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“Now that’s the sort of thing Bryce Royal should be focusing on, not going after people like me.”
She filed the idea under other things to talk to Lionel about when the time was right. With a lawsuit looming, presenting her boss with a fleshed out plan would be better than just offering up an idle thought.
Standing in the queue waiting to board, she googledthings that the hotel industry are doing to go green. Tucking her cell into her bag, she glanced at the plane through the window of the gate, then addedget our advertiserstobuy carbon offsetsandavoid Bryce Royal for the rest of my lifeto her mental list.
CHAPTERFORTY-THREE
Bryce dashed through the doors of the departure area at Houston Hobby Airport, narrowly avoiding tumbling head first over a suitcase which had suddenly stopped in his path. The owner of the luggage glared at him. The disapproving expression on the gentleman’s face spoke of someone who always got to the airport with a good three hours to spare.
It had been a long time since Bryce had taken a domestic commercial flight. He couldn’t recall airports having ever been this busy. Everywhere he looked, there were long lines of people and bags. Somewhere in this vast army of travelers was Vivian.
“Where are you?” he muttered.
If he could find her before her flight departed, he might be able to convince her that Jordan hadn’t been serious about instigating legal action against LHRW magazine.Leisure Linehad been given the wrong information. He hadn’t come all the way to Galveston just to play some devious trick on her.
She has to believe me. I am not that guy.
Unfortunately in his world, there were plenty of other men who werethat guy.They were the ones who never hesitated to screw people over both in business and their private relationships. New York’s elite society was littered with the carcasses of failed deals and dead marriages. Bryce was unwavering in his resolve. His would never be that story.
Tell yourself all the lies you want, but no one else wrote that spiteful review of Vivian.
After his lies and now the rumored legal maneuvers, she had every reason to believe hewasthat guy. He’d really shot himself in the foot with that review.
Bryce came to a halt in front of the departures board, running his gaze down the list of flights which were scheduled for the morning. The only direct flight to New York was due to leave in thirty minutes. Vivian had to be on that one, and it would be boarding soon.
Worst case, he didn’t get a chance to talk to her before the flight left. Best case, he got on the plane, found her, and hope prevailed. It’s not as if she could get away from him mid-flight. And if things went his way, which he was determined they would, by the time they did land in New York, Vivian would be walking off the plane with him. Hand in hand to a waiting limousine.
Shoot, I need a ticket.
There were apps for those things, but in signing up they wanted registrations and email addresses. He didn’t have time to opt in for notifications or agree to privacy policies.
I just want a bloody plane ticket.
Bryce raced over to the bank of desks bearing the logo of the airline which had the next New York flight. There wasn’t a queue at the ticket counter, and he stepped straight up to the front. “Good morning. I need to get on the flight to New York. The one which is leaving shortly. Please.”
The middle aged ticketing agent slowly looked him up and down. “On the run from the feds, or an angry husband?”
He slid his black credit card across the counter. “Neither. I’m trying to catch up with a young lady. We had a misunderstanding. I have to find her.”
The woman tapped away at her keyboard for a minute, all the while a sly knowing grin sat on her lips. Bryce could just imagine what she was thinking.‘I’ve seen that movie too.’
“Do you have any bags to check in? Anything to declare?”
Bryce quickly shook his head. The only thing he had to declare was that he had been a fool to assume Jordan would go quietly out to California and not continue to mess up Bryce’s life.
“No, I just have a small inflight bag, and me. I would appreciate an aisle seat in First Class if you can accommodate my request. Actually make that two seats together in First Class, please.”
If he was going to have any hope of sorting things out with Vivian, he couldn’t do it if he was up the front of the plane, and she was somewhere down the back.
The agent checked his ID, processed his credit card, then handed him his ticket. “I’m sorry Mister Royal, but there aren’t any first or business class seats, available on this flight. You got the very last ticket, and it’s in coach.” She glanced at the clock on the nearby wall. “You had better hurry and make your way through security. Your flight leaves from Gate twenty two, and considering the time, you might want to run.”
Flying around the world via private jet had many advantages but avoiding the lines at security had to be close to the top. When Bryce normally travelled in the US, he had use of private arrival gates, and even internationally he breezed through the VIP section of customs. The thought of having to wait to go through screening had him checking his watch. This was going to be touch and go.
Twenty minutes later, boarding pass in hand, he stepped onto the New York bound flight. He’d gotten his second piece of luck this morning, with Houston Hobby having recently upgraded its body scan security. The line had moved quickly. And whoever had come up with the idea of a TSA pre check was a certifiable genius.
He hadn’t spotted Vivian at the departure gate, but he’d arrived after boarding had commenced.
She must already be on the plane.
