As I pack the last of my toiletries into a black leather bag, I wonder how exactly we’ll get things started. Will it be sudden and explosive, coming together the moment we’re alone in a room? Or will we waste precious time with pleasantries while we get a hold of our nerves?
I hope it’s a mix. I’d like to get to know more about her than just the way she looks when she comes. She said I didn’t need to go beyond getting in her pants. But I can’t help wanting to.
I don’t like the idea of leaving my truck in the airport parking garage. And I can’t ask my parents to drop me off, because they have no idea I’m going. Not that Dan would give a shit, but something tells me my mother would sniff out the reason for my trip and I’d never hear the end of it. So I take a cab, which gives me the extra time I need to think, to plan.
Cris could always come with me to Bonheur. Jane would love her. I just have to think of a way to get her there. Sure, it would go beyond the one night she wants. But what about what I want?
“Thanks, bud,” I say to the cabbie, handing him a tip when he drops me off at the curb.
I search the faces of the travelers hurrying to get out of their vehicles and lugging heavy bags. None of them are the one I seek.
All through the airport, I scan the crowd, but Cris is nowhere to be seen. Then a horrible thought hits me. What if she doesn’t show?
It wouldn’t be the end of the world. My life would go on. But it would finally kill any hope I have of being with her. Because I know that this is my one chance.
I walk up to the ticket counter, where a young woman with bouncy corkscrew curls and deep dimples greets me. The gleam in her brown eyes tells me she appreciates the charming smile I give her. “Good afternoon, sir. Where are you going today?”
“New Orleans.” I hand her my driver’s license and plane ticket.
“Anyone traveling with you?”
“A friend. But I don’t see her. Are you able to tell me if she’s checked in?” I intensify the dazzle, knowing the rules but hoping she’ll break them for me.
Her dimples fade as she denies me, “I’m sorry, but I can’t give that information if the tickets weren’t purchased together.”
I nod, though I don’t agree with it. After checking in, I head through TSA. Still nothing.
Being in first class, I’m one of the first to board. A quick glance at the back of the empty plane only serves to inflame my anxiety. Where the hell is she?
“Can I get you something to drink?” the male flight attendant asks.
“Vodka tonic, please. Light on the tonic.”
He smiles before leaving me to get settled in my extra wide seat. I don’t particularly care if I’m in first class or the plane’s ass. But with my height, I have no choice. Today I wish I could fit in coach so that I’d have a clear view of the passengers without having to crane my neck.
“Here you go.” The attendant returns with a highball glass and places it on the small table in front of me. “Is there anything else?”
“Yes, actually. I’m waiting for someone. She’ll be in coach, and I wanted to see if she’s checked in already.”
“I’m sorry, sir. That’s not something I can share with—”
As he’s speaking, I glance behind me, and to my relief, I see Cris boarding. I can tell she’s searching for me. Guess I should have told her I’d be in first class.
My gaze follows her to the back, where she sits next to a particularly large man. The annoyance in her expression is obvious, even from this distance. Just as she’s about to look up, someone releases the curtain that separates first class from coach, obstructing my view.
“That was her,” I point toward where she’s seated, chuckling because she seemed utterly miserable. “Is there anyone sitting here?” I ask, tilting my head to the seat beside me.
“I’ll check for you.” He returns several minutes later. “As it happens, this seat is empty.”
“Can I upgrade my friend?”
“It’ll be about eight hundred dollars for an upgrade now.”
“I’ll pay it,” I assure him.
He smiles, extending his hand to me. “Visa or MasterCard.”
I give him the card. He disappears again, then comes back with my receipt. “What was her name?”
“Cristiana Roberts.”
“I’ll go fetch her for you.”
It seems like an eternity passes while I sit there waiting for Cris. For months, I’ve wanted her. For months, I’ve waited. And now that I’m a few moments away from having her by my side, time seems to stand still. I can’t wait anymore.
I glance down at my plane ticket again. At the time I booked it, I didn’t know how long I’d be in Louisiana. Assuming I’d stay only the night but leaving the possibility open for a few, I didn’t buy a return flight. Just a one-way.
But when I see the look in Cris’s eyes as she steps through the curtain into first class, and my heart damn near stops at the sight of her, I realize that this isn’t simply a ticket to another town.
“Thought you might find this a bit more comfortable,” I say, grinning as she takes her seat, because I now know without a shadow of a doubt that this is actually a one-way ticket to the rest of my life.
And there’s no way in hell I’m coming back without her.
Other Books by Aidèe Jaimes
The Ticket (The Affair, Book 1)
The Red Dress (The Affair, Book 2)
The Other Side (The Affair, Book 3)
Good Mr. King
Work Me
Private Investigation (Private Investigation, Book 1)
Public Affair (Private Investigation, Book 2)
Coming Soon… The Promise (The Affair, Book 4)
The Affair: Cristiana’s Full Story Page 36
