She waved me on to board the plane, and I decided to stop and wait for Stella.
And when she gave me a curious look, I was glad I did.
“I’m sorry, ma’am. This seat in first class is already taken,” the woman said.
“I’m not sure I understand. I believe these flights were booked at the beginning of this week,” Stella said.
“Is there a problem?” I asked.
“Could I see your ticket again, please?” the attendant asked.
I handed her my ticket, and she compared the two before she sighed.
“It looks as if someone has booked the two of you in the same first-class seat. I can sit one of you in first class, but the other will have to take one of the available economy seats.”
“There isn’t another first-class seat open?” Stella asked.
“No, ma’am. I’m sorry. But, the difference will be refunded.”
“Oh, I’m sure of it,” I said.
“Go ahead and give Mr. Gunn the first-class seat. I’ll take economy,” Stella said.
“No, no. You still have to go over those notes. I’ll be fine until we land. Give Miss Harte the first-class seat,” I said.
“Christian.”
“Give her the seat,” I said pointedly.
“Miss Harte, welcome to first-class. Mr. Gunn, I am so sorry for the confusion. Let me print you out and scan a new ticket.”
I could feel Stella’s gaze on me as she passed by me to board. My new ticket was printed out and scanned, and she was kind enough to let me on the plane before anyone else in economy was allowed to board. I knew that most bosses would have taken the first-class seat, but with Stella having to study those notes, I couldn’t do that to her. Economy would be cramped, and she would have no room, and I didn’t want to run the risk of her not being able to concentrate the way she needed to.
Whether or not she cared for me, she was still an asset that needed to be on top of her game for this to work.
The flight was fraught with turbulence. So much so that the plane took a few dips that caused people to scream out. I couldn’t help but wonder how Stella was handling the entire flight, and part of me wanted to find someone to go check on her. I cursed not double-checking the tickets when they were sent to my cell phone, and it was a massive lesson learned as the guy beside me started throwing up from motion sickness.
Economy was trash, and I’d go the extra mile to make sure I never had to fly this way again.
We landed in New York, and I was more than happy to be off that plane. I found Stella with a pale face and shaking hands, and everything in me wanted to reach out to her and pull her into my arms.
But, I couldn’t do that. I had to be professional. I had to make sure she understood that I didn’t have feelings for her. This had to be a business relationship and nothing more.
“How was the flight up there?” I asked.
“Let’s just get to the hotel,” she said breathlessly.
“We need to stop by the office first. Will you be alright with that?” I asked.
“Sure,” she said.
We walked out and flagged down a taxi, who took us to the client’s New York office. I needed to check in and make sure things were still on schedule for the meeting today, but the moment I told the secretary who I was, her face fell.
“I’m so sorry, Mr. Gunn. The meeting got rescheduled for Monday morning. Did someone not call you?” she asked.
“No. No one called me. Could you get someone on the phone for me? We’re only in town for the weekend,” I said.
“They are in meetings all day. They double-booked. Here, what hotel are you and Miss Harte staying at? I can extend your stay free of charge,” she said.