time savings. I’m quickly being disabused of that.”
“I think that’s the line,” I say, pointing with the arm Cade’s not dragging me by.
He ignores me, goes to an empty desk, and says, “I’m picking up two tickets.”
“I’m sorry sir, you—”
“Cade Dorn. My flight leaves in ten minutes.” That’s a lie, I think. “My sister and I can’t afford to miss it. We’ve had a really shitty day. Help us out.”
Her head does something between a shake and a nod. “I don’t know, I’m—”
“Sure you do.” He smiles. God, my heart melts, and it’s not even directed at me. “I’d be so grateful. It won’t take long. Everything’s already prepared. I just need to pick them up.” He hands her his wallet, open to his driver license.
“Well, I suppose—”
“You’re wonderful,” he pauses, and looks at her name tag—and her breasts?—and says, with a tight smile, ”Cynthia.”
Chapter 17
The security line is long, but Cade has some card to get him through quicker. The woman initially says it’s only good for him, but he changes her mind.
It almost makes me sick, seeing him flirt with other women, get them to do whatever he wants.
But if I’m honest, it’s because I can see how much they like it, how they crave/love his attention. And I can’t help but see myself in them.
The “express” line is shorter, with what looks like a girl a little younger than me—is she famous?—and some Japanese men in suits.
As we wait in this new line, Cade says, “Please don’t opt for a pat down.”
I shake my head. “Bring on the cancer.”
His lip quirks up in a grin.
I elbow him. “Lighten up, we’re almost out of this hellhole.”
His quirk turns to a full smile, and he directs it at me.
I manage to stay standing.
His phone buzzes, and he takes it from his pocket.
He puts it back.
“Who was that?”
“My bike made it back.”
“Oh. God, that seems like ages ago.”
“It—”
“Next!” a man standing beyond the metal detector calls.
“Here.” Cade hands me a ticket.
I look at it, then slip it into my pocket.
The Japanese business men—if that’s what they are—slip into their shoes, take their bags, and then are off.
I proceed forward, setting down my bag and starting to take off my shoes.
The man stops me before I can. “Just your bag.”
“Oh.” I look at the business men.
The man looks at them, then back at me, shaking his head. “I swear, they enjoy taking their shoes off.
“Oh,” I say again. I’d think this was some minor slight, if not for the fact that the man himself looks Japanese.
I set the bag with my new phone on the conveyor belt, then move up to the metal detector. I put my old phone in the tray, then step through.
It beeps.
I jump.
“Pat down!” he barks.
I jump again.
I hear Cade groan behind me.
“Over there please.” I follow where he points, and my stomach drops.
There’s a group of three people. One is a large man sitting in a chair, playing with his phone, his back to me. The other two are talking, their sides to me. One a man, the other, a woman I know all too intimately.
“Female pat down!” the man who directed me to the scanner calls out again.
The woman jolts and quickly turns.
Then smiles when she sees me.
“Hiya,” Emily says.
Chapter 18
“This is a nightmare,” I groan.
“It’s about to get worse,” Emily says.
Cade steps up behind me. “Come on,” he tells me, “we’re going to miss our plane.”
“I’m afraid she’s going to miss it even if you hurry.” She frowns. “Well, I know. I’m not afraid.” She cocks her head. “You know what I mean.”
“Excuse me?” I can hear the confusion in his voice. He must not recognize her.
“She’s banned from this airport.”
“We’re getting on that plane.”
Emily shakes her head. “I can’t let that happen.” She shrugs. “Sorry. If it were up to me… Well, I wouldn’t be doing this shit in the first place.” She sighs.
“I think that’s the line,” I say, pointing with the arm Cade’s not dragging me by.
He ignores me, goes to an empty desk, and says, “I’m picking up two tickets.”
“I’m sorry sir, you—”
“Cade Dorn. My flight leaves in ten minutes.” That’s a lie, I think. “My sister and I can’t afford to miss it. We’ve had a really shitty day. Help us out.”
Her head does something between a shake and a nod. “I don’t know, I’m—”
“Sure you do.” He smiles. God, my heart melts, and it’s not even directed at me. “I’d be so grateful. It won’t take long. Everything’s already prepared. I just need to pick them up.” He hands her his wallet, open to his driver license.
“Well, I suppose—”
“You’re wonderful,” he pauses, and looks at her name tag—and her breasts?—and says, with a tight smile, ”Cynthia.”
Chapter 17
The security line is long, but Cade has some card to get him through quicker. The woman initially says it’s only good for him, but he changes her mind.
It almost makes me sick, seeing him flirt with other women, get them to do whatever he wants.
But if I’m honest, it’s because I can see how much they like it, how they crave/love his attention. And I can’t help but see myself in them.
The “express” line is shorter, with what looks like a girl a little younger than me—is she famous?—and some Japanese men in suits.
As we wait in this new line, Cade says, “Please don’t opt for a pat down.”
I shake my head. “Bring on the cancer.”
His lip quirks up in a grin.
I elbow him. “Lighten up, we’re almost out of this hellhole.”
His quirk turns to a full smile, and he directs it at me.
I manage to stay standing.
His phone buzzes, and he takes it from his pocket.
He puts it back.
“Who was that?”
“My bike made it back.”
“Oh. God, that seems like ages ago.”
“It—”
“Next!” a man standing beyond the metal detector calls.
“Here.” Cade hands me a ticket.
I look at it, then slip it into my pocket.
The Japanese business men—if that’s what they are—slip into their shoes, take their bags, and then are off.
I proceed forward, setting down my bag and starting to take off my shoes.
The man stops me before I can. “Just your bag.”
“Oh.” I look at the business men.
The man looks at them, then back at me, shaking his head. “I swear, they enjoy taking their shoes off.
“Oh,” I say again. I’d think this was some minor slight, if not for the fact that the man himself looks Japanese.
I set the bag with my new phone on the conveyor belt, then move up to the metal detector. I put my old phone in the tray, then step through.
It beeps.
I jump.
“Pat down!” he barks.
I jump again.
I hear Cade groan behind me.
“Over there please.” I follow where he points, and my stomach drops.
There’s a group of three people. One is a large man sitting in a chair, playing with his phone, his back to me. The other two are talking, their sides to me. One a man, the other, a woman I know all too intimately.
“Female pat down!” the man who directed me to the scanner calls out again.
The woman jolts and quickly turns.
Then smiles when she sees me.
“Hiya,” Emily says.
Chapter 18
“This is a nightmare,” I groan.
“It’s about to get worse,” Emily says.
Cade steps up behind me. “Come on,” he tells me, “we’re going to miss our plane.”
“I’m afraid she’s going to miss it even if you hurry.” She frowns. “Well, I know. I’m not afraid.” She cocks her head. “You know what I mean.”
“Excuse me?” I can hear the confusion in his voice. He must not recognize her.
“She’s banned from this airport.”
“We’re getting on that plane.”
Emily shakes her head. “I can’t let that happen.” She shrugs. “Sorry. If it were up to me… Well, I wouldn’t be doing this shit in the first place.” She sighs.
Similar Books
