she told herself it would all work out in the end.
“The seats make up into a reasonably comfortable bed,” Heidi told her. “Would you like one of my pills?”
“I would. Thanks.” If Everly was going to arrive in Manaus with a functioning brain, sleep would certainly be helpful. Besides, what was she going to do with herself for the next ten hours if she couldn’t sleep?
Her newfound friend handed over the small pill, which Everly downed with the remainder of her champagne. When the attendant came to collect her dinner order, she ordered the pasta, which was surprisingly tasty, along with another glass of wine. By the time her dinner tray was removed, she was yawning. The sleeping aid had done its job in quick order, and Everly was grateful. She thanked Heidi again.
With the help of the flight attendant, Everly lowered her seat to the reclining position, laid her head down on the soft pillow, and closed her eyes. The lights in the cabin dimmed. Almost immediately she could feel herself drift off into the wonderful land of dreams.
Soon her head was whirling with the most fanciful visions, to the point that she was unsure if she was asleep or awake. She sighed as she saw herself walking along a sandy beach in her bikini with a full-length sheer cover-up blowing behind her in the wind. The warm, gentle waves of the Brazilian waters rippled against her bare feet as her footsteps left indentations in the wet sand. Admiring looks from other sun worshippers came her way as the wind tossed her soft brown hair about her face. With her head tilted toward the sun, she basked in the approving glow of admiration.
At five ten, she was the tallest of the three Lancaster girls. As a kid she was all legs. Her height had helped her in the business world, she felt, and she used it to her advantage, often wearing three- and four-inch heels. No man was going to intimidate her. She wore her thick shoulder-length hair straight, often securing it at her nape.
She wasn’t looking for a relationship for the simple reason she didn’t have time for one. Driven as she was to make Easy Home a success, she found her workweek frequently included twelve-hour days and often exceeded sixty hours a week. She was the first to arrive in the mornings and the last to leave. Her role in the company had taken over her life. Jack was right: She was stressed. What Everly needed was a life, a real life that involved relationships, laughter, and social events. All of which were sadly lacking. She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d been on a date. Well, actually, she could. It was the night Dave broke up with her, claiming she was married to her job.
A vacation, she reasoned, in her half-dreamlike state, would be the perfect time for a romantic fling. A smile curved the edges of her mouth as she contemplated meeting the man of her dreams.
A fiery Latin lover. Ooh la la.
The cruise should give her ample opportunity to meet men. It was sure to be a romantically rich environment. Everly’s dream was getting better by the minute. She pictured herself in the arms of a dashing man worthy of being a cover model. His muscles bulged as he bent her backward for a toe-curling kiss, sweeping her off her feet.
And then the lights came on.
Everly blinked against the brightness and pushed the button that would raise her bed into a sitting position. Rubbing her eyes, she heard the pilot announce that the plane would be landing in São Paulo within the next hour.
No sooner had she finished speaking when the flight attendant came down the aisle with a cart, offering coffee.
Everly continued to blink. It felt as if she were caught in a thick fog and was drifting outside her body.
Placing her hands over her face, she shook her head to clear her vision and wake up. It astonished her to learn she’d been asleep for nearly eight hours. It hadn’t felt as if any time had passed at all. The last thing she remembered was her romantic fling with a Latin lover.
The flight attendant handed her a hot cup of coffee, which she eagerly downed, hoping that would help clear her head. She stared into the brew after each sip, as if the cup contained the answers to the universe and the solar system.
Her seatmate must have noticed