Shit. Shit. Shit.
That was a lot of money just for one night of my company. Wait. That didn’t sound right. For two days of my help. That wasn’t right either. I wasn’t helping Andrew. On the contrary, I was a hindrance to his work. Either way, I wished I had more time to think about it. Could I run my business without a partner? Was it possible to figure out the interior design by myself, be my own marketing team, and even get an initial inventory on credit? No. This new offer wasn’t sufficient to remodel the space. But it guaranteed enough time to look for a business partner or investor. This offer was intoxicating.
I scrutinized the plane one more time. If I closed one eye—or better, both of my eyes—it didn’t look that bad. If it managed not to lose any vital parts in mid-flight, and we safely landed in Colombia, we could find a better plane to return on.
“How long is the flight?” I asked.
“Two and a half hours.”
I shut my eyes. “Dadgummit.”
ChapterThree
Each of us muttered obscenities as we crammed into the six-passenger aircraft. The interior was worn-out but thankfully clean and so small that Andrew’s tall frame barely fit. His head touched the ceiling, and his knees crowded mine. He sat across from me, and William picked the seat to my right while all his luggage—secured and bundled together by a rope—occupied the space in front of him.
“Do you always travel in such luxury?” I asked, tightening the seat belt and then pulling my skirt as far down as it would go to my knees, which were pressed together and inserted between Andrew’s spread legs, way too close to his crotch. To call this situation awkward was an understatement.
Andrew threw an unwelcoming glance my way, his face glistening with more sweat. He leaned his head back, taking in deep breaths through his nose and exhaling through his mouth. His phone rang, and a picture of the little girl from the pool filled the screen, with the name “Lulu” on the top.
“Hey, Little Mermaid,” Andrew answered, his voice warm. A high-pitched voice prattled something into his ear, and he smiled wide. “That sounds fabulous… Yes… Of course, I’ll get you some when I come back… All right. I miss you, too.”
There was a brief silence on the phone, and then a different, lower voice began saying something. I busied myself with setting my iPhone to airplane mode. I was curious to hear what was being said, but it was hard to understand. And most of all, I shouldn’t care.
“That’s good,” Andrew said into the phone. “Yes, I will…” He looked out the window, listening. “Charlotte, you know I’ll support anything you decide to do. Yes… I’ll call you when I land. I love you, too.” He hung up and then turned off his phone.
Charlotte.Silently, I rolled her name on my tongue. The name suited the beautiful, posh blonde. Where did they meet? Perhaps at an artsy-fartsy gala, or at a fancy fundraiser where only the wealthy or celebrities were invited. I’d attended many events like that for my job, and only when my then-boss, the CEO of Salzburg Distributing, couldn’t go. I’d sweep into the charity event convinced my designer dress would help me fit in, but after an hour, it was obvious mine came from a rack whereas the other women had had theirs tailor-made. A knot tightened in my stomach as I remembered Greg’s, my college ex, words that had engulfed my soul like an oil slick in the ocean, killing every living thing: no matter how successful I’d become, among people like Andrew and Charlotte, I would always be an impostor.
I had tried to make something out of my life and failed. My blood turned cold at the thought of the crazy mess I’d left in Atlanta, which I could now potentially avoid thanks to Andrew having dropped into my world. Perhaps “dropped” was a bad word to think of as the plane picked up speed down the runway, creaking and shaking too much for my liking.
Andrew closed his eyes. More sweat covered his forehead, and his large hands gripped the tiny armrests, sunlight reflecting off his watch. This behavior was familiar to me. This man wasn’t a good flier. Flying wasn’t a fear for me, but I had many other phobias. Living off cereal again. Sleeping in unwashed bedding. Falling in love.
“So, Cambridge, fancy school,” I said. “Did you go there?” Small talk could take his mind off his fear and give me some insight into the man I was about to spend two days with.
“Yes,” Andrew said, not opening his eyes.
“William has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Emory University.” I tightened the belt over my lap one more time. Talking about William was easy since he’d accomplished noteworthy things in his life. “It’s a big university in Atlanta. Have you heard of it?” Andrew nodded. “He worked in a hospital for a couple of years until he and his buddy opened a prosperous skin and body clinic.”
Turning the bracelet on my wrist, I waited for Andrew to inquire about William’s clinic, but he was quiet. Okay. So, chatting to him would be as painful as blisters after wearing cute but ill-fitting shoes. The plane jerked, lurching us side to side for a second, and Andrew visibly swallowed, eyelids pressing together even harder.
“Your watch.” I nudged Andrew’s knee with my hand, needing him to focus on me. “It’s old, isn’t it?”
His eyes met mine. “Yes.”
“Where did you get it?”
“It was my grandfather’s.”
The engines roared in my ears, making it harder to hear Andrew.
“That’s neat,” I said, shifting in my uncomfortable tiny seat. All I got from my grandparents was… nothing. My parents had met at a foster house when they were teenagers, and I guess they never cared to look for their families. I couldn’t fault them for that. William and I cut Mom out of our life for failing as a mother. Her self-absorbed behavior ruined our childhood and drove our father away. We didn’t care about her and not once did we try to find him.
“So, are you going back to the resort once we’re done in Colombia?”
“It depends on what’s inside the chest,” he said, studying my face.
“And what would you guess is inside?”
“I’m not at liberty to discuss it.”
