Before You

“In college, I was good friends with some of the guys on the football team. One of them got drafted in the first round of the NFL and landed a starting position.” His hand went to his tie, loosening the knot. “He was a magnet for trouble, and his coaches insisted on a bodyguard. He called me.”

This was the most he had spoken, and there was a change in his voice. A smoothness to it that I hadn’t heard before, like the filter was gone and was releasing a clue.

“How long were you his bodyguard?”

He was looking at his wrist when he said, “Three years.” He unhooked the cuff link and began to roll his sleeve. “An injury forced him to retire.”

“I imagine you jumped right in with someone else?”

He stopped just below his elbow, revealing a tanned forearm and dark hair. “Things were busy at that point.” He started on the other arm. “I already had a few bodyguards working for me and some office staff, and we continued to grow.”

“How many employees do you have now?”

The muscles in his jaw flexed as though he were grinding his teeth. “Three hundred.”

“Wow.” My eyes widened; my lips stayed parted. I hadn’t expected him to say that. “Congratulations. That’s a hell of an accomplishment.”

He gave me a nod, and if I hadn’t been looking at him, I would have missed it.

He didn’t take compliments well.

I learned that immediately.

The flight attendant suddenly appeared with our drinks. “Here you go,” she sang, opening Jared’s tray table and placing his whiskey on it. She did the same with mine and set the mimosa in the middle.

I barely had my fingers around the cup when Jared handed her a card and said, “For both.”

“I can’t let you pay,” I told him.

He didn’t look at me. He just gave her a signal, and she stuck the card into her handheld device.

I waited until she was gone to say, “Thank you.” His wallet went back in his pocket, and when his drink was in his hand, I held mine out in his direction. “Even though this round should be on me, cheers.”

He watched our glasses clink, and then his eyes slowly lifted to mine. “Cheers.”

It was one word.

A single syllable.

There was nothing special about the combination of letters.

But when they came out of Jared’s mouth, mixed with the grittiness of his voice, a heat trickled over my skin, and a smile made its way across my face.

He didn’t notice. His stare was now on the cup that he was bringing up to his lips. He took a single swallow before he set it down.

I did the same, stopping when I heard the ding come through the speaker and the announcement that followed.

“The captain has turned off the seat belt sign. You are now free to move about the cabin.”

I took off my seat belt and slid to the end of my seat. This was the only part I disliked about being next to the window. “It’s my turn,” I said to him now that his gaze had returned to his newspaper.

He quickly glanced at me, and then he stood, backing into the aisle. Holding my coffee and mimosa and closing my tray table, I moved past his seat and stepped into the space in front of him.

Normally, I would think nothing of being this close. Living in Manhattan, we were used to tight areas on the sidewalks, trains, in our small apartments.

But my mind wasn’t full of nothingness as I was standing in front of Jared.

And those thoughts, only ingredients at this point, made me pause.

In that brief moment, I took in his scent once again and the warmth from his body that was inches away, and I wondered why he hadn’t given me more room. And as I turned, I whispered, “Thank you,” before I headed to the front of the plane.

TEN

HONEY

SPRING 1984

AS HONEY STARED at the handsome doctor, the memories of their first time meeting all began to unravel in her head. It had occurred the week before, making quite the impression on her. That was why she was surprised she hadn’t recognized him when he walked in.

“You were in too much pain last night,” he said. “I knew you didn’t make the connection.”

Honey agreed. “I couldn’t open my eyes, but I have no excuse for today.” Embarrassment was showing on her face, and she wished she could bury herself under the blanket.