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"You were late," Jeffrey remarks. I glance back at their direction and find her sitting comfortably on his lap with her arms coiled around his neck. She leans in, body pressing intimately close to his as her eyes meet mine. Slowly, it dawns on me - she is trying to stake her claim.
"I had a lot of shopping to take care of yesterday. The important thing is I'm here now," she chimes in.
"Alright, please take your seat. We’re about to take off," he says.
"Sure," she says. I watch as she leans down and kisses him squarely on his lips once more before sitting beside him. It’s hard to overlook how she still has her arm wrapped around my Jeffrey.Damn it, he’s not yours,I try to remind myself.
"Mildred, meet Phebe," he introduces. An unspoken exchange occurs between them, and then he continues, "Miss Phebe Landon, meet Mildred."
"His girlfriend," Mildred adds before throwing me a fake smile. I can already tell this trip will be a long one.
Who brings a girlfriend along on an important business meeting like this? I don’t want to overthink what it might imply about his commitment to her. I quickly glance at the blonde and force a smile. This is just one more reason why I should keep my distance from Jeffrey. I try not to dwell on how attached Mildred seems to be to him, it really hurts to see.
The flight is incredibly smooth, possibly the best I’ve ever experienced. The only problem is that I can’t seem to take my eyes off Jeffrey. Luckily, he didn’t catch me stealing glances in his direction. As the plane touches down, Mildred wakes up from her slumber.
“Baby, are we in Miami,” her voice fills the air, groggy.
“Yes, we are,” Jeffrey replies calmly as Mildred lifts her head from his shoulder.
“Oh,” she responds, her gaze shifting to the window beside her before setting on Jeffrey. I feel her eyes drilling into me, but I choose to ignore them.
“Baby, do you remember the last time we came here?” Mildred giggles. I wonder what’s so funny? It’s only been a few hours since the meeting, and I can’t explain my sudden dislike for her. Jeffrey remains silent.
“Oh, how can I ever forget. It was like a mini honeymoon. I recall all the fun we had and, most importantly, how insatiable you were. Gosh, I felt like a new bride,” she says, and I freeze. The implication of her words leaves a bitter taste into my mouth. Can she spare me all these details? I glance in their direction and notice Mildred’s fixed gaze on me. A sly smirk plays on her lips. Finally, it dawns on me. She’s deliberately provoking me. Is she trying to make me jealous? I want to tell her she doesn’t need to waste her efforts. Jeffrey is off limits, that much, I know.
I take my eyes off her and patiently await as the plane comes to halt.
“Welcome to Miami; I hope your flight was enjoyable,” the pilot’s voice filters through the speakers.
“I hope your stay here is enjoyable,” he finishes. The beautiful flight attendants stand in position as the door opens. I gather my bag and leave my seat. As I’m about to move down the aisle, I collide with something hard. I gasp, feeling myself teetering.
“Arghhh!” I shut my eyes and wait for the impact of my fall. However, strong arms wrap around my midriff and prevent me from falling backward. Slowly, I open my eyes and find myself locked in a familiar gaze. It feels as though my heart is about to explode from my chest as I lose myself in Jeffrey’s intense stare. The gap between my pants and top exposes my skin, and I’m acutely aware of the touch of his large hands against me. It feels like a fire has been ignited within me.
“Jeffrey,” Mildred’s cold voice is enough to break the spell. Jeffrey frowns before he steadies me. Wondering what’s going on in his head, as his hands drop from my body and he steps back.
“Watch where you’re going next time. My boyfriend won’t be there to save you all the time,” I glance at Mildred and find her glaring harder than I’ve seen in the last few hours. Could she perhaps be a bit more reasonable? The more time I spent with this woman, the more it confirms my growing realization of her vanity.
“Are you alright?” Jeffrey inquires with a concern, ignoring Mildred’s presence entirely. In fact, it seems like Mildred is about to explode in anger. The fact that Jeffrey thinks about my well-being despite her displeasure over his intervention spreads warmth over my body.
“Yes, I am,” I give him a smile. However, in a flash, it drops when Jeffrey doesn’t return my smile. His face remains impassive. I wonder what it will take to see a smile on his face again.
He nods and turns to face Mildred, who is still seething with anger.
“Let’s get going,” he says as he holds out his hand for her. Mildred glares at me one last time before grabbing his hand. I notice how she presses herself against him to stake her claim, but my mind is a mess. I still feel a tingling sensation where Jeffrey’s hand met with my lower back. Hell, I feel his presence as if he is still holding me.
I quickly trail behind them to leave the plane. The first thing that hits me as I step at the entrance of the plane is the hot sun, but I enjoy its warmth. I’m distracted when I notice the two black Rolls Royces parked at the foot of the plane. I quietly descend the stairs hoping to reach my hotel soon.
“Mildred and I will be going in this car, while Hector will bring you to the beach house in the other car,” Jeffrey says as he prepares to enter the first Rolls Royce. It takes a while before his words sink.
“Beach house? What do you mean by that? Isn’t he supposed to take me to the hotel?” I ask. I remember discussing my accommodation with my uncle, and he assured me that Jeffrey would handle it all.
“That’s true, sweetheart; why is she coming to the beach house with us?” Mildred questions while shooting me a frown. She is staring like I even know about this so-called beach house or like I was the one who suggested it.
“You’re staying at the beach house with us,” he lazily drawls without giving Mildred a glance.
“That’s not possible. I’m supposed to stay at the hotel.”
“Is that so?” Jeffrey asks.
