by Katie Dowe
*****
Peter mulled over the scotch in his glass with a heavy frown on his brow. He had come to the club just to be by himself for a little bit before heading home. He had an apartment in town where he stayed whenever he was at the club. He had an apartment almost everywhere because he did business all over the world. He was in the air more than he was on the ground and was very involved in his company. His father, Franz Schulz, had been a driven man who had escaped Germany during the 1940s when the country was under the dictatorship of Adolf Hitler and had made America his home. He had been one of two boys and the elder who had died on his way to America. Franz had never gotten over it or the fact that before he could send for his parents, they had died during the war. His father had seen a lot of horrors in his childhood and added to it was the death of his parents and brother which had turned him into a cold and hardened man. He had married his wife to gain control of her fortune determined to make a name for himself in the foreign country. Her fortune, coupled with his determination and grit, had built Schulz Travels into one of the largest commercial airlines and commercial vehicles in the world. He had drawn his son into it ever since he was eight years old and drilled it into him the absolute importance of business and power. Peter had learned a long time ago, ever since he was a little boy, never to expect hugs and kisses from either parent. He had tried to reach out to them, especially his mother, but had been shunned so many times that he had crept into himself and became like them: a hardened shell. He knew of his good looks; he had inherited his father’s chiseled features with his dark hair and his mother’s startling blue eyes. He tossed back the scotch quickly, his eyes narrowing as he noticed the woman eyeing him from where she was across the room. She had apparently come with one of the members, but that did not seemed to matter to her, he thought cynically as he noticed her giving him the come hither look. For one idle moment, he thought about taking her up on her obvious invitation but decided against it. She was too obvious, too ready to show that she was into him. He gave her a withering look before getting up from his table. It was time for him to go to his apartment. Maybe call someone up. He was heading to Germany in the morning and needed his sleep!
*****
Leah put away the rest of the food her father had given her to take home. She smiled as she put the containers away in the fridge. “You are not eating enough. I will not have your mother turning in her grave because her only child is starving,” her father had said.
“I am not starving,” she had protested.
“When was the last time you had a good home cooked meal?”
“When I ordered from Mama Gina’s. She serves excellent home-cooked meals and she delivers,” she had told him with a cheeky smile.
He had shaken his greying head and reached over to tuck a stray curl behind her ear. “You need to eat, baby girl.”
“I do, but you know I have never been much of a big eater.”
“I remember I had to bribe you to eat your vegetables by telling you that we would go to the mall when you were done.”
“And then you would buy me ice cream.”
He had sighed as he looked at her. “My parenting skills left a lot to be desired.”
“You are the best parent I know,” she had told him. And it was so true! She closed the door of the refrigerator and poured herself a glass of wine as her mind wandered to her new job, wondering what it held for her!
Chapter 2
Leah passed her hands down her navy and burgundy uniform nervously as she stood at the entrance of the Cessna waiting for her new boss to board. She had already met the pilot, a charming man in his fifties with thinning grey hair and amazing grey eyes. He had told her that he had been working for the Schulz’s family for the past five years. “Mr. Schulz is taciturn, but you get used to it.”
“Heads up: he is coming,” the pilot, Reginald Weaver, whispered.
Leah turned to look at the impressively tall dark haired man coming swiftly up the steps. He was dressed in a dark blue suit and a burgundy tie, but even the suit could not hide the bulge of his chest and arms. She stepped to the side as he made his way up and forced herself to meet his unflinching stare. “Ms. Grant?” His voice was deep and gravelly as if he had something in his throat.
“Leah Grant.” She held out one slim hand and he stared at it as if it was a poisonous snake before taking it briefly and letting go immediately.
“I am ready to leave within a few minutes, Reginald,” he said, turning to the pilot.
“Yes, sir.” The man retreated and went swiftly to the cockpit. Leah stood there watching as the man went to take his seat on one of the comfortable sofas in the front of the aircraft. He took out his laptop and placed it on the table immediately, apparently forgetting that she was there.
Putting a smile on her face, she approached him. “Would you like something to drink?”
He looked up at her and his startling blue eyes roved over her petite figure insolently. “Orange juice,” he told her briefly.
“Coming right up.” She flashed her best professional smile which had him staring at her for a moment before he nodded and looked back down on his laptop. She hurried to the galley to get his juice. She was very impressed at the array of refreshments and food stacked in the drawers and cabinets. She chose a squat-shaped glass and hesitated a little wondering if he wanted ice, but decided that two cubes could do no harm. She quickly put the glass onto a small tray and went back to place it in front of him. “Is there anything else?”
Without looking up at her, he shook his head. Leah lifted her brows and wrinkled her nose before turning away.
“Ms. Grant?” His deep voice stopped her in her tracks and had her turning to face him. “I am going to need a light lunch at a quarter to twelve. I hope that you were informed of my preferences?”
“Of course,” she told him with a smile. “American BLT with slices of fresh tomatoes and pineapples. You also have iced tea with a twist of lemon to go with it.”
“Correct. Make sure I get it at that time.”
“Yes, sir!” She barely stopped herself from curtsying and she could see by the look on his harshly chiseled face that he was aware of it too.
“Is there a problem?” His acerbic tone could thaw a blazing fire!
“No.” She forced a smile to her lips. “I am here to serve.”
“Don’t forget that,” he told her before looking back down at his laptop.
Leah just stopped from making a wry face at him before turning to leave. She was not going to let him nettle her. She had dealt with irascible passengers before and passengers who treated her as if she was supposed to be at their beck and call and she had handled it very well! Peter Schulz was just one passenger, albeit the man who signed her paycheck, but a man nonetheless. As long as she did her job and managed to stay out of his way then she was going to be fine!
*****
“What are you having?” Reginald pulled out a chair and joined her in the little café. They had landed at the airport an hour ago and a car had picked him up as soon as he cleared customs, leaving her and the pilot to do their own thing and make their own arrangements. A car was provided for them to go into the town and shop around or do anything they wanted to do until he was ready at the end of the day. She had asked that she be dropped off in town where she had wandered around until she found herself in the café eating the lunchtime special.
“I think it’s some sort of salad,” Leah told him as she dug around in her bowl. “It has cheese, tomatoes, onions, and some sort of fruit that I am yet to identify.”
“Is it good?”
“It’s not bad,” she told him with a laugh.
“There is a variety of servings on the plane. Peter is not going to charge you if you eat anything.”
“Are you sure?” she asked a little mockingly. “He appears to be very rigid to me.”
Reginald signaled for a cup of coffee. “He is, but he is also fair and a bit of advice: make sure you show no sig
ns of subordination or disrespect. Peter Schulz is fair, but he does not tolerate his staff getting out of line.”
“You are scaring me,” Leah said dryly as she sipped her water.
“You don’t look scared.”
“It’s just a job, Reginald, and he is just a man. I am not going to disrespect the man who signs my check, but I am certainly not going to lie down for him to walk on me. I am not going to start being afraid of a mere person.”
“Peter Schulz is not just a mere person.” He stared at the beautiful young woman in admiration. She had taken off her hat and her jacket and was wearing only the thin white inside blouse. When he came inside the café, he could see several male heads turning to her. He was married with three grown kids and he had no problem admiring her. “He runs a billion dollar airline that has been hijacked by terrorists two times and he went right ahead and dealt with it as if it was all in a day’s work. He is ruthless and determined and not a man to be crossed.”
Leah angled her head as she looked at him. “Are you trying to make me leave the job the first day?”
Reginald looked at her startled. “No, of course not!” he said with a laugh. “I am just putting you on your guard.”
“Consider me guarded.” She glanced at him. “You have been working with him for a few years, surely if he was that bad you would have moved on.”
“The salary is fantastic even though the hours leave a lot to be reckoned with,” he said wryly as he sipped his coffee. “Every time my wife threatens to leave me, I pick her up some expensive trifle to make her change her mind.” He shook his head. “Peter Schulz does not sleep, at least not really. He would call up in the middle of the night and want you to get ready to fly out in a few minutes and you better be ready.”
“I was told that in my interview,” Leah said contemplatively. “But that is no problem to me. I am single.”
“A beautiful woman like you? Surely that is a crime.”
Leah stared at him in amusement. “I cannot believe you just said that.”
“It’s true,” Reginald said with a glimmer in his eyes.
“I am not ready to commit to anyone yet and it looks like I was right not to. According to you, this job takes a lot out of you.”
“The compensation package is very good.”
“And your wife has learned how to deal with it?”
“As I said before, expensive gifts go a long way in making an apology.”
“I am sure she would prefer you being home with her.”
“Jenny and I have been together for thirty years and counting. We make allowances for each other.”
“That’s good.” Leah nodded as she glanced at her watch. “What time do we get back to the plane?”
He looked at his watch too. “Another three hours.”
“I passed a museum that I want to take a look at. What are your plans?”
“I have a room where I book to get a little sleep so I am heading there now.”
“I will see you in three hours.”
*****
“I already ate so just bring me a glass of cabernet,” he told her as soon as they had settled down and were on their way back home. She had wandered around the museum and had made a quick trip to the mall where she had bought her dad a couple of shirts he needed for the summer. She had seen a particularly sexy rose pink dress but had cut her eyes passed it deliberately. She had too many clothes considering that she hardly ever went anywhere.
“Coming right up.” She returned his cold stare evenly before turning to get the wine. She had meant what she said to Reginald about not being afraid of him, but he certainly made her acutely aware of him! She poured the wine and brought it back to him. “Here you go.”
He nodded as she placed it on the table in front of him. This morning, he had been wearing a dark blue business suit, but she noticed that for the return journey he was dressed in grey dress pants and ash grey shirt opened at the chest. Even in that outfit he still managed to look very formidable. “Is there anything else?”
“No.” He took up the wine and sipped it before looking at her. “I won’t be needing you for the rest of the journey.”
“I will just go and try to amuse myself then.” She meant it as a joke, but she was coming to realize that the man did not have a sense of humor!
His cold blue gaze wandered over her neat uniform before going back to her face. “That’s all.”
Summarily dismissed, Leah retreated into the little area off the galley where there was a comfortable sofa and took her seat. She remembered the fun times she and the other girls had had talking about the customers and their peculiarities. She laughed softly as she remembered a particular lady who insisted on sitting between two of the male passengers in case the plane crashed. “I want to die with two men on either side.” She had made a big deal out of it, so they had decided to leave her alone. Here it was just her with this man who looked like he had all the cares of the world dumped onto his very broad shoulders. She had observed him on the phone earlier today and realized that it was not only her but the person he was speaking to on the other line must have frostbite from his tone! She had done her research on him and the company and knew he was German-American, his father originating from Germany. She had also read about the father’s brother dying and his parents’ subsequent deaths. She realized that her own happy childhood had a lot to do with her sunny outlook on life.
She shook her head and then picked out the novel she had brought with her and before long she was absorbed and had forgotten about her strange employer. But in a few minutes, professionalism kicked in and she got to her feet to go and check if he needed her. She stopped short as she saw him with his head leaned back and his eyes closed. He appeared to be sleeping! She studied his face, noticing the chiseled determined jawline, the cleft in his strong chin, and the fact that he had curiously long black lashes that made shadows on his cheeks. Her eyes wandered over his chest where the opening of his shirt showed her a glimpse of the dark hair there.
“Is there something I can help you with?” His deep voice had her practically jumping out of her skin and her eyes flew to his blue gaze.
“I am sorry.” She was determined not to be rattled by him. “I wanted to find out if there was something you needed.”
“I already told you I will not be needing you for the rest of the journey.” He pulled the lever and brought the seat upright.
“I still wanted to check. I am not quite used to sitting around doing nothing. Working for a commercial airline kept me on my toes.”
“Your dedication to work should be lauded.”
“I think so too,” she said with a straight face.
He stared at her for a moment, his expression unreadable. Before he could respond, the pilot announced their descent and the turned on the seat belt sign.
“Buckle up,” she advised him, and without waiting for his response, she turned on her heels and went back to her seat.
He walked past her and Reginald as he made his way out with a laptop bag slung on his shoulder. His overnight case was still stashed in the overhead bin, and Reginald had told her that it would be taken out when the crew came to clean the interior. “Mr. Schulz travels light.”
“Goodnight, Mr. Schulz,” she said in a pleasant tone.
He stopped and looked at her as if surprised to hear her saying anything to him at all.
With a nod, he continued on his way.
“Quite a talker, isn’t he?” she said in an undertone as they watched him make his way to the two men who appeared to be his guard and driver.
Reginald laughed quietly in spite of himself. “A car usually take us wherever we want to go. Did you drive here?”
“Yes. I am parked out front.”
“I will walk you down. See you in the morning.”
******
Peter took off his clothes and headed straight for the bathroom with its elegantly cool ash grey marble tiles and chrome fixtures. He had decided to stay in
town instead of going to the manor where his mother was. He needed the time alone like he usually did. He stood in front of the full length mirror and admired his muscled frame. He worked out a lot. He had started doing that when he was just a kid to compensate for the lack of love and caring in his home. He had been small as a child and had been teased at the private school he had attended. But that had changed when he had started to bulk up. He was never going to allow anyone to push him around! He lifted his hands and pushed his fingers through his dark hair tousling it. He had contemplated calling up someone to come over and appease his careless desire but had decided against it. He had not been with anyone for the past month or more because he had been so busy and had been traveling a lot. He stepped back from the mirror and walked over to the large shower, his mind flickering for a moment on the new member of the flight team. She was easy on the eyes and so small! And certainly not afraid to voice her opinion. He smiled slightly as he remembered her remarks. He dunked his head beneath the shower and closed his eyes as the warm water tumbled over him. He had meetings lined up tomorrow and a trip to Texas the next day.
*****
“You should not be buying me anything, baby girl!” her father protested as she handed him the packages with the shirts. “What did you buy yourself?” Daniel took the package from her and admired the shirts.
“Have you seen my closet?” she asked him as she sat on the porch swing. She would not be traveling until the morning so had decided to come and see him. “The doors cannot be closed.”
“That’s because you hardly go anywhere.” Daniel brought out the jug of iced cold lemonade and the salad he had prepared for them to eat. “You need to start dating, baby girl.”
“When I find the man to start dating, you will be the first to know.” She accepted the lemonade gratefully and drank half the glass before putting it on the table.
“How was your first day at work?”
“Interesting,” she told him wryly. “Mr. Peter Schulz is quite a character.”
“Did he treat you right?”
Leah laughed at the question. “Daddy, this is not the first grade where you can reprimand whoever is making my life miserable.”
