Chapter 14
Emily
“You don’t have to do this,” he says for the hundredth time as I grip the arm rests of the plane seat tightly. “It won’t have any bearing on your job if you change your mind.”
I close my eyes, desperately trying to forget that I’m on a plane. It’s not that I hate flying, exactly. The flying part I don’t necessarily mind, but the plane… I could do without. I can’t stand to be in an enclosed space, knowing that I can’t simply open a door or window and feel the air on my skin. Because of that, planes are the worst. You can’t exactly open the door and step outside anytime you want. The only good thing is that the flight is direct.
I just have to get through the next few hours without convincing my new boss that I’m bat-shit crazy. I’m not stupid, I know how all my little quirks look. God knows, I’ve dealt with them long enough. I used to be much better at hiding them, but ever since my dad got sick, they got worse. Just hearing his voice used to be enough to pull be back when my anxiety got too out of control. But now he’s gone…
“Have you found an apartment yet?” Luke asks, pulling my attention back to reality, though I’m not sure if that’s good or bad at this point.
“N… no, not yet. I have some appointments lined up for next week though to check a few out.”
“You’re still at the hotel?”
“It works; I don’t mind it. The realtor—she’s arranging for someone to pack up my stuff and will ship it to me once I find a place of my own.”
“If you need any help, let me know. A few of our contractors rent places near the office.”
“Thanks. Alec sent me a list of places to look at the other day.”
“Oh, good.”
I slowly open my eyes, feeling a tad more at ease after talking to Luke. I doubt he realizes it, but he managed to do what my dad would do when I got like this. He distracted me just enough to keep my mind off of all the worst possible things that could go wrong. I take a deep breath and look around the large, crowded plane. All too quickly though I turn my focus back to the man sitting next to me.
“You okay?” he asks.
“Yeah, sorry.”
“You don’t need to apologize.”
“I hate enclosed spaces.”
“Me too,” he admits.
“Really? How is this not driving you crazy?”
“Oh, it is,” He laughs. “I just hide it well. Before we even sat down, I knew where every exit was, where the bathrooms were, and even how many staff were working the flight today.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah.” He smiles sadly. “Sometimes doing little things like that helps.”
“I just try to avoid it at all costs.”
“There’s that too.” We both laugh. “But I learned while serving that avoidance isn’t always an option. So, I found small ways to manage, without drawing attention to how crazy it was driving me at the time.”
“I was better at it…before, I mean.”
“What was college like for you?”
“Difficult.” I smile remembering the look on my dad’s face when I received my degree. “I graduated high school at seventeen, started college immediately afterward and finished with a double major in just three years—”
“Damn.”
“It was my way of dealing with the anxiety that would threaten to strand me. I threw myself into my school work until nothing else mattered.”
“I’m ashamed to admit, but I don’t remember your majors from your resume.”
“Criminal justice and computer technology. I also have a bunch of certifications and additional trainings in various programs that I took afterward.”
We spend the next couple of hours talking, which surprisingly helps keep my mind off the fact that we’re trapped in this incredible large, but enclosed space with a couple hundred strangers. We’ve spent the last few days working closely together, but sometimes it felt… odd. I don’t know how else to describe it. We would talk, but nothing like this. For the first time, the conversation just sort of flows between us.
I find myself wanting to know more about Luke. What does he do outside of work? Does he have a wife? A girlfriend? Or does he go home alone each night like I do? I want to ask him what else bothers him other than enclosed spaces. But, I don’t ask any of the questions running through my head. Instead, I remind myself that he’s my boss.
“Do you need to call and let anyone know that you’ve arrived safely?” he asks as walk through the busy airport. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so relieved to be in a crowded place as I am right now. I may not yet be able to walk outside, but we’re getting closer and closer to being able to do just that.
“Uh…no.”
“I wasn’t sure if you had someone back in Virginia that would want to know you. It just seemed like a good time since once we get to the resort we’ll need to act like a couple.”
“No.” I stop and look at him surprised. “There isn’t anyone in Virginia; you and Alec are the only ones I know there.”
“Oh.”
“My dad is…was my only family, so there’s no one to call in San Diego either.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—”
“It’s fine.”
I quickly walk away, essentially ending the conversation. I hate how pathetic I sound; that it’s not enough that my new boss has realized that I’m a little more crazy than he thought I was but now I have to admit that I literally have no one in this world. This job, this is all I have.
We quickly find the shuttle and the driver once we step outside, joining three other couples inside the cool van before we’re whisked away from the busy airport. They are talking quietly with each other, giving the impression they know each other. Meanwhile, Luke and I sit quietly next to each other. I don’t know exactly when it happened, but at some point he must have taken my hand in his. I glance over at him, trying to catch his attention to see if he’s aware of that he’s holding my hand. He’s alternating between watching the other couples and looking out the window.
When I notice the guy across from us staring at me, I move closer to Luke on instinct. He doesn’t say anything, instead gently squeezing my hand immediately reassuring me. How is it something as simple as his touch can make me feel better? Especially given that we barely know each other?
Thankfully, it’s only a few minutes later when we arrive at the resort. The van parks in front of a large stone building, with the words Sunset Beach proudly displayed on it. As soon as I step out of the van, the warmth hits me full-force. I take a moment to breathe in deeply, smiling when I vaguely catch the smell of the ocean. I didn’t love living in San Diego, but I loved going to the beach.
“Mr. Smith, Ms. Jones, would you like assistance to your room?” The bellhop greets us only a few minutes after we arrive.
“No, we’re fine.” Luke quickly takes the offered key. “Thank you.”
“Ms. Jones?” I repeat as soon as we’re in the elevator.
“Alec must have come up with a new alias for you. I’ve been Smith a few dozen times already,” he explains. “It’s easier to remember a new last name than a first one. If someone calls you by your cover name, you might not turn around, but if someone calls you by your real name, you’ll immediately respond. Unless absolutely necessary, we try to use our agent’s first names when they go under.”
“That’s right, I remember reading that in Jose’s notes.”
“This is us.” He quickly opens the door and steps back to allow me to enter first. I’m immediately relieved when I find two double beds in the room, having barely had a chance to worry how things would have worked if there had only been one bed. Is it wrong that part of me was wishing we would have had to share a bed tonight?
“I’ll get everything set up and see how secure their servers are here.” I quickly toss my bag onto the bed closest to the small table that I decide will make a decent temporary work space. Meanwhile, Luke steps outside on the balcony to call Alec.
The room is larger than I expected based on the pictures online. In addition to the two double beds, there is a large attached bathroom and even a small sitting area. While my computer starts up, I walk over to the large windows, taking a moment to look towards the beach which is just barely visible from our room. Below is a large in-ground pool with what appears to be a swim up bar. At any other time this would be an ideal place for a romantic vacation. But for the next few days, it will be a job for us.
“So… Mrs. Thompson clammed up when Alec questioned her about Davidson,” Luke announces when he returns from the balcony.
“So, there is something there.”
“Yeah, but she’s not talking. She tried saying he was just an old friend, but he could tell she was lying.”
“Interesting.”
“I told him that you would look them further. Maybe find out if there’s something going on between them?”
“Yup, that’s on my to do list. I’m logging into their servers right now, but once that’s finished I can start on that.”