“I probably shouldn’t.”
She peered at me closely. “You are over twenty-one, right?”
“Twenty-four.”
“Well, in that case, come on. I’ll pour you a weak one. Our secret.”
“Okay. You convinced me. A Mimosa, please.”
“Good,” she said, turning on her heel. “I’ll be right back.”
“Thank you.” I smiled and opened my computer. I plugged it any my cell phone into the chargers on the wall, and put my notebook and a pen on the table in front of me, ready for anything, or so I hoped.
I took a sip of the quickly delivered drink and sighed, content. It wasn’t like I’d get drunk. And besides, when in Rome, right? When traveling with a hard-partying rock band, drink a little booze. Not as pithy a saying, but just as apt.
By the time the others arrived I’d settled in. I finished the drink and sent my father an email about the fancy plane, knowing he’d get a laugh out of it. As the flight attendant welcomed everyone on board I fussed over my shirt and jeans, made sure my hair was secured in its tight ponytail – the casual version of my usual bun – and stood to greet them.
As expected, the band members were quiet, grumpy and clearly exhausted, with one obvious exception. Where the others grunted hellos and slouched heavily to the closest seats, Joe was wide awake and grinning as he held hands with someone around my age who must have been his girlfriend, Liss. She was nothing like I’d imagined. She was taller than me, with shoulder-length dark hair that hung in waves around her round, pretty face. Curvy, her body would have been called Rubenesque by some. Not at all the modelly waif I figured Joe Hawk would be so obviously crazy about.
“Becca, this is the girl I told you about, the love of my life, Liss.”
She rolled her eyes. “Joe, it’s way too early in the morning for that kind of sappiness.” But the pleased smile stretching across her face told me she was anything but annoyed. “Good to meet you, Becca.”
“You too,” I replied, fighting an impulse to shake her hand. This was not a business meeting.
“Have a seat anywhere, you guys. Give me any bags you don’t need to keep with you.”
Liss thanked me and handed over a small carry-on before she and Joe curled up together on the long bench seat, lost in their own world. The care and intensity of the looks they gave each other made me a little uncomfortable and I rushed to store the bag and see if anyone else needed my help.
Rick was slouched down in one of the chairs at the front, sunglasses and a baseball cap concealing most of his face except for the scowl I’d yet to see him without. Ryan and two men I’d never seen before stood next to him, clearly trying in vain to engage him in a conversation.
Quiet Matthew was in the chair across from Rick, and already fast asleep. He’d stretched out the chair and pulled the seatbelt across his body. If I hadn’t seen him climb aboard with the others just a few minutes ago I’d think he’d been there for hours.
I stifled a giggle and turned around to see where Dex had ended up. He was sprawled across the other end of the bench seat with Joe and Liss, his longish hair a disaster, and dressed in what looked like a pair of pajamas. That laugh I couldn’t keep down.
He cocked his head to the side and looked over at me. “Are you laughing at me, Becca?”
I cleared my throat. “Of course not. Just wondering about your outfit.”
He looked down. “It’s a long flight. I want to be comfortable.”
“That makes sense.” I stifled another snicker.
“Quit that,” he replied. “I’m very vulnerable when I’m sleepy.”
“Yeah right.” I was about to tease him some more but then I remembered I needed to keep a professional distance. “Do you need anything? A beverage or a pillow?”
“Coffee. Tell me there’s coffee.”
I smiled. “I’m sure there is. I’ll ask the flight attendant.”
“Thanks, love.”
“No problem.” Proud of myself for managing to talk to him without acting like an idiot this time, I fetched the coffee and brought it back to him.
“Ah,” he said after taking a sip. “That’s much better.”
“Long night?”
“Long life. By the way, I do have real clothes to change into before we land.” He winked. “You can help zip me up.”
I laughed and rolled my eyes.
Dex patted the space next to him. “Sit down and talk to me for a while. Help me wake up.”
There was barely enough room for me between his thigh and Joe’s foot.
“I shouldn’t. There are things I need to do before we take off. Besides, I’m all set up over there at the table.”
“All right,” he said with playful disappointment in his voice. “We can talk later.”
“Okay.” I smiled, still amused by the pajamas, but turned to go check in with Ryan instead.
He nodded as I approached and introduced me to the rest of the people joining us on the flight. The two men he’d been talking to earlier were from the record label who owned the plane. They were traveling on unrelated business and basically just catching a ride over to London with us. The other three were crew members I’d seen at my “welcome meeting,” but hadn’t been introduced to. One was a huge bear of a man in all black. He introduced himself as Red and was the band’s security for the entire trip. The second was a stringy-haired guy named Steve who was the guitar tech. Apparently all the other tech positions for the European leg of the tour would be staffed by locals, but the band had insisted on having “their guy” taking care of the guitars, and supervising the care of the other instruments.
The final member of the group was Mia, a tiny redhead, even shorter than me, and about half my weight. Her I remembered hearing about. She was Ryan’s niece, hired last minute to be the official videographer and blogger for the tour. But judging from her bloodshot eyes and queasy expression, she’d been doing more partying than recording lately.
“It’s nice to meet you all,” I said. “Please get comfortable.”
The flight attendant strode towards us from the cockpit. “Everyone here and settling in?”
“Yes,” I told her. “We’re all here.”
“Great. We should be cleared to depart in about twenty minutes, so you all have a little time to get situated. Just let me know if you want beverages, blankets or anything else.”
I got lost in all the last-minute preparations, stowing all the carry-on luggage, making sure everyone was comfortable where they were and going over a few last minute items with Ryan. He explained he’d only slept a few hours the night before and was planning to make up for that on the plane. So, of course, his to-do items got passed on to me.
Which, frankly, was fine. I was way too wired to sleep yet. So while most of the others, except for the label guys in suits, bedded down, I went back to the table and organized my lists of tasks.
By the time the jet took off I was so deeply involved in working that I barely noticed. That made me happy. Instead of a bundle of nerves I was calm and professional. As the East coast passed behind us, I took a moment to look around. Almost everyone was asleep or trying to fall asleep. The lights had been dimmed in the cabin but the sun shining in was bright.
Joe and Liss were still entwined, but now rested, sleepy in each other’s arms.
The suits were speaking to each other in low voices and staring at something in a binder.
The only other person paying attention to anything going on inside the plane was Dex. His eyes were trained on mine.
I cocked my head to the side and raised my eyebrows, questioning his reasons. In response he shed his seatbelt and walked over to sit down next to me.
“I’m pretty sure you’re supposed to stay seated for this part of the flight,” I scolded lightly.
“What can I say? I am a rebel.”
I smiled. “Clearly. A true outlaw.”
“I’m told there are Wild West cowboys in my ancestry.”
“Oh, I believe it.”
He chuckled. “So, why are you sitting back here all alone watching everyone like animals in a zoo?”
“I’m not. I was just taking a break and wondering if anyone needed anything from me.”
Dex groaned. “Becca, love, there is such a thing as being too conscientious, you know.”
“I don’t think there is.”
“Really?”
“Not in this job. Not after I’ve only been here a few days.”
“Ah. Trying to make a good impression?”
“Yes. Is it working?”
His gaze slid over my face. “On me, absolutely.”
“All I’ve done for you is fetch coffee so far.”
“True. But you delivered it perfectly.”
I turned in my seat to face him. “That only involved walking a few feet down an aisle. Not exactly impressive.”
“It was to me.” He leaned in close enough that I could smell the shampoo in his fair, a fresh, crisp citrus scent. “Watching you walk is quite a treat for me. Adding the much needed coffee made it a rather perfect moment.”
I sat back and turned away from him, my smile sliding away. “Yeah, well, thanks.”
“Hey, what did I say wrong?”
“Nothing,” I said brusquely, flipping over to the next page in my notebook.
“Becca, please.” He put his hand over mind. “What just happened?”
I don’t know if it was the warmth from his touch or my lack of sleep or the trace of champagne in my blood, but something compelled me to actually answer him honestly.
“It’s you, Dex. I thought we were going to have a friendly chat, but you had to take it to the fake flirting. I get that it’s your thing, but there’s no point wasting it on me. If you can’t go five hours without coming onto someone, Ryan’s niece is cute and would probably love the false compliments from a big star like you.”
His face was frozen in a mask of confusion. “I...bugger. I don’t have the slightest idea what you’re on about.”
“Forget it.”
“I bloody well won’t. Tell me what you think you know.”
Pissed as I was at him for being such a cliché and myself for opening my big mouth, I had to smirk.
“What? What’s funny?”
“Your accent. It’s stronger when you’re mad.”
“I’m not mad. And no it isn’t.” His eyes narrowed.
“Oh really?” Arguing with Dex seemed much safer than any other conversation, so I went with it. “The last time you talked like that was in an interview last month. The guy accused you of being derivative and a wannabe. By the time you stopped arguing you sounded like a character from one of those Guy Ritchie movies.”
“Bullshit.”
“Before you used the word ‘bloody’ and ‘bugger’ in successive sentences. How often do you do that when you’re feeling cheerful?”
“I...shit.” His eyes looked deep into mine. “You’re fucking right, Becca, I had no idea.”
I shrugged. “It’s pretty common. My last boss was Greek. I learned some very colorful phrases when she had a bad experience with a vendor.”
“I bet.” Dex was staring at me in a way that made me very uncomfortable. Like he could see something new on my face that wasn’t there before. “Can we go back to what you said that started this?”
I sighed. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have spoken to you that way. It won’t happen again.”
“I don’t care that you said it, I care that you think it.”
“What? Why?”
“Because I’m not that guy. Some false-acting smarmy guy. I don’t want you to think that’s who I am.”
“It isn’t smarmy, Dex. It’s your persona. There’s nothing wrong with that, I was just hoping you could drop it for a little while.”
“I’m not putting you on. I meant every word.” There was real insult in his voice.
“Come on. I’ve seen you. You flirt with everyone.”
“Sure, a bit. That’s just how I am, especially when I’m a little drunk. But I don’t lie. And I’m not drunk at all right now. Which is perhaps part of the reason this isn’t as fun as I’d hoped.”
“Look, it’s fine. You are how you are. I just…I’d rather you didn’t pretend to think I’m…whatever.”
“Whatever? You mean cute. And sexy?”
I shook my head. “Yeah. I know I’m not. You don’t have to pretend I am.”
He grabbed my chin and turned my face towards his. “I just told you, Becca. I don’t lie. You’re fucking adorable. I thought it a few days ago when we met. You were nervous as a kitten but so good at covering. Not to mention gorgeous in a buttoned-up, waiting to be released way. And if we weren’t on this plane and it wouldn’t get both of us in a lot of trouble, I’d kiss you right here and show you exactly how sexy I find you.”
My heart thudded in my chest and something low in my belly coiled up tight. “Dex-”
“Wait,” he said, sliding closer to me. “Don’t say anything. I know this is crazy and unprofessional and a hundred other things. I’m not stupid. I just want you to know the truth. You’re an incredibly sexy, beautiful woman. That’s not a line, it’s a fact.” He shrugged and sat back. “I’m not going to try anything or push you. But please remember what I said.”
I opened and closed my mouth a few times. It was an entirely new Dex. One I had no idea how to react to. Thoughts and feelings flew through me in a jumble and I wondered how I got myself in this ridiculous situation.
Oh, right. Opening my big mouth
.
“Y-you should probably go back to your seat,” I managed to say.
Dex smiled and nodded, then released me and stood up. It took every bit of self-control I had to keep from watching him go. Instead, I shoved my face and my attention back into work. I needed to make edits to a timeline for the next few days and hoped it would be enough to make me forget about what he’d said and how deeply it had impacted me.
After a while I shut my laptop and leaned my head back to rest. Silently reviewing my work, I drifted off in a haze of addresses and times.
The flight attendant announcing our imminent arrival woke me. On regular planes a pilot or whoever would tell everyone over the intercom and spur a rush to stow bags and settle in. On the private flight she stepped into the main cabin to tell us and handed out glasses of chilled champagne.
I refused one with a smile and started packing up my bag. Most of the others were also just waking up, stretching or grumbling. I noticed Joe and Liss were missing, but didn’t think much of it. It wasn’t like they could have left while I slept.
Rubbing at my sore neck from sleeping so long in one position, I glanced around again. Dex had moved over to sit next to Matthew. They were huddled over an iPad playing some kind of game. I meant to look away before he caught me, but I was too slow.