Page 9 of Miss Understanding

“You couldn’t have simply asked me?”

Was he serious? Forget paper cuts or voodoo dolls, I was bound to snap. I only hoped the documentary on the Oxygen channel showed all of the compelling reasons why a nice girl from Orange County had absolutely lost it at LAX.

I was saved from my murderous thoughts when the loudspeaker announced first class was now boarding. It meant he could finally leave me alone.

“Fine. All the files are better than none. Let’s hope they arrive without an issue. Let’s go.”

“Go where? They asked for first-class passengers to board.”

“Yes, and that’s us.”

Was he high? “No, it’s you.”

His handsome face seemed to be in a perpetual state of confusion this morning. But now it showed complete shock. “You didn’t book yourself in first class?”

“Of course I didn’t.” Why would I ever presume to do so on his dime?

His exasperated sigh was the response.

By now you’d think I’d be used to his sighs, but it still rubbed me the wrong way.

However, he shocked me with his next words. “Then, let’s upgrade you.”

“What? No.” Frankly, I didn’t want to sit next to him during the flight. Wasn’t even worth the free cocktails and extra leg room. Besides that, it was way too expensive.

“Why the hell not?”

“Because there was a three-thousand-dollar difference between the tickets. I’m fine in coach.”

Again with the vein-throbbing thing. It was telling how much he didn’t care about the money when he walked up to the counter and asked the woman there, “Excuse me, do you have any room in first class, so I can move my assistant’s seat assignment?”

The redhead took a look at him and smiled. I was sure a lot of women reacted similarly before they got a load of his non-charming personality. Or maybe it was just me who was lucky enough to evoke it.

“Sorry, sir. First class has checked in full. Do you wish to board now?”

“Yes. Fine.” He sighed fully, pointing at my carry-on. “Make sure it doesn’t leave your sight. I don’t need to worry about another suitcase not arriving.”

With his departing criticism, he turned and boarded.

Mentally I was flipping him off with both middle fingers.

Chapter Six

Liam

Working hard was something on which I prided myself. I’d been doing it since I was old enough to have a paper route at age eleven. Therefore, now that I had the money, I rewarded myself with certain things like flying first class. But I wasn’t a complete asshole to expect my assistant to fly coach on the same flight. The fact she’d assumed I was didn’t sit well. Not well at all. Neither did the guilt I was experiencing. I briefly entertained the thought of insisting on switching seats with her, but I didn’t think it would send the right message about who was the boss. Besides, I was still irritated about her checking her suitcase with an entire year’s worth of work in it. Here was hoping they made it all the way to Virginia.

Who did that? Of course, I had to admit I hadn’t given her a hell of a lot of other options when I cut her off as she’d been asking questions yesterday afternoon. I should’ve been more clear about only needing the red folders. Or I could’ve been more reasonable and let her simply ship them. The thought of her having lugged all of those files from the office made me feel like a complete ass. I should’ve been the one lugging them, not her with her small frame.

I smiled at the pretty blond flight attendant. She offered to take my jacket and then came back with a hot coffee and a Wall Street Journal. Although I might be tempted to drink a bourbon, I had to remember it was only seven o’clock in the morning. Something told me there would be plenty of liquid numbness in my near future in order to get through this next week. No need to start now, especially if I hoped to get some work done while in the air. Having the confidential files in Kendall’s carry-on would help.

So I waited for her to board. And waited. And waited some more while the plane filled up, and she was not amongst the passengers walking in. I had a flicker of panic, thinking she might have changed her mind. Quit on the spot. I could swear sometimes she wanted to. I wouldn’t blame her. No way I could constantly try to keep another human being organized the way she did.

Finally, her shiny brown hair came into sight. When she’d arrived at the gate, her long hair had been disheveled, but now it was back in a sleek ponytail. As soon as she caught my eye, her entire body stiffened. Not a smile. Not a word. Simply an awareness as if she braced herself for what I might say. It wasn’t a reaction I prided myself on causing.

Deciding to stand up, I reached for her carry-on, thinking I was being helpful to find it a space up here with me and not make her handle it a moment longer. “I can put this up here with me.”

She tugged it out of my grasp. “No. I have it. I’ll keep an eye out for it.”