Page 55 of Stuffed

The city unfolds beneath us as we navigate through quiet streets, snow swirling in our wake. His Corvette handles like a dream, and I can't help but think about all those times in high school I watched him lean against this very car, playing at being untouchable.

He's anything but untouchable now, his hand finding little areas of my body to touch or rub whenever we stop at red lights, his smile soft and inviting in ways I never saw back then.

When we pull up to the warehouse, my heart skips. The building looks empty from the outside, unassuming.

Inside, the transformation takes my breath away. Twinkling lights create a warm glow, turning the industrial space into something intimate and enchanting. A small table sits in the center, set for two, while fairy lights snake up exposed brick walls and across steel beams. It’s clearly still a construction zone but by the looks of it, one that is near completion.

"What is this place?" I breathe, turning slowly to take it all in.

"My first real investment," he explains, leading me to the table. "Bought it right out of college, before anyone believed in me. Been renovating it slowly ever since.”

"It's amazing." I spin slowly, taking it all in. "But why bring me here?"

"Because this is the dream, the place I told you about turning into something to help others." He runs his hand along the exposed brick. "And now it's becoming something even more important."

"What do you mean?"

"The renovations you see? They're just the beginning." His eyes light up in a way I've never seen before. "As we speak, crews are working on the upper floors. By spring, this will be Chicago's newest homeless shelter and resource center."

"Really?" I stop spinning, studying his face.

"Really. One hundred and twenty apartments upstairs, medical facilities, job training center, counseling services. And…" He grins, looking almost shy. "A community kitchen where your bakery will provide culinary job training—if that’s something you and Ivy would be interested in doing?"

"Zane…" I can barely form words. "Why didn't you tell me how far along this place was? I thought this was all just a concept. This is…"

"I wanted to do it right first. Make sure all the pieces were in place." He takes my hands in his. "Plus, I wasn't sure how to explain why this matters so much to me."

"Tell me now?"

He takes a deep breath. "Remember Sarah and Michael Reynolds?"

"From high school?" I think back, confused as to what this has to do with two kids I barely remember. "Michael was in your class, Sarah in mine…"

"Their mom lost everything in the recession. They were living in their car, trying to hide it." His voice gets rough. "I found out when I saw them washing up in the school gym before classes."

"I had no idea…"

"Nobody did. That was the point." He squeezes my hands. "I'd been running this side business under the table, doing accounting for a few locals. Had a decent amount saved up. So I helped them get into an apartment, made it look like a scholarship program so nobody would know."

"You did that? At eighteen?"

"Sometimes people just need a chance, you know? A safe place while they rebuild." His eyes scan the warehouse. "I always dreamed of doing it on a larger scale. Now I finally can."

"You never told anyone about helping them."

"Wasn't my story to tell." He shrugs, but I can see how much it means to him. "But it taught me something important. Money, real money, can do really good and powerful things when it's used right. Not just corporate donations for PR, but actual change."

I look around the space with new eyes, seeing past the twinkling lights to the possibility of what it could become. What it will become.

"This is incredible," I whisper. "You're incredible."

"I want to make a difference, Tessa. A real difference, not just corporate philanthropy for good PR." His voice gets rough. "And I want you with me. Your bakery training people, giving them skills, hope…"

"Yes," I say immediately. "Yes to all of it."

His smile is blinding. "Yeah?"

"Yeah." I wrap my arms around his neck. "I love this side of you. The one who cares so deeply, who wants to make things better."

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