Bryce shook his head casually. “I’m on the waitlist. Go ahead—I’ll see you on the plane.”
Eric shrugged and moved forward, still looking mildly confused. Bryce stayed put, calm on the outside, even though his mind was reeling.
He was married—an institution he’d always kept at arm’s length after a disastrous engagement his first year of med school. Since then, Bryce saw commitment as a vulnerability, and he’d sworn never to be that exposed again. He lived by his ‘no strings attached’ policy. No risk. Just temporary flings and easy exits.
And now?
Now those strings were wrapped around him… in a way he didn’t exactly mind.
When his boarding section was finally called, he stood and stretched, his muscles stiff from tension. What he wouldn’t give for a long run to clear his head.
Moving down the narrow aisle, Bryce came to a stop at their row. With a low chuckle at her startled expression, he folded his athletic frame into the seat beside her. He didn’t miss the way she stiffened, or how her eyes darted to the aisle—like she was hoping someone else might take the seat instead.
“Sorry. Hoping to get away from me?” he asked, settling in.
“Oh, uh… I just hoped to sleep during the flight.”
“Don’t let me stop you. We can talk once we’re back in Colorado Springs. You like coffee, right?”
“No… well, yes, I love coffee, but I can’t go tonight. Actually,” she lowered her voice and glanced around the plane, “I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to go out and drink coffee together at all… ever.”
“Eric is sitting in first class,” Bryce whispered, catching her concern. “Since we can talk freely, want to tell me why you don’t think we should ever drink coffee together?”
“It’s pretty obvious, don’t you think?”
“No, I don’t think the answer is obvious. And I don’t think it would be a bad idea. If we go out, people aren’t going to assume we got married in Vegas. At most, they’d think we like each other—or maybe that we’re dating. Would that be so bad?”
“YES! I’d rather not be linked to you at all.”
Beth was clearly flustered.
“It’s just... you know why. It’s humiliating.”
“Being with me is humiliating, or the situation is?”
His insecurity was obvious, and it tugged at Beth’s heartstrings.
“Not you, really. More the situation—and how I’d feel being seen with you. You know how fast gossip spreads. If people saw us together, they’d know something happened in Vegas. Everyone at the hospital has their sights set on you. Crystal is a great example of that. We’d be the talk of the hospital for months. And after everything that’s happened… I...”
She trailed off, unsure how to finish.
“I get it,” he said. “But like it or not, we are married. So regardless of what people will say—if they find out—we need to talk about it. Pretending it didn’t happen won’t make it go away.”
“I have plans tonight to see my parents” Beth said firmly, inching closer to the window—away from him, and more specifically, away from the tantalizing scent of his cologne.
All of a sudden, it was all she could smell. She’d secretly loved it for years, and now it felt unfair that something so familiar and comforting could make her feel so off balance.
Bryce leaned closer, his voice low and husky. “Sweetheart, you don’t have to hug the window. I won’t jump you here on the plane. I promise—I’m sober.”
A crooked smile tugged up the corners of his mouth, and despite everything that had happened, his flirty words and familiar charm made Beth want to smile in return. She fought it off, determined not to give him the satisfaction.
“Did you know that when you try not to smile, your dimples get deeper?”
She let out a reluctant chuckle and eased her grip on the armrest. She even scooted towards him. Just a little.
“That’s better. Now… about tonight.”
“I really do have plans.”
