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“We should toast to something.”
“Such as?” she asked.
I smiled. “Well, since it’s your first drink, I say you choose.”
“How about this,” she said. “We drink to… new friendships.”
“I like that.”
We tapped rims, then drank.
“How is it?” I asked.
She glanced away, considering the question.
“It’s… good. Sparkly, tickles my nose. And it’s sweet, but not too sweet.”
“Glad you’re enjoying.”
Before either of us could say another word, the pilot came on the speaker.
“Mr. Stone, we’re getting ready to take off in just a few moments, if you both wouldn’t mind getting seated.”
The speaker clicked off and I nodded to the nearest set of chairs.
“Shall we? Oh, and please take the window. The view over the city is something else.”
She smiled at me before easing into the seat, her ass sticking out just a bit as she sat down. Everything about her seemed designed to appeal to the senses—from her figure to her scent, to the way she moved. Charles might’ve been as big of a prick as they came, but he’d trained his daughter well.
I sat down next to her, placing my glass of wine into the holder. We clicked our seatbelts closed, Emily turning tome with a broad smile. Considering her circumstances, it was interesting to see how excited she was. I’d have thought she’d have been a bit nervous at the prospect of being shipped off to live with some strange man, but that didn’t seem to be the case at all.
The plane engines spun up, the sound filling the space as the pilot turned the plane toward the length of the runway. The engines grew louder and louder, a tinge of worry forming on Emily’s features.
“Something wrong?”
“Is it supposed to be that loud?”
I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Yes, everything’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”
She smiled slightly but I could sense that the newness of the experience was getting to her. Emily took one more nervous sip of her wine before setting the flute into the holder. Her hands then moved to the arm rests, gripping them tightly, her eyes fixed forward as the plane moved faster and faster down the runway.
Her expression turned into a grimace of tension as the plane began to lift off. I couldn’t stand it any longer, I needed to do something to comfort her. I placed my hand on hers, feeling the warm smoothness of her skin against my palm. She glanced over at me when she realized what I was doing. At first, she seemed uncertain about my touch. But it didn’t take long before she turned her hand over underneath mine and weaved her fingers between my own, gripping my hand tightly.
I couldn’t help but chuckle as I realized how strong her grip was. Emily may have been delicate in some ways, but she carried an inner toughness within her.
“I promise that we’ll be fine,” I said. “Nothing out of the ordinary is happening.”
She nodded, her eyes still fixed forward.
“You want my advice? Look out of the window. Flying for the first time might be a little scary, but the view is worth it.”
Emily nodded again before turning her attention to the window, looking out as we rose above the airfield. It didn’t take long before Manhattan was before us, Long Island stretching all the way into the distance, the city surrounded by shimmering, blue water.
“That’s something, isn’t it?” I asked.
“It really is.”
