tasty Tots, whatever that was.

Andreas was inside and opened the door for me. I expected him to be alone, but he was with another man.

"Liz, this is Jack, the owner of the place."

"Hi, Jack," I said. Andreas had shown me five other spots, and the owner had never been present.

"I hear you want to lease this space to open a bakery," Jack said.

"Yes. I see there’s already a counter here that’s in good shape. And appliances.”

"Yeah. The place before you was also a bakery. They specialized in gluten-free bread, and apparently it wasn't enough."

I bit the inside of my cheek, putting my hands on my hips and looking around. Right. So, obviously the previous business not being profitable wasn't the best news.

"Are they for sale too?”

He brightened up. "Yes they are. I’ll send you an estimate."

"Yes, please do that. I’m going to have to check them out before signing anything, of course."

This would be amazing. I’d be able to open right away.

“I assume the permits for operating a bakery are green-lit?” I asked.