Page 35 of Not Yet Yours
“Sure,” I say. “I fly a lot for business and the waiting around in airports and for flight delays and all of that, it wastes a lot of time, and it costs me too much money.”
Chapter Twenty
Liam
We reach the front of the building. It’s tiny really, there are no lounges, no bars or restaurants, just a security point and a vending machine selling water, soda, and a few snacks.
My driver gets out and opens Harriet’s door for her. I open my own door and we both move around to the trunk where my driver is getting our luggage out. He hands me my suitcase and my laptop bag and then he lifts out Harriet’s bag and I take that too before he can offer it to Harriet.
I thank him and confirm my pick-up time for our return and then Harriet and I step into the small building. A woman smiles at us as we enter.
“Mr. Monroe, how lovely to see you,” she greets me.
“Hi Kelly,” I say. “This is Harriet. Harriet, this is Kelly. She works here.”
It feels like a kind of pointless introduction, but it also feels rude not to make it. The two women smile at each other and then I show Kelly my paperwork to confirm my plane’s details even though she knows which one is mine, it’s just protocol. She then hand scans our luggage and checks both of our passports.
“Everything is in order. Have a nice flight Mr. Monroe, Ms. Rain,” Kelly says, having read Harriet’s surname off her passport.
“Thank you,” we both say and then we head through the door-marked entrance.
We walk down a short corridor, open a door, and are outside in the area where several planes wait to be boarded. I spot mine immediately and my pilot sees me and gives me a wave. By the time we walk over to the plane, my pilot is at the top of the steps along with one of my air stewardesses.
We walk up the steps and I exchange greetings with the pilot, Marcus, and the air stewardess, Shana. I take our luggage and stow it in the inside hold, then Harriet and I go and sit down.
“Ready whenever you are, Marcus,” I say, and Marcus gives me a nod and goes through to the cockpit while Shana secures the door and checks our seatbelts are fastened. She goes toward the cockpit but turns off into the staff area on the right before she gets there.
Marcus’s voice comes over the speaker announcing our imminent departure and telling us to have a good flight and within minutes of him speaking, we are taxiing toward the runway. Harriet takes my hand and squeezes it.
“I can’t believe this,” she says, beaming in excitement. “I thought the limo was something but a private plane. Wow.”
The plane takes off and we climb and climb and then even out and I click my seatbelt open. Harriet does the same and a second later, Shana appears.
“Can I get either of you anything to eat or drink?” she asks.
“Do you want to eat now or later?” I ask Harriet.
“Later,” she says. “It’s a bit early, isn’t it?”
I nod in agreement.
“Just two glasses of champagne please, Shana,” I say.
Shana nods and goes toward the bar behind us.
“I know before you say anything, it’s a bit early for that as well,” I say to Harriet. “But one won’t hurt.”
She smiles at me and shrugs her shoulders.
“Yeah, no harm in one drink,” she agrees.
Shana soon returns, two flutes of champagne on a tray in her hand with a bowl of strawberries on it.
“I took the liberty of bringing you some strawberries too,” Shana says. “You can’t beat them with champagne.”
“Thank you,” I say. I gesture at the table before us, and Shana puts the bowl and both glasses on it. “Listen, Shana, it’s a pretty short flight and we won’t be needing anything else now except some privacy, so please feel free to go and have a nap or read or whatever you want to do.”
“Thank you,” Shana says. “Let me just return the tray to the bar area and I’ll get out of your hair.