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“And I suppose you do?”
“I can neither confirm nor deny.” He takes a leisurely gulp of his drink. “Seems like a very personal question when you don’t even want to know my name.”
“Suppose we’ll just sit here in silence and finish our drinks, then.”
“Suppose so, Nova.”
“Why Nova?”
Maximus replies with a shrug, leaving me wondering what my new nickname means. While we sit in silence, watching each other in the mirror behind the booze shelves, I’m tempted to search it on my phone, but that would mean I’m more invested in him than I want to admit.
Instead, I keep my eyes on his reflection, waiting for him to break the silence. Which he will. He likes the sound of his voice too much.
It takes a few minutes, but as I predicted, he asks, “What are the scribbles?”
I take a slow sip of the refreshing wine, drawing out my response. “I’d tell you, but I don’t even know your name, Maximus.”
A low laugh rumbles from him as he toasts my reply. “Touché, Nova.”
CHAPTER 2
LEIF
Omne trium perfectum.
If only my Latin professor could see me now, quoting one of the philosophies he enjoyed preaching, he’d be bowled over stupid. It might be one of the very few things I took from his class.
All three perfect.
Translation: Everything that comes in threes is perfect, or as the popular saying goes:
Good things come in threes.
I believe that to be true, which is why I find myself bartering with the big guy in seat 28A to swap with me. It should be a doozie for him—an economy seat for a business class experience—but it’s as if this guy can’t understand he’s getting the better deal here, because sitting in his shitty seat is going to make sure my third good thing comes through for me big time.
Big guy levels me with a bemused expression. “And I don’t have to pay for food or drinks?”
“No.”
“Not even the alcohol?”
“Nope.”
“But you don’t get that with this seat.”
“I know.”
He mulls it over, as if he’s trying to rationalise the blessing he’s being given instead of taking the good thing I’m offering him and running with it. If he was a smart man, he’d be out of that seat and making himself comfortable at the front of the crowded aircraft, where the flight attendants are already serving free booze and premium snacks.
“What’s the catch, mate?” The pessimistic fuck scoffs at me, and the sad part is that I’m not below begging him to move his ass before my plan is foiled. Not to mention that I’m getting pretty fucking pissed with the idiot trying to shove his case in the overhead storage above me without an ‘excuse me’ or ‘do you mind’. This is why I invest in business or first class. I don’t have to deal with these dickheads.
“No catch. This is just me putting good karma out into the world to start the new year right. A meal, snacks, and refreshments are all included. Not to mention a helluva lot more leg room, and wider seats that you can recline to your heart’s contentment.”
An attendant stops beside me to take the case from the idiot behind me before she politely excuses herself to put it in the compartment overhead. She’s not the tallest person, so I take it and do it for her.
“Is everything okay here?” she asks me when she realises the big guy in 28A and I are mid-discussion.
“Is alcohol included in business?” he asks her, narrowing his eyes on me as if he’s about to catch me out on a lie.
