“I don’t mind rescheduling. I know I sprung this on you.”
“It’s fine, really.” She smiled. “I’m sure I won’t be missing much. Besides, I wasn’t really looking forward to going out with the guy she set me up with. He sounds like a complete tool. So, really, you’re doing me a favor.”
I gripped the edge of my desk, forcing out a laugh. I had no right to be jealous, but I was. What I wouldn’t give to have a chance with Sumner, to be able to ask her out and spend time with her. To enjoy her company. Not as her boss. Not as her dad’s best friend. But as a man.
I often wondered if part of the reason she was alluring was the very fact that she was off-limits. I’d grown up poor; I was no stranger to wanting something and not being able to have it. But that was a lifetime ago, and I’d grown accustomed to taking what I wanted. To working for something and accomplishing it.
“So, no boyfriend, then?” I finally asked the question I’d been dying to know for weeks. A question I had no right to ask. It was like some sick part of me had been waiting for this opening.
Again, a shake of her head. “No. I’m not seeing anyone. What would be the point? I’m moving again at the end of the summer.”
“Right.” I nodded, digesting this new information. “Yeah. I just thought your dad said there was someone—”
“There’s no one.” Her curt tone had me even more curious about the men from her past. “What about you?” she asked, her voice more tentative.
“Do I have a boyfriend?” I teased, intentionally misinterpreting her question.
She rolled her eyes then headed for the door. “Never mind. It’s none of my business.”
But I realized I wanted it to be. As the door closed behind her, I said, “There’s no one,” but she was already too far away to hear.
Chapter Nine
“You okay?” Jonathan placed his hand on my shoulder. I glanced away from the screen displaying the latest information on our flight to New York.
The past few days had been a whirlwind of preparations, long hours, and packing. The long hours I didn’t mind, especially if I got to spend them with him. And while I’d tried to push my anxiety over the flight from my mind, I hadn’t done a very good job. I’d barely slept—keeping myself busy until I’d eventually pass out.
“Yep,” I chirped, placing my hand on the small bag of pills buried in my purse. It was so tempting to take one. I was exhausted, on edge, and also excited. It was a dangerous mix.
“I’m great,” I said, bouncing on my toes, more to dispel my nervous energy than from any actual excitement.
“Anxious flyer?”
“A little.”Huge understatement.
I forced a smile, trying to push away memories of my last flight. But my mind immediately went to that moment—the plane plummeting toward the ground. Sweat beaded along my forehead, though a chill came over my skin at the recollection. A certain-death moment, I’d later learned it was called. Nearly crashing had given me clarity, but it was still scary as hell to contemplate flying again.
I can do this.I breathed, repeating the words in my head.Icando this.
This would be the first flight I’d taken since, and to say I was on edge would be an understatement. We hadn’t even boarded, and already, it felt as if the walls were closing in. I could only imagine how trapped I’d feel once I was inside the tin can, but there was no going back now.
I shifted my hand in my purse, feeling around for the little baggie once more. When Piper heard I was flying, she’d insisted on giving me a few of her antianxiety meds. And while I’d been totally opposed at first, I was now rethinking my stance. Five-plus hours confined on the plane was a long time. Averylong time.
The gate agent made an announcement about boarding, and my chest constricted, spots dancing before my eyes. For a brief moment, I thought I was going to pass out. And that fear of making a fool of myself pushed me over the edge. I slipped a pill from the bag, placing it on my tongue and swallowing it down when Jonathan wasn’t looking.
“First class is now welcome to board.”
“That’s us,” Jonathan said, and when he placed his hand on my lower back, I knew I wouldn’t go back even if I could.
There was no way I’d miss a trip—an opportunity—like this. Especially not when it meant a week alone with Jonathan. Well, a week alone with him outside work meetings anyway. But I was so desperate for any time with this man that I’d take whatever I could get, pathetic as it was.
I didn’t know what I hoped would happen. There were times he seemed attracted to me, but he’d never acted on it. He’d never been anything but professional, polite, kind. Realistically, I knew nothing wouldeverhappen between us.
He continued talking as we walked down the jet bridge, and I wondered if he could tell how nervous I was. I gripped the suitcase handle tighter, my stomach churning with every step. Even so, his voice was calming. His touch—distracting. It was the only thing keeping me sane as I smiled at the flight attendant and stepped onto the plane. I swallowed, reminding myself that I was okay. That we weren’t destined to crash-land like my last flight. And I prayed that wouldn’t be the case. I also hoped Piper’s pill would kick in soon.
Even so, with one look at the strip of lights lining the floor, I was ready to bolt. A gentle nudge on my lower back had my feet moving again. Jonathan smiled, and I tried my best to return it, but the smell of burned coffee, the hiss of the air pumping through the vents, had my body on high alert. I took a seat, my hands shaking as I attempted to buckle the seat belt.
After he’d stowed our carry-on bags in the overhead bin, he peered down at me. “Sumner, are you sure you’re okay?”
