Remembering that my father was still on the phone, I shook myself free of my stupor.
“Did you find the peanut butter?”
“Where’ve you been?” he quickly countered. “You were telling me how to cook this damn sandwich right so it tasted just like yours.”
I heaved a breath.
I took one last glance over my shoulder, searching for signs of the woman that bumped into me. Our exchange was brief … too brief, but from what I did get to make of her, she was short, like shorter than average. Thus seeing over the crowds of people in this damn airport was likely a lost cause.
I wonder where she’s going?
There was no use in wondering about that. Hundreds of flights went in and out of this airport daily. I’d probably never see that woman again.
I told myself that should’ve been okay with me. Still, even while I gathered my luggage, and instructed my father on how not to burn down my damn kitchen, I couldn’t help but think about how soft her body felt pressed against mine for that millisecond she was there.
CHAPTER2
Mia
“I can’t believe I missed my flight,” I whined to my sister, Sharise, over the phone.
“Sorry, hun, but at least you were able to catch the next one. And it’s a direct flight,” she reminded me in that always-looking-on-the-bright-side-of-things way of hers.
“And I upgraded to first class,” I confessed.
“Yess! That’s what I’m talking about. You deserve it.”
A grin split my lips as I peered at the screens listing the departing flights and their times. I needed to triple-check that I was by the right gate. I was determined not to miss another flight.
“Why were you running late anyway? You’re hardly ever late,” Sharise asked as I made the decision to bypass the seating area and head to the little coffee stand in the middle of the airport.
I hesitated but eventually answered, “Vincent called last night. He had a—”
“Your former co-worker Vincent Davis?” Sharise shrieked. “Not the same Vincent Davis that you trained for a year, who then spent the better part of the past three years riding your coattails only for him to get that promotion that you deserved? That could not possibly be the same Vincent Davis you’re saying caused you to miss your flight this morning.”
I groaned. “Sometimes I think I share too much of my business with you.”
“Not possible. I’m your big sister. I changed your diaper.”
Laughing, I rolled my eyes. “Sharise, you’re eighteen months older than me. We were practically in diapers at the same time.”
“Whatever.” I could almost see her waving a dismissive hand in the air. “What did his backstabbing ass want?”
“He—”
“Hang on. Yes, Christopher?” she called.
Though slightly annoyed at being cut off so abruptly, my heart swelled a little at hearing my five-year-old nephew’s voice in the background. I even grinned when Sharise started arguing with him back and forth over how to properly cut his hot dogs.
“That boy,” Sharise griped when she returned to the phone.
“Give my baby nephew a kiss for me,” I told her as I moved up one spot in the long line at the coffee stand. My stomach rumbled when the smell of freshly baked goods hit my nose.
“Now what were we … oh yeah, you missed your flight because of Vincent. Tell me more about that.”
I shook my head at how good my sister’s memory was. “He didn’t make me miss my flight. I was up later than planned because he called with a few questions.”
“Work questions?” Sharise asked.
