Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 82214 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82214 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Clenching my teeth against the image of getting into another fight with her, I snagged the weird, big-eyed cartoon T. rex and stepped up to the cash register. After paying and thanking the woman, I stuffed the small toy into my pocket, only then realizing how wrinkly my slacks were. I frowned and cursed under my breath, wondering if it was too late to hunt down some de-wrinkle spray. I was a respected businessman. I couldn’t look like some idiot who didn’t take care of himself. Thankfully, it was one of the items next to the register. I wasn’t the only traveler with the same problem.
A voice on the intercom announced my flight, and I glimpsed a small group of people rising. I still had about fifteen minutes. They were announcing precheck passengers, but seats were assigned, so I didn’t care what group I boarded with.
Darlene was the one who said I should fly first class. I still thought it was a waste of money, but I supposed today her nagging me to get on the precheck list paid off. For all the fighting we did when we were married, at least some good came out of it.
I strode to the gate and made it to my seat in the second row. Before I put my suitcase in the overhead compartment, I pulled the laptop from the outside sleeve. After I sat, I turned it on to check work emails.
A flash of long brown hair caught my gaze, but when I looked up, the woman had already made it past the first-class section. The mousy color resembled the woman from last night, and the thought of her made me wonder if she made her flight, too. Shrugging it off, I tapped the plastic near the keyboard, staring at James’s red hair matted against his cheeks on the screen background. I looked through emails from site managers and foremen reminding me of purchase orders that weren’t being called in, a delivery delay notice regarding sod, more spam advertising ED pills, and another complaint from Mrs. Forsyth.
What was the point of hiring people if they weren’t going to do their jobs? I responded to as many emails as possible before the flight attendants started talking and pulled out my phone. But when I turned on the screen, I realized two things: the lock screen didn’t have a photo of my son; it didn’t have a photo at all. Just a blue, blank lock screen. And when I swiped it, the keypad didn’t come up for my pin. In place of the background of me and my boy at the water park last week, I saw the same shade of blue as the lock screen.
“Mother f—” I started before catching myself. Cursing was another thing Darlene would give me crap for. Even if realizing I grabbed the wrong phone after a one-night stand warranted every curse word in the dictionary.
I sent a text to my phone, sure that Christie – that was her name – would have picked it up. It was on the bathroom counter, I remembered. If she didn’t find my phone, I’d have to get a new one, but either way, Darlene was in for a surprise.
She hated it when I showed up without calling ahead.
When the flight attendant reminded me to put my phone in airplane mode, I groaned.
“One moment,” I snapped, then changed my tone. “Yes, ma’am.”
Her clear blue eyes belied the snarl she almost threw at me before I complied. A man in the seat beside me chuckled, and I met his amused gaze. I hadn’t even noticed him when I took my seat, but his shiny bald head and full white beard made me wonder how I’d missed him at all.
“Tough morning?” he asked, nodding as if he could relate. The plane was barreling down the runway, and I waited for the noise of tires against asphalt to soften before I responded.
“Tough life.” I breathed a laugh, shaking my head as the man chuckled under his breath. My ears popped, and I shifted my jaw so they’d clear again. “Took someone else’s phone by accident. Can’t even see my calendar widget. You don’t realize how much you depend on things until you can’t use them.”
“You should call the bitch,” he said. “She’ll answer. Unless she’s sold it already.”
I shot him a glare. I didn’t need to explain myself to this asshole making assumptions. “I’ll take care of it later.” I didn’t need some old lowlife trying to offer me advice.
The man coughed, and a glint caught my eye. His worn gold band had definitely been there for a while. I sighed. I never thought I’d be here, having sex to release stress and living through life after a divorce. Seeing my kid on my wife’s terms. Ex-wife, I reminded myself. I wasn’t even sure where my wedding band was now.