David stepped off the plane in San Francisco the following Wednesday, and while the other passengers on the flight raced to reunite with their loved ones as soon as they landed, his steps were a lot slower and heavier. He'd been to California before—several times. Perhaps not to San Francisco, but he still had the familiar “been there, done that” feeling when he walked into the airport.

He hadn't spoken to Candice since he broke the bad news to her on Sunday, and it had been the worst three days of his life. He'd never been in love before, so this was all new and unchartered territory, and the empty feeling in his soul was a constant reminder of what he'd left behind.

"Mr. Maxwell?"

A middle-aged man in a black uniform and hat approached him, carrying a sign that read DAVID MAXWELL, and he raised his hand. "Yes, I'm David Maxwell."

The man shook his hand. "Good afternoon. I'm Norman Childs, Randy Drennan's chauffeur. I'm here to drive you to Drennan Enterprises. Can I take your bag for you?"

It was odd being met at the airport by a chauffeur, and he didn't quite know how to respond, but he handed the man his carry-on bag, and they walked to the baggage claim area to retrieve his suitcase. They made small talk on their way to the parking lot, and when they exited through the sliding door entrance, he saw a tall gentleman leaning against a black limousine. The man waved and came over to join him.

"David, it's nice to finally meet you in person. I'm Randy Drennan."

They shook hands while Norman put his luggage in the trunk of the car. "It's nice meeting you too. Thank you for picking me up. This is a nice surprise."

Randy waved a hand in the air. "It's no problem at all. You mentioned on the phone you've never visited San Francisco, so I thought I would show you some of the sites first before we head back to the office if that's all right with you."

David agreed as Randy opened the back door and gestured for him to get inside. When he did, he was surprised by the size of the interior. There were two long seats on each end and a small bar to the side that held several glass containers of what looked like alcohol.

"Would you like a drink?" Randy asked.

David shook his head. "No, thank you."

Norman opened the driver side door and got behind the wheel, and soon they were pulling away from the airport and heading south. Randy's cologne was overbearing, even in the large space, and his eyes watered.

"I'm glad you were able to get away from work this week and visit," Randy said. "Did Aaron ask a lot of questions?"

David shook his head and looked out the window. "No. I just told him I needed some vacation days, but I didn't explain why, and he didn't ask."

That seemed to satisfy him, as he grinned and unbuttoned his suit jacket before leaning back against the seat.

"I have no doubt you’ll enjoy it here. This city never sleeps, and there’s always something to do, so you’ll never get bored. I reserved a suite for you at The Ritz for as long as you care to visit. I hope that's satisfactory."

David nodded, still unsure of what to think about his possible new boss because he was very different from Aaron, who was more laid back. Randy's three-piece suit was so crisply pressed, he wondered how he could even move without it breaking, and his voice was dull and monotone. He pointed out the celebrities’ homes he built and a couple of businesses, but there was no excitement in his tone or demeanor.

"The mall I'm building in Long Beach will be home to some of the most elite clothing and jewelry designers in California and abroad. I have a sculptor in Venice designing a statue that will be placed in the courtyard in the center of the mall. I can't wait to show you the blueprints so you can see for yourself what we have in mind."

David hoped he appeared more interested than he really was. "Have you ever built homes or businesses for middle or low-income families?"

Randy turned up his nose, and he looked shocked like David asked him to do something along the same lines as donating a kidney or giving all his money to charity.

"No,” he responded. “We have certain clientele and strict guidelines we adhere to.”

David sat back in his seat and got comfortable while Norman chauffeured them around San Francisco, and he let Randy do most of the talking since it was more than apparent the man loved hearing his own voice.

"I think you'll be very happy with what I have to offer. I'm willing to double your present salary, and every Christmas, I give my employees a sizable bonus. Plus, I offer benefits such as health insurance, a retirement plan, and any expenses you incur while working—gas mileage and hotels—are paid for. I'm guessing by the absence of a ring on your finger that you're not married?"

David looked wistfully at his left hand. "No, I'm not married."

Randy nodded like he approved. "You're a smart man. I'm currently with my third wife."

Norman took them to the Golden Gate Bridge, and they visited Fisherman's Wharf and Chinatown while Randy gave him history lessons about it all. He had to admit, the area was really beautiful, but it was difficult to enjoy it when his mind was on Candice and Sarah and wondering what they were doing back home in Lehi.

"I have a few vacation homes in places like Milan, Paris, and Cozumel," Randy bragged. "There’s something that suits just about everyone, whether you like staying in a cabin in the mountains, a luxury suite, or a beachfront villa. Every year, I do a performance evaluation on all of my employees, and those who are working up to par by my standards get to stay in my vacation homes free of charge. How does that sound?"

He wanted to tell Randy he'd done his fair share of traveling and could care less about staying in one of his fancy vacation homes but chose not to bruise his ego. "Sounds perfect."

After an hour or so touring the sites, they went to Drennan Enterprises. It was a massive company and much larger than David expected. The building contained three stories and was divided into sections for engineers, designers, project directors, foremen, and accountants. He met most of Randy's employees, and it took two hours just to tour the building. When they were almost done, David was physically exhausted.

"This would be your office," Randy said.

He opened a door, exposing the largest office he'd ever seen in his life. His offices at MBC and Owens Industries could fit inside of it with room to spare. It was divided into two compartments, an office area and a conference area. The office was filled with a large mahogany desk, a few chairs, filing cabinets, and bookshelves that reached the ceiling. The window behind the desk covered the entire wall and had a gorgeous view of the Golden Gate Bridge. The conference room contained a long, rectangular table and sixteen chairs for meetings.

"Did I mention you would have your own personal assistant too?" Randy asked.

David shook his head. It was almost too much to take in at once, and he felt like a kid at Christmas time, only each present he opened was more elaborate than the last. It was nearing seven o’clock when they reached the end of his tour.

"Let's grab some dinner," Randy suggested. "There's a restaurant around the corner that serves the best filet mignon in the city."

David's mouth watered at the mention of it, and as they left the building and got back into the limousine, he was starting to understand why so many people fell in love with San Francisco.