Chapter 16
Daniella
“Ladies and Gentlemen,we’d like to welcome you on board Flight 2811 with service from Los Angeles to New York, then continuing on to Milan, Italy. We are currently third in line for takeoff and should be in the air in approximately eight minutes. At this time, we ask that you fasten your seat belt and secure all carry-on items underneath the seat in front of you or in the overhead compartments. We also ask that your seat and tray table is in the upright position for take-off. Please turn off and stow all laptops and ensure cell phones and tablets are in airplane mode. As a reminder, smoking is prohibited during the entire flight. This includes the use of all vaping devices. Thank you for choosing Euro Transatlantic Air.” The flight attendant takes in a deep breath before placing the receiver back onto itshook.
With burgundy-lipstick-coated, pursed lips, she walks down the aisle, shifting her gaze from left to right, dutifully inspecting each passenger’s safety belt, ensuring they have all followed the instructions she blared over thePA.
FirstClass.
I’ve never been on board an airplane, experiencing the luxury of first class—although I have walked through first class. On my way to the far end of the plane, ofcourse.
I feelswanky.
Celebrity-ish.
Wait. Is that even aword?
Whocares?
A petite flight attendant hands Antonio and me a plastic cup of orange juice each. “Benvenuti a bordo,” she says in a husky yet femininetone.
I nod and Antonio smiles, offering a respectful, “Grazie.”
I elbow him gently on the side. “So…you speak Italian?” I sip my orangejuice.
“Yep. Fluently. It helps, with me traveling so much to and fromMilan.”
How sexy isthat?
“Oooh, that’s intriguing,” I say, shielding my true level of excitement. “I’ve always wanted tolearn.”
“Maybe I’ll teachyou.”
Minutes later, the plane takes off. And soon after, we are served breakfast, that incidentally, the two of us are just too tired to eat. We end up falling asleep while watching the complimentary movie and seem to simultaneously wake up, once the plane lands in New YorkCity.
Antonio looks at me through sleepy, albeit playful eyes. “Well, it looks as though we got sleeping together out of theway.”
I can’t help but laugh—thrown completely off by his unpredictedmirthfulness.
“I’m getting used to your shock-and-awecomments.”
He stretches and catches my glance with his own extremely speculative eyes. “Really, now? I suppose that’s good, but I’m still likely to throw you for a complete spin every now andthen.”
As the plane taxis to its assigned gate, the husky-sounding flight attendant announces that passengers continuing on to Milan should remain on board while the plane undergoes the refuel process and JFK passengersboard.
Antonio and I both use the restroom and freshen up before the passenger boarding process begins and then we busy ourselves answering text messages and emails. I send selfies of myself to Emma and Stacy who both, in return, send me replies of similarhave a safe flightcontent.
Antonio places his cell phone on the seat-back table while he reviews our itinerary. His phone vibrates—displaying a call fromNonna.
Ugh. I don’t know why I cringe at her. I mean I don’t even know the woman. But I still suspect she’s a slinky model. Someone he’s involved with, for sure. Maybe I should Google her. I’m sure a model calledNonnais highly searchable—a famous one-namer like Madonna or Beyoncé or MissPiggy.
He answers the call, leaning into the phone with his voice lowered. “Buongiorno, Nonna, sonosull’aereo.”
Fuck.
He’s speaking Italian, ofcourse.
Which means she’s probably some Italian hottie he keeps around for his trips to and fromMilan.
