LITMIR.BIZ

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They were getting close to takeoff. Juliana felt her blood pressure rise as sweat broke out on the small of her back. What was going on? She’d spent her entire life as a fearless flier, so what was up with her sudden nerves?

      She took a deep breath and exhaled. Juliana didn’t know if it was because she’d researched airline crashes so much during her recent project or what. She sucked in a breath. Stop being silly, she warned herself. This is one of the safest planes in the fleet. Still, her heart thudded harder. Just get through takeoff. She knew most accidents happened during takeoff or landing. More things could go wrong, because the plane was closer to the ground and moving slower... And... Deep breath, she told herself. Take a deep breath. Think of something nice. Like your favorite glass of wine. Like lying on your favorite beach...like...

      “Nervous flier?” Law asked, his sharp eyes missing nothing.

      “Not usually.” Juliana laughed weakly. What was wrong with her? Was she coming down with something? Food poisoning, maybe? “Actually, never. I don’t know why, but suddenly—” she shrugged “—I just feel a little weird about it.” Light-headed, scared, even. This was so embarrassing...an airline consultant...afraid of flying. She’d spent countless hours on flights this month and didn’t blink an eye. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. Maybe I’m coming down with something.”

      Maybe it’s the stress. Blue Sky was a tough project, no doubt, but she’d had worse.

      Her phone pinged again. Garrison one more time.

      You take off yet?

      She silenced her phone. No wonder she had a case of the nerves. Garrison wouldn’t leave her alone.

      Take the hint, she mentally begged him. Just seriously, take it. Not interested. Never will be. Don’t make me spell it all out. Let’s just pretend none of it happened and move on.

      Garrison was a heavyset, barrel-chested married man in his early 50s. Just thinking about Garrison’s stout body made her wince. Garrison might find her attractive, but the feeling was not mutual. And he was married, she reminded herself. He had a wife and two kids in the ’burbs. But then again, it was usually the married men who pursued her. She didn’t know why. Did she give off some kind of vibe that told men she was desperate enough to consider someone already taken? She wasn’t sure, but it happened more than she liked to admit.

      She focused on the passenger next to her. She wanted a distraction, badly, and he provided the perfect one. Look at those blue, blue eyes. Yes, something about his face made her think he’d understand her. What was she thinking? This man cared? He was a stranger. And he’d grow bored with her soon enough.

      “No reason to be embarrassed. Everybody’s scared of something.” She doubted the Aussie next to her was afraid of anything.

      “Thanks. I really don’t know what’s wrong.” She fanned her face and gave herself a mental shake.

      Law cocked his head. “Well, you’re flying on the world’s safest airline. Blue Sky has the lowest accident rate of any airline in the world. That’s why...” Law paused. “That’s why I fly so much with them.”

      Juliana knew about Blue Sky’s lack of accidents, of course, but hearing it again and from one of the airline’s most frequent customers, made her feel a bit more comfortable as some of the tension left her shoulders. She liked talking to this stranger. It felt oddly freeing somehow.

      “I’m glad of that,” she said, and grinned.

      The flight attendant announced the plane would be leaving the gate, and just as she clicked off the PA system, the plane rattled to life beneath them, slowly backing out. Juliana saw the ramp agents far below on the ground, walking with orange-capped flashlights, leading the plane away from the jet bridge. She thought about how they would soon be off the ground, and felt more sweat pool between her lower back and shirt. She looked about the cabin for a distraction and saw a woman wearing a “just married” sweatshirt, cuddling up to her new husband. So sickly sweet, so...silly. She frowned at the happy couple. She wondered if that husband would be Garrison in a few years, sending inappropriate texts to his staff member.

      Law followed her gaze. “You don’t like newlyweds?”

      “I just think love is a waste of time.” She waved her hand, feeling the futility of it all. Garrison was hardly the first man she’d met who believed monogamy applied to other people. When Juliana was just fourteen, her own father ran off with a younger woman. Her mother had spent most of her adult life hammering home the fact that career was more important than family. Families break up, but a good résumé never does, her mom would always say. Her mom had spent fifteen years as a housewife, and when their father ran off with a younger woman, she found herself having to go back to school, learn new skills, as she was woefully underprepared for the workforce.

      “You think falling in love is a waste of time?” Now Law looked incredulous.

      “It’s a distraction,” Juliana said as the plane rolled out to the runway. She tried not to think about the fact that in a few scant minutes, they’d be airborne. She still didn’t understand why she felt so uneasy out of the blue. She’d flown thousands of times. Why should this time be any different?

      “People think it’s this wonderful thing, this great thing, and yet most of the time it doesn’t work out. It causes pain and heartbreak. Who needs it?”

      Juliana thought of Garrison. Just one more reason not to waste time running after a happily-ever-after. Save those fairy tales for her three-year-old niece, Evie.

      “What about love making the world go around? What about all the songwriters and poets?”

      “They’re wrong.” Juliana shrugged. “Give me a glass of wine and a cat. I’ll be fine.”

      Law laughed, his eyes, blue like the ocean, crinkling with merriment. “I don’t see you as a crazy cat lady.”

      “Oh, I could get into the role. Believe me.” She grinned and he chuckled again.

      “Seriously?”

      “Why not? I don’t need a man to be happy.”

      Law laughed again. “Well, of course not. Usually, we’re more trouble than we’re worth.”

      The hint of the Aussie accent hit her ears and felt rich and layered, like a European espresso. Now it was her turn to laugh. She loved a man confident enough to poke fun at himself.

      “That’s what my mom always said. She put career first and taught me to do the same.” Juliana was unapologetic about that.

      “You don’t want kids?” Law asked.

      Juliana shrugged. “I practically raised my younger sister, so I feel like I’ve already had one. Kids, marriage...they’re a waste of time.”

      Law’s blond eyebrows arched so high on his face she thought they might leap off. He clearly didn’t agree with her assessment. Well, this was why some of the men in her office secretly called her an ice queen or ballbuster behind her back. It was why many of them kept their distance. She made it perfectly clear she didn’t need a man. Didn’t want one.

      “Well, take the emotion out of it, and look at the facts. Half of them end in divorce. More than half of men and almost half of women cheat.” Juliana shrugged and folded her arms across her torso, trying not to look out the plane’s window as they taxied down the runway. Her stomach leaped. They’d take off soon. The plane rumbled down the tarmac, and then, suddenly, took off. She gripped the hand rests, her knuckles turning white. What’s wrong with you?

      “What about dating? Relationships, then?” Law asked her. The cabin shook a bit as the plane fought the earth’s gravity. She was suddenly glad for the distraction of his deep voice. “So you don’t want the legal entanglements, then wouldn’t you want...companionship?”

      The way he said it implied he might have more

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