Once Upon an Island

“It is. It was. We should go,” Percy says enthusiastically. Then his eyes widen when he realizes what he said.

Arya doesn’t notice. She launches into in explanation about the nesting location on Rosa island.

I smile to myself. I guess Kate did good after all. Arya and Percy are really hitting it off.

I scoot past them to the last two seats at the back of the plane. I shove my carry-on under the seat and plop down next to Declan.

He has out his phone and he’s intently reading something, completely ignoring me and everyone else.

Jimmy starts the propeller and the noise fills the cabin. Percy and Arya lean closer together to continue their conversation. When Jimmy starts moving the plane forward I close my eyes, but unfortunately, my head spins so much that I have to open them again.

When I do, I notice Declan staring at me.

“Yes?” I ask.

He scowls. “You made a noise.”

I probably did. In fact, I imagine it was a noise like “please, oh please, please fly okay.”

“I’m fine,” I say.

Declan looks down at my hands and makes a disbelieving noise. I look down too. I’m gripping the seats and my knuckles have turned white.

The plane bumps down the runway and my stomach flips with each little bump.

“Are you afraid to fly?” asks Declan. He has a judgy look on his face. “How can you live on an island and be afraid of flying? Don’t you have to fly to go anywhere else in the world?”

I glare at him. His people skills are terrible. “I’m not afraid of flying.”

He makes another disbelieving noise.

“I’m not,” I say.

“Just like you don’t eat balls very often,” he says. Then he smirks at me.

I gasp and my back goes poker straight. I wasn’t one hundred percent sure he remembered me, or recognized me from the Valentine’s Day Brunch, but I am now.

“It’s none of your business how often I eat balls,” I hiss at him. Then I flush. “And I’m talking about chocolate, you…you…man.” My insult falls flat. It’s hard to be eloquent when you’re drugged up and terrified of flying.

“I know what you’re up to,” he says, and his lip curls in a villain-ish sort of way.

What’s he talking about?

“You don’t know anything,” I say. Because…comebacks.

He shakes his head and looks at me like I’m the larva of a slug. “I heard your friends talking in the terminal. ‘Land the white whale. Nab a billionaire. Blah blah blah.’ Trust me, La-La. I’ve had enough gold diggers after me to recognize one from a mile away. I’m not interested.”

My mouth drops open and I try to formulate a comeback. Instead, all I manage are little choking noises of outrage. Finally, I say, “I’m not a dold gigger…” I shake my head. That wasn’t right. Darn prescription. “Gold digger,” I correct.

Declan snorts and turns back to his phone, effectively dismissing me.

However, I’m a person, not a dog he can dismiss or beckon at his convenience. So I lean over and forcefully poke his arm with my pointer finger.

He glances up and gives me an affronted look. “Yes?”

“I’m not a gold digger,” I say again.

“Methinks thou protesteth too much.”

I shake my fuddled head. “I just want to set the record straight. I wouldn’t chase you, lust after you, date you, or marry you, even if you and I were stranded on a deserted island together, or if you were the last man on earth. Billionaire or bankrupt, I don’t care. Because I don’t like you. Got it? I don’t like you.”

Declan gives me a tight-lipped smile. “The feeling’s mutual,” he says. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have important things to do.”

Implying that I’m not important.

Well.

“So do I,” I say.

I resist the urge to stick out my tongue.

What a jerk.

I turn away from him, my head spinning. When I look out the little oval window next to my seat, I see with surprise that we’re high in the sky, soaring over the azure-colored sea. I was so distracted by Declan that I forgot about my terror over take-off, and my fear of flying.

I look down and make out the white sail of a sailboat, the dark greenish-black smudges of a reef, and a tiny uninhabited island.

I glance over at Declan. It’s amazing. It seems that my complete and utter loathing and fear of flying was finally wiped out. I don’t need anti-anxiety medication, therapy, or any other tricks. I just need to replace it with an even greater loathing – that of Declan Fox.

I grin gleefully. At that moment he looks up, sees my expression and scowls at me.

Amazing. Wonderful.

“It’s not going to work. You’re not pretty enough to tempt me. Nor are you eloquent or smart enough. Or friendly enough for that matter. Even when you smile. You can stop trying,” he says grumpily.

This makes me smile even more.

He’s awful, and that’s wonderful.

“You’re the worst person I’ve ever met,” I say with the biggest grin on my face.

“And you’re the most vulgar, greediest, average-looking gold digger I’ve ever met.”

“Perfect,” I say with a smile.

“Stay away from me,” he says.

“Gladly,” I say. “Except we’re on a tiny airplane and then a tiny island. Where you hired my friend to show you properties. It’s your fault really. Kinda hard for me to stay away.”

I can tell that he sees I have a point. He could’ve canceled the trip or fired Kate as soon as he heard her rambling about white whales. But he didn’t. So basically this is all his fault.

He frowns. “Stop smiling at me.”

“Stop looking at me,” I say.

He clenches his jaw and turns away to stare out his window. I revel in the dislike radiating off him. This is great. I’ve never felt so relaxed flying. Tomorrow’s flight back will be a cinch. And he really is so awful that neither of my friends will ever get with him. After today we can kiss Declan Fox goodbye.