gently nudged her elbow and all thought of the past fled her mind. His arm was warm and solid and strong. She wondered what it would feel like wrapped around her. “What do you do?”
Juliana swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry. Focus on something other than his lips, Juliana. Geez.
“Business consultant. Mergers and acquisitions.”
“That can’t be easy.” He looked impressed.
“I don’t like easy. There’s no challenge in it.” She grinned as she delivered her signature line, the thing she said to strangers on planes, in hotels and at conferences. With all her travel, she’d become very good at summarizing her life in a few easy-to-digest lines.
Law chuckled a little. Juliana liked making him laugh. She wanted to do it again. But here was the part of the trip, no doubt, where he’d pull out his book or magazine or e-reader. He’d tuck his nose into his distractions and she’d answer her email on her phone and they’d become strangers again.
Juliana waited for it. After all, a man like this wouldn’t talk to her the whole flight. It just didn’t happen.
Her mother always thought she’d meet someone on her travels, a likely prospect for a husband, or heck, even a boyfriend, but it just didn’t happen. Maybe Juliana was too focused on her work, too eager to pull out her laptop and block everything else out. But she also wanted to tell her mother that it was next to impossible to make real connections with people as she crisscrossed the country, spending her time in tin birds and hotels that all looked the same.
“So, what do you like to do for fun?” Law was still looking at her. He made no move to pull out his phone to check his messages one last time, or reach for the onboard magazine. He still seemed interested. Odd.
“Oh, fun is usually work,” she said. “I like to run 5Ks when I can find a spare Saturday but normally, I’m working. Pretty boring life, I guess.”
Here’s the time he grows bored. Looks away. Finds something else to do. Men always get bored with her, especially good-looking men. She waited. But his attention didn’t waver.
“I know what you mean,” he said. “I spend most of my time working, too.”
Juliana’s smart watch dinged. She glanced down and frowned. Garrison again.
When you get back, let’s meet. I want to explain.
She ignored it. Garrison needed to get over himself. She mentally rolled her eyes. Couldn’t the man take a hint?
The flight attendants walked the aisles, shutting overhead compartments. They were getting close to takeoff. Juliana felt her blood pressure rise as sweat broke out on the small of her back. What was going on? She’d spent her entire life as a fearless flier, so what was up with her sudden nerves?
She took a deep breath and exhaled. Juliana didn’t know if it was because she’d researched airline crashes so much during her recent project or what. She sucked in a breath. Stop being silly, she warned herself. This is one of the safest planes in the fleet. Still, her heart thudded harder. Just get through takeoff. She knew most accidents happened during takeoff or landing. More things could go wrong, because the plane was closer to the ground and moving slower... And... Deep breath, she told herself. Take a deep breath. Think of something nice. Like your favorite glass of wine. Like lying on your favorite beach...like...
“Nervous flier?” Law asked, his sharp eyes missing nothing.
“Not usually.” Juliana laughed weakly. What was wrong with her? Was she coming down with something? Food poisoning, maybe? “Actually, never. I don’t know why, but suddenly—” she shrugged “—I just feel a little weird about it.” Light-headed, scared, even. This was so embarrassing...an airline consultant...afraid of flying. She’d spent countless hours on flights this month and didn’t blink an eye. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. Maybe I’m coming down with something.”
Maybe it’s the stress. Blue Sky was a tough project, no doubt, but she’d had worse.
Her phone pinged again. Garrison one more time.
You take off yet?
She silenced her phone. No wonder she had a case of the nerves. Garrison wouldn’t leave her alone.
Take the hint, she mentally begged him. Just seriously, take it. Not interested. Never will be. Don’t make me spell it all out. Let’s just pretend none of it happened and move on.
Garrison was a heavyset, barrel-chested married man in his early 50s. Just thinking about Garrison’s stout body made her wince. Garrison might find her attractive, but the feeling was not mutual. And he was married, she reminded herself. He had a wife and two kids in the ’burbs. But then again, it was usually the married men who pursued her. She didn’t know why. Did she give off some kind of vibe that told men she was desperate enough to consider someone already taken? She wasn’t sure, but it happened more than she liked to admit.
She focused on the passenger next to her. She wanted a distraction, badly, and he provided the perfect one. Look at those blue, blue eyes. Yes, something about his face made her think he’d understand her. What was she thinking? This man cared? He was a stranger. And he’d grow bored with her soon enough.
“No reason to be embarrassed. Everybody’s scared of something.” She doubted the Aussie next to her was afraid of anything.
“Thanks. I really don’t know what’s wrong.” She fanned her face and gave herself a mental shake.
Law cocked his head. “Well, you’re flying on the world’s safest airline. Blue Sky has the lowest accident rate of any airline in the world. That’s why...” Law paused. “That’s why I fly so much with them.”
Juliana knew about Blue Sky’s lack of accidents, of course, but hearing it again and from one of the airline’s most frequent customers, made her feel a bit more comfortable as some of the tension left her shoulders. She liked talking to this stranger. It felt oddly freeing somehow.
“I’m glad of that,” she said, and grinned.
The flight attendant announced the plane would be leaving the gate, and just as she clicked off the PA system, the plane rattled to life beneath them, slowly backing out. Juliana saw the ramp agents far below on the ground, walking with orange-capped flashlights, leading the plane away from the jet bridge. She thought about how they would soon be off the ground, and felt more sweat pool between her lower back and shirt. She looked about the cabin for a distraction and saw a woman wearing a “just married” sweatshirt, cuddling up to her new husband. So sickly sweet, so...silly. She frowned at the happy couple. She wondered if that husband would be Garrison in a few years, sending inappropriate texts to his staff member.
Law followed her gaze. “You don’t like newlyweds?”
“I just think love is a waste of time.” She waved her hand, feeling the futility of it all. Garrison was hardly the first man she’d met who believed monogamy applied to other people. When Juliana was just fourteen, her own father ran off with a younger woman. Her mother had spent most of her adult life hammering home the fact that career was more important than family. Families break up, but a good résumé never does, her mom would always say. Her mom had spent fifteen years as a housewife,
