Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 22483 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 112(@200wpm)___ 90(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22483 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 112(@200wpm)___ 90(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
They were called to board with the rest of the first-class passengers, and Holly took the window seat. Christian put his carry-on and Holly’s bag in the overhead locker while she got comfortable with the small pillow and blanket offered in first class. He chuckled when he saw how excited she was to sit in the oversized seats. He chose first class because the extra space afforded him the ability to work while in the air, and it didn’t matter if the person in front of him reclined, he could still type without feeling constrained.
Christian sat down next to her and sighed. He glanced in her direction and caught her staring at him. “Thanks for the upgrade.”
“Thanks for not ditching me and going back to your place. Although, I am interested in knowing where you live.”
“Nothing fancy, and nothing near the water,” she told him. “I live on the third floor of a walk-up, which is a bitch when I have to carry my equipment somewhere, but I like my neighborhood and have access to the roof, so I stay there.”
“Do you own or rent?”
“Rent,” she said. “It’s expensive in Miami and I’d rather invest in equipment. Besides, I travel a lot and I’d have to hire someone to look after a house.”
The flight attendant came by and asked if they wanted something to drink. “Do you have Baileys?” Christian asked, and she nodded. “We’ll take two Baileys and coffee, please.”
“Are you trying to get me drunk?”
Christian laughed. “Not at all. I am trying to keep you awake for the flight, though, because I want to keep talking.” Holly smiled and ducked her head. If the lighting had been better, he might have been able to tell whether or not she blushed. He hoped she had. It had been a long time since he had seen her and all those feelings he had harbored as a teenager were making their presence known.
Their coffees came along with a tray of snacks. Christian picked a few for them, even though neither of them were hungry. Well, he was, but not for food. Holly took her coffee and sipped. She closed her eyes as the Baileys hit her tongue.
“It’s been years since I’ve had one of these,” she said. “Do you remember that year your parents had a Christmas party? My parents couldn’t come because of Santa duties or maybe they arrived late.” She shook her head. “We snuck liquor outside to your tire swing.”
“I remember. It was freezing.”
“God, how old were we?”
Christian thought for a moment. “Must’ve been fourteen or fifteen. I remember how I wanted to sit with you, like we’d always done, but puberty . . .” He trailed off and then thought better of it. “Each time I thought about you or saw you, instant boner. I was so embarrassed half the time. I almost stopped talking to you because I thought you’d freak out if you saw the tent in my pants.” He saw her blush this time and ran his finger over her pinked cheek.
“She told me, ya know,” Holly paused. “The night you guys had sex for the first time. Skye told me.”
“I’m sorry she did that. It goes without saying she was incredibly jealous of you.”
“I don’t know why,” Holly said to him. “She had you. I didn’t.”
“Maybe it was because deep down she knew how I felt. You were a bone of contention toward the end.”
“How so?”
Christian adjusted as much as he could in his seat so he could face Holly. “I have a client with a similar name to yours. She called and left me a message one night, confirming our appointment at the restaurant where she worked. Skye heard it and instantly thought it was you and accused me of having an affair. From that point forward, you were a daily mention until I moved out. But then, she thought we moved in together. It’s been a battle.”
“I’m sorry you had to go through all of that.”
He chuckled. “No, you’re not. I knew what she was like when I asked her to marry me.”
“Why did you?”
Christian shrugged. “Felt like the next step. High school sweethearts and then college.” He finished his coffee and handed his empty cup to the flight attendant. Holly passed hers over as well. They fastened their seatbelts and prepared for takeoff. When the plane lifted into the air, they both let out a sigh of relief.
The flight attendant came by and offered them another drink. Holly and Christian agreed and were grateful when she came back with two for each of them. Holly drank and looked out the window. Christian did so as well and wondered what went through her mind. After she finished her third cup, she set her empty cups on the ground, rested against the seat and angled her body toward Christian. He mirrored her position. He had so many questions to ask her but didn’t want to overwhelm her. One, in particular, plagued his mind.