The flight attendant purses her lips.“You can catch another flight.Your ticket won’t go to waste, ma’am.”
“But I paid a lot of money to be onthisflight!Maybe he”—I nod to Luca—“can take the next flight.”
Luca mutters something that sounds like French and shakes his head.
This isn’t how I imagined the start of my trip.I open my mouth, ready to plead my case again when a second attendant comes over and whispers something into Miss Tight Bun’s ear.
I catch a fragment of their conversation: “26D is ill.He needs to get off the plane.Now.”
Both attendants direct their attention toward a man sitting across the aisle and behind us.
“Let’s get you off the plane, shall we?”the second attendant suggests as she skitters behind us.
Our situation gets put on the back burner as they assist the ailing man down the aisle, forcing me to squeeze into a very narrow space, uncomfortably close to the man who refuses to give up his seat.While I can’t argue that Luca is undeniably easy on the eyes, my proximity to him makes it hard to think about the irritating situation at hand.
I quickly adjust my gaze to my carry-on, desperate to avoid any accidental eye contact that might add to the awkwardness of the moment.
As the sick man shuffles past me, I can’t help but notice—it’s the elf man, now dressed in regular, casual clothes.He flashes me a wink as he passes.
Strange.
“It’s—” I start, ready to defend my sanity again, but I can already tell I’ll sound ridiculous.
Luca rubs a hand over the back of his neck and lowers his gaze.“I’m sorry, but I really do need to be on this flight.I need to get home.I have?—”
“Looks like a seat has opened up,” the attendant announces, cutting him off and practically startling me to death.
I lose my balance and tumble directly into Luca’s lap.
“Oh my gosh.I’m so sorry!”I exclaim, avoiding his gaze as I leap to my feet.Heat flushes my cheeks, and I’m absolutely mortified for a second time today.
I escape the situation without another word, rushing toward the elf man’s now vacant seat.
This is going to be a long flight.
ChapterSeven
JEMMA
Turbulence jolts me awake.I glance up to see the seatbelt sign isn’t illuminated, a slight relief given how my body feels—tight and cramped from hours in this seat.I attempt a small stretch, reaching my arms overhead, but the confined airplane seat limits how far I can go.
The pressing need to use the restroom stirs within me, intensifying my discomfort.I shift in my seat, trying to quell the urgency, but it doesn’t subside.
I glance over at Luca and see he’s fast asleep.
Perfect.
I seize the opportunity to slip past him without enduring another one of our awkward interactions.
I make my way toward the restroom, only to find the line moving at a snail’s pace.I shouldn’t have drunk my whole bottle of water and the little cup they poured right after take-off.Irritated with myself and everything about this flight, I shift uncomfortably as the line inches forward.My eyes are fixed on the prize when—tap, tap, tap—I feel a nudge on my shoulder.
I whip around.“Oh, it’s you again,” I puff, rolling my eyes.
“Moi?”A cheeky grin spreads across Luca’s perfectly structured face, and I can’t help but notice how infuriatingly hot he looks, even after hours of overnight flying.
“Yes, you seem to be everywhere,” I shoot back.
“If I remember correctly, you were the one who ran into me first.And then, you turn up again, requestingmyseat.”
