“We can take the company jet.”
For a few seconds I’m too stunned to say anything. I’m not sure what surprises me more. That he’s putting his company’s jet at my disposal, or that he wants to join me. As usual, Max anticipates what I’m about to say.
“Before you can protest, yes, I’m coming with you, and yes, using the company jet is not a problem,” he says.
“I never knew you could be bossy and sweet in the same sentence, but you outdid yourself, Max Bennett.”
“When do you want to go?”
“When do you have time?”
“Let’s go next weekend. I have meetings on Saturday, but we can fly out Saturday evening and come back Sunday.”
“Okay. Next weekend it is.”
***
“Wow.” I exclaim a week later when Max and I step inside the jet. It’s large enough for sixteen people, and looks far more luxurious than a regular airline plane.
“What can I say? We like to travel in style.”
“I’ve never heard you mention it before.”
“That’s because I don’t like to brag. Anyway, it was a smart decision to buy it for the company. We have enough people traveling back and forth the entire time. Having our own plane made sense. When teams fly out they can use the time in the air to actually be productive.”
“You don’t need to defend the choice to me,” I say, giggling as we sit next to each other.
“Sorry, it’s a habit. Had to work hard to sell the idea to Sebastian and Logan. They thought it was an unnecessary luxury. You should have seen my parents’ faces when I told them about it. I told them it’s for work. Now, using it for personal reasons when it would otherwise be parked in the hangar—that’s just making the most out of my assets.”
“You’re such a little devil.”
We spend the first hour of the flight talking about New Orleans and what we’re going to visit there, but we don’t talk about my father. There isn’t much to talk about… not now; maybe after I meet him. My stomach twists painfully as I try to imagine how it will go. I can’t help the sense of foreboding that has taken up residence inside me. Max threads his fingers through my hair, looking at me with questioning eyes. I shake my head, kissing his knuckles.
“You should get some sleep,” he says, getting out his laptop.
“Won’t you sleep?”
“Nah. The distributors from Brazil were supposed to come in two weeks, but then they moved the meeting to Monday morning.”
“This Monday?” I ask, stricken. “Max, why didn’t you tell me? I know how important this deal is for you. We could have postponed.”
“Doesn’t matter. I’ll just work on the materials for the meeting now and on our flight back. Go to sleep.”
It’s late, and it’ll be early morning when we land in New Orleans, so we should both get some sleep… or try to.
***
“I think I have a love-hate relationship with New Orleans,” I exclaim the next day.
“Already?” Max asks with a smile.
“Yep. Hate the heat. Love the beignets.” We’re having breakfast inside the famous Cafe du Monde, and I’m on my third beignet. These things are addictive. I’m also on my fourth coffee, because I didn’t sleep a wink last night.
“Emilia, you should slow down. Too much coffee and sugar is a bad combo.”
Stuffing my face with the last bite of beignet, I frown at him. “How do you know?”
“You forget I have three sisters, the eldest one who drilled into us boys the importance of sugar and caffeine. I also know what happens when she has too much of both.”