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CHAPTER TWO |
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James Darren Daniels handed his boarding pass to the Northwest Airlines attendant and then strolled through the door and down the connecting ramp. His steps slowed as his heart hammered against his chest. J.D. brushed away the single bead of perspiration traveling slowly down his neck as he neared the airplane entrance.
Flying bugged him, long or short flights, it didn’t matter. It felt unnatural for him to travel through the air in a sardine can with wings.
This trip would hopefully be his last for a very long time. Once he made it home, he’d start the hunt for an assistant, someone willing to take on most of the travel and keep him out of the friendly skies. An assistant would free J.D. up to handle the negotiation portion of the business, a part of the business he could do by phone. He would only have to come out for the final review. J.D. nodded. The more he thought about it, the more he warmed to the idea.
The pilot and lead flight attendant stood outside the open door of the cockpit dressed in black uniforms, trimmed in red, greeting passengers when they entered the aircraft through first class. The flight attendant ran an appraising eye over J.D., and then gave him a little sexy smile. Interesting, he thought.
After acknowledging them with a slight dip of his head, J.D. inched his way down the narrow, center aisle. Every few moments the line halted as travelers found their seats or stored the luggage in the overhead compartment. Waiting, his lips turned down at the corners as he studied the cramped, noisy cabin.
J.D. blew out a hot puff of air, wishing this flight was over and he was at home. If he had his way, things would be very different. There were better ways to enjoy a few hours after clinching a big deal. Shooting hoops with his buddies followed by two or three rounds of drinks at his favorite sports bar offered a more pleasing alternative.
Finally, the line began to move again. Slowly creeping along the aisle he considered and rejected several alternative modes of transportation. The train, bus or even car were more comfortable, but much too slow. Deals that he normally concluded in hours would turn into days, maybe even weeks. Although he loathed to admit it, flying remained the most efficient and quickest way to travel and do business.
A train trip home would have been in order. But his new client, Amir Johnson, kept stirring up all kind of problems at home. He needed to get back as soon as possible to do damage control.
He glanced at his boarding pass for the location of his seat. Oh man! Obviously, he had too much on his mind when he’d booked this trip. He was stuck in the middle seat, squeezed like a melon between two equally uncomfortable travelers.
J.D. found his seat and stored his laptop bag in the overhead compartment. “Excuse me.” He pointed at the empty space between two occupied seats. “I’m right here.”
Nodding, a rotund woman in a pink silk pantsuit rose and shifted her bulk into the aisle, blocking others as they waited impatiently for J.D. to move out of the way. He stuffed his large frame into the tiny seat, fumbling for his seatbelt. Conscious of their limited space and to prevent accidentally bumping into his seatmates, he pulled his arms tight against his body once he snapped his seatbelt in place.
Uncomfortable, he shifted in the direction of the window. An older man snored softly, open mouthed. J.D. shut one eye and grimaced, rubbing his nose against the stale odor of beer.
Was it possible for him to switch his seat to something more comfortable? His eyes darted around the cabin. No. The plane was filling to capacity. Shutting his eyes, J.D. decided sleep represented the best form of escape.
A howl of outrage shattered the quiet murmurings of the plane’s cabin. J.D.’s eyes flew open and he glanced behind him, zeroing in on a baby several rows behind him.
In a fit of rage, a red-faced infant shrieked. His cries turned into screams within seconds. Frantic, his mother tried to soothe him, rocking the little one back and forth and offering comforting words.
Oh man, J.D. thought, flinching away from the baby’s demanding tones. The aircraft hadn’t got off the ground and he was already in plane hell.
The infant’s mother groped inside her bag, produced a bottle and shoved it into the baby’s mouth. Blissful silence followed.
Across the aisle J.D. noticed a woman rocking back and forth. Her soft murmurings were almost musical as they increased in volume. His heart slammed against his chest. This was the Asian woman from the boarding area. The chanting became more insistent and demanding. He tried to tune her out, praying for a quick and quieter flight.
A blond flight attendant moved past the woman several times. Each time her gaze swept over the tiny Asian, then focused on J.D. with a question in her eyes. After her third trip, the flight attendant stopped and leaned near the woman. “Ma’am.” She waited. “Ma’am,” the blond said louder. “Are you alright?”
The chanter’s head lifted slowly and she stared blankly through almond-shaped eyes at the blond woman dressed in a black and red uniform. The tiny woman blinked several times as if she were coming out of a fog and needed to clear her vision. “Yes.”
“If you’re fine, then I have to ask you to stop. You’re frightening the other passengers,” she explained in a quieter tone.
Silence followed and J.D. let out a thankful sigh of relief. He laid his head against the headrest and dropped his lids over his eyes. Suddenly, he felt a gentle touch on his hand.
“Excuse me, sir?”
He opened his eyes to find the blond leaning over his seatmate, watching him with concerned blue eyes. “Yes?”
“Is something wrong?” her soothing voice probed.
“No. I’m fine,” he answered, darting a quick gaze at the Asian lady. Why did she care about his comfort?
She smiled reassuringly at him. “I couldn’t help noticing how crowded it is. We have a seat available in first class. Would you like it?”
Hell yes! J.D. yelled silently. He quickly rose and climbed over the woman in the aisle seat. Grabbing his laptop, JD followed the attendant up the aisle and to the front of the plane. He glanced at her badge, noting her name.
“Here you are.” Smiling, she waved a hand at a steel grey leather chair that looked twice the width of his seat in coach.
“Katie, I really appreciate this.”
“I’m sure you’ll be more comfortable here,” she answered before returning to her work.
“Thank you.” He sank into the plush seat, stretched his legs in front of him and sighed. This was so much better than being squashed between two people.
J.D. glanced at the person sitting next to the window. Surprise, surprise. The woman who’d tried to help the chanting woman sat next to him.
Her complexion was the color of café latte with skin that looked so soft that he had to fight to keep from running a finger across her cheek. Auburn curls framed her features. High cheek bones and full, sensual lips brushed with plum lipstick were framed by a delicate oval shaped face.
Long, thick auburn lashes showcased her beautiful eyes. Slowly her eyes opened and focused on him. J.D. caught his breath.
Grey. Her eyes were the most delicate shade of grey he’d every seen.
This woman made up one gorgeous package. Pleased with what he saw, he smiled back at her.
Shifting into a more upright sitting position, she ran a hand through her hair. “Hi.”
“Hi,” he muttered back.
She stretched out her right hand. “I’m Shae.”
He took the hand that she offered. When he looked down at their linked hands, he found his nearly swallowed hers. “James. Everyone calls me J.D.”
“Nice to meet you, J.D.”
“Same here.” Shae’s skin felt warm and smooth.
She smiled, tugging gently at their hands. Embarrassed, J.D. let go and it dropped to her lap. Her delicate scent floated around him, filling his nostrils with the tantalizing fragrance of exotic fruits.
Yes, indeed. This was much better than his previous seat. He got to stretch out and enjoy complimentary champagne and had the added bonus of a beautiful woman at his side. This was 100 times more pleasant and he planned to enjoy every minute of it.
* * *
J.D.’s hands gripped the armrests as the plane shook. The cards scattered in all directions on the tray. After several unsteady minutes the plane leveled off. He sighed.
Hiding her own nervousness over the rough flight, Shae watched his movement. His hands shook slightly while he gathered the deck of cards into a single pile and shoved them into the box. She’d noticed the cards earlier. They had a distinctive design. A mocha brown background was bordered in a thick black line. The letters J, D and D were printed in red and stretched from the left bottom corner to the upper right.
Feeling a spark of sympathy for this man, she decided to try and distract him. Shae tapped the box.
“Those are unique. Where did you buy them?”
J.D. turned the box over, then handed it to Shae. “A couple of my college buddies had these made for me as a gift.”
“Very nice.”
“Yes, they are. I call them my lucky deck. Whenever I travel I always have hem with me. They’re a great source of solitary entertainment when I’m stuck in an airport.” He chuckled. “It’s my variation on the lucky rabbit’s foot.”
“I understand.” Shae handed the box to him. He lifted his hips off the chair, shoved the box into the pocket of his denims, dropped back in his seat and returned the tray to its proper position.
Without warning, the plane began to rock and J.D.’s empty hands clenched into tight fists. The skin around his knuckles was taut. They were silent for several minutes as the plane rode out the bumpy weather. When everything settled, he blew out a sigh of relief and ran his hand over his shaved head.
Shae’s gaze swept over his face. Perspiration beaded on his hairless dome and forehead. His right leg rocked from side-to-side. A twinge of sympathy tugged at Shae’s heart.
Poor baby, he’s so nervous, she thought. Actually, J.D. looked more than nervous.
For several minutes she debated whether she should intrude. He seemed so uncomfortable that she had to do something.
“J.D.?” she whispered softly.
He turned to face her. “Mmm?”
“Are you okay?”
“No. I’m not a very good passenger,” he admitted reluctantly.
“Any particular reason?”
J.D.’s face scrunched up. “I’ve never been very good at flying. It’s a necessary evil that I’ve learned to live with, but never liked.”
“What’s different today?” Shae asked.
His lids dropped over his eyes and he shook his head. “I don’t want you to think that I act like a wimp all the time. Unfortunately, I lost a family member a few years ago when his plane went down.”
“Oh, I sorry. That doesn’t make it any easier does it?”
“No. And turbulence don’t make me feel any safer. I’d rather be on the ground.”
Chuckling, Shae added, “You’re not alone. Don’t fret, a lot of people have problems flying. There’s no shame in that,” she explained softly.
He seemed to consider her explanation before
answering, “Since 9/11, my anxiety has increased. I’m more nervous. I put off flying as long as possible.” He ran his tongue across his lips. “There’s this mental image in my head that
won’t go away. I see those planes crashing
into the
She patted his hand, not surprised by the fact that he would reveal such personal information to a stranger. Many times people found it easier to confess things too someone they have no connection with. “Maybe I can help.”
He studied her with a troubled expression in his eyes. “How?”
Offering J.D. an encouraging smile, Shae gently plied one of his hands away from the armrest and enfolded it between both of hers. “It’s easy. I can hold your hand. Talk to you, offer a distraction from thinking about being in the air. Basically, help you over the rough spots.”
The expression in his eyes warmed her heart. Shae knew she had made the correct choice. Gratitude flashed from his eyes.
“Right now. I’ll take anything that might help.”
“Don’t worry about anything.” She intertwined her fingers with his. “I’ll be right here. Just hold on to me.”
And she
didn’t let go. For the next hour she
kept them both occupied with questions about
When the flight got incredibly bumpy, Shae shifted
the conversation to her own life. She
talked about
As they
neared