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“Do I, indeed?”
A wave of pink swept into her face. And well it might. The intonation in his words had been deliberate. He wasn’t sure why he’d put that little twist on them, perhaps because he was tired and bored and the blonde with the in-your-face attitude was, to use a perfectly definitive American phrase, clearly being a total pain in the ass.
“Yes. You have two seats on flight 630 to Rome. Two first-class seats.”
Draco’s eyes narrowed. He closed his computer and rose slowly to his feet. The woman was tall, especially in those ridiculous heels, but at six foot three, he was taller still. It pleased him that she had to tilt her head to look at him.
“And?”
“And,” she said, “I absolutely must have one of them!”
Draco let the seconds tick by. Then he looked at the hostess.
“Is it the airline’s habit,” he said coldly, “to discuss its passengers’ flying arrangements with anyone who inquires?”
The girl flushed.
“No, sir. Certainly not. I don’t—I don’t even know how the lady found out that you—”
“I was c
hecking in,” the woman said. “I asked for an upgrade. The clerk said there were none, and one word led to another and then she pointed to you—you were walking away by then—and she said, ‘That gentlemen just got the last two first-class seats.’ I couldn’t see anybody with you and the clerk said no, you were flying alone, so I followed you here but I figured I should confirm that you were the man she’d meant before I—”
Draco raised his hand and stopped the hurried words.
“Let me be sure I understand this,” he said evenly. “You badgered the ticket agent.”
“I did not badger her. I merely asked—”
“You badgered the hostess here, in the lounge.”
The woman’s eyes snapped with irritation.
“I did not badger anyone! I just made it clear that I need one of those seats.”
“You mean you made it clear that you want one.”
“Want, need, what does it matter? You have two seats. You can’t sit in both.”
She was so sure of herself, felt so entitled to whatever she wanted. Had she never learned that in this life no one was entitled to anything?
“And you need the seat because …?” he said, almost pleasantly.
“Only first class seats have computer access.”
“Ah.” Another little smile. “And you have a computer with you.”
Her eyes flashed. He could almost see her lip curl.
“Obviously.”
He nodded. “And, what? You are addicted to Solitaire?”
“Addicted to …?”
“Solitaire,” he said calmly. “You know. The card game.”
She looked at him as if he were stupid or worse; it made him want to laugh. A good thing, considering that he had not felt like laughing since that damned middle-of-the-night phone call.
