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“Maybe that’s why he’s on his best behavior,” Laurie joked.
“I wonder if he lives in Miami or in Dubai,” Madison musedaloud.
Carmen shrugged. “The fact we’ve boarded in Dubai and are landing in Miami, doesn’t mean he’s from one city or the other. He could just have connected, maybe coming from as far as Sydney and continuing on to Chicago.”
Laurie burst out laughing. “What a disappointment ... We’ll never know much about him.” She left to return to the back of the plane.
“You take this one, Madison.” Carmen pointed to the blue light appearing on the Area Call Panel, signaling that a passenger had pressed his call button. “I’ll keep clearing here.”
Gliding along the first-class aisle, Madison scanned the overhead lights and paused next to Mrs. Lambert. “You called? How can I help you?”
“My stomach is upset. Can I have a bottle of sparkling water?”
“Right away.”
“Mom, maybe you should try walking around. We’ve been flying for almost ten hours.” Raking his fingers through his dark, mussed hair, the man her friends had called Mr. Heartthrob straightened and held his hand out to his mother.
The woman unbuckled her seatbelt and stood, then shook her head and sighed. “Where do you expect me to stroll around?”
“I can take you to the galley, ma’am. Shall I hold your arm?”
“No need. I’m stable enough to walk on my own.”
Madison led her to the galley Carmen had finished clearing. “You can use this jump seat if you get tired.”
“Thank you.”
The sweet woman sat and fiddled with the golden pendant on her chest. “When will we land?”
“In less than an hour.” Burning with curiosity, Madison added, “Do you have a flight connection to make?”
“No, we’re getting off in Miami, and we’ll drive to FortLauderdale. My son bought a house there recently and wants me to move in with him.”
“You’ll enjoy Fort Lauderdale. I live there. It’s such a beautiful city, not as crowded as Miami.”
“Ah … That’s good to know.”
Madison was dying to ask more questions, but held herself in check when the pilot announced they were starting their descent.
“I hope you feel better, ma’am. You need to return to your seat now and buckle your seatbelt.”
“Thank you, dear. You’ve been very helpful.” Mrs. Lambert’s smile reminded her of her own mother’s.
With her blond hair and kind demeanor, the medium-height woman was quite different from her stern son, although they had the same striking eyes, deep blue, contoured with a tinge of green.
After surveying the first-class cabin to make sure all passengers had followed the safety regulations recommended during the descent, Madison flopped onto her jump seat and buckled her seatbelt. Thirty minutes later, the plane touched down and taxied to the gate. When it came to a complete stop, Madison slipped on her uniform jacket, opened the door to the gangway, and stood there to bid her passengers farewell.
“Welcome to Miami, Mrs. Lambert. Enjoy your stay. Goodbye, Mr. Lambert.”
“Thank you for taking good care of my mother.” He offered his trademark smile and handed her a business card. “If you ever need a job or a character recommendation, I’ll be happy to provide it.”
“Thank you, sir. I appreciate it.”
His unusual act startling her, she closed her fingers on the card, stroking the embossed letters, and slipping it into her pocket after a quick glance. Did he want to take her out, yetexpect her to be the one calling him first?
Not on your life Rick Lambert.
After the plane emptied, Madison collected her travel bag and strolled one last time along the aisle, checking the vacated area.
