Been There Done That (Leffersbee #1) - Hope Ellis Page 0,53
the aisle from her and ran a lazy hand over the armrest. The leather was silk-soft with the give of melted butter. I had a feeling this would be a much more pleasant experience than the cramped coach seat I’d purchased aboard the flight I missed.
A glossy, perfectly-groomed flight attendant appeared from the back of the plane to greet me and inquire about my drink preferences. I’d assured her I only wanted water, lamented we couldn’t lace it with tranquilizers, and was utterly charmed by her beatific smile. She quickly took possession of my carry-on after I removed the personal items I needed during the flight.
“I like his style. These seats recline, you know. We just have to wait until after liftoff. Listen, can we please keep him?” She peered at me over the rim of her glass, her eyes slitted and sly.
I frowned, unable to follow her logic. “What are you smoking? What do you mean, ‘keep him?’”
Her voice lowered to a whisper as she leaned across the aisle toward me. “The man is clearly crazy about you.”
“He’s crazy about what our curriculum will do to help his company’s bottom line.”
“Nope. It’s you. I see it in the way he’s always watching you, the way he always seems eager to touch you, even when it’s for the slightest thing.” She shook her head, studying the contents of her gently sloshing wine. “You can see the . . . heat in his eyes when he looks at you.”
“Sounds like you’re describing heartburn.”
“I know you don’t believe that. I think he’s a really great guy.”
I yanked my headphones out of my travel pouch with more force than was probably necessary. “Do you? All it took was private flight to convince you of that, huh?”
“Of course it’s not just the flight. I love talking to him. He’s so passionate about what he does. I love hearing his creative ideas about creating easy pathways to health care for the people who desperately need it. And I will admit, this is the one of the sweetest consulting fees I’ve ever gotten. That didn’t hurt. The fee he paid for a one-day workshop with two motivated docs? I call it a win. Let me show you the shoes I’m buying this weekend.”
I settled into my seat, trying not to gasp out loud from the glory of the plush seat absorbing me into its soft embrace. Suddenly, I remembered just how tired I was. Maybe I’d finally get restful sleep, even if only for the duration of this flight. It’d been a long week.
Nick, along with the supervising clinicians, had taken us to a fancy steakhouse in midtown the previous night after our training. He and Adesola had kept up a steady banter about the state of health care and the rising cost of pharmaceuticals. They’d debated various health reform plans, all while sawing into aged steaks and downing vodka tonics. I hadn’t contributed much, and had been too distracted to take up the thread of tepid conversation offered by the supervising clinicians. I’d been unable to break free from my own compulsive, sleep-hazed loop of thoughts, which demanded to know if I was a coward or passive for not forcing the issue of Nick’s disappearance and the Coffee Shop Kiss.
Was it mature to ignore the issue, to bury my own feelings in the name of moving on? Or was that avoidant behavior?
And did it matter, in the end? The guy was only here because he had a product to sell. That was the only reason why he’d come back. Pressing the issue just made me needy, right?
See? Someone, please, turn my brain off.
“Look at these.” Adesola thrusted her phone across the aisle. I squinted to make out an admittedly gorgeous pair of crystal-studded heels with the iconic red bottoms. I peered more closely at the caption at the bottom and yelped. “You’re going to spend almost four grand on these? Where are you wearing them?”
Adesola gave me the dark, mischievous smile that somehow curled the ends of her lips and signaled the arrival of something naughty. “I like them. And maybe I don’t plan on wearing them anywhere. Shoes like these, darling, aren’t meant for walking. They’re meant to be draped over your man’s back. You should get a pair and try it. Oh, hello, Nick.”
I jumped, dropping my Kindle in the process.
Sure enough, Nick stood at the entrance to the plane, silhouetted by a halo of bright sunshine. He was casual in jeans and