Chapter 27
A Fear of Flying
After the program ended, lights flooded the auditorium and people started to get on their feet.
“Shall we?”
Victoria glanced up to see Sebastian already standing. He was fastening the button of his suit jacket, looking at her expectantly. Nodding, she got up.
She didn’t look at him as she smoothed the folds her dress and slung her purse over her shoulder. She sensed his eyes still fixed on her and she felt her cheeks warm under his stare.
Briefly, she wondered if he would try to take her hand again, and panic began to rise in the back of her throat. When Sebastian turned to make his way to the aisle, she breathed a sigh of relief and followed behind him, trying not to get too close.
Did that really happen? He was holding her hand ... looking at her in the way that made her unable to breathe.
Calm down. He’s acting normal now. So should you.
As she stepped into the aisle, Victoria felt his hand fall on the small of her back. Gently, he guided her up the steps as they walked side by side toward the exit.
Her stomach fluttered again, her skin heating up to his touch. The urge to lean into his chest was overpowering. She gripped the strap of her purse and tried to steady her knees as she walked.
“Did you enjoy the program, Victoria?” His voice sounded almost like a caress.
“Yes, thank you. I never knew Benson was so talented.”
“He takes after his mother. She is quite a gifted musician, and an artist.”
“Does she ... ever come to see Benson perform?”
“Circumstances don’t allow it.”
“Oh.” She had no idea what those circumstances were. While Benson did occasionally mention his mother, Victoria made it a point never to pry. She still had no idea why the boy had been adopted by his uncle, despite still having a living parent.
“Don’t worry, Victoria. Benson sees his mother quite often. He’s visiting her this weekend, in fact.”
She felt a jolt of happiness in her chest. Benson still had a mother in his life after all. “That’s ... wonderful,” she said.
They had reached the lobby. Parents were milling around them as they waited for their children. Smartly dressed waiters were serving drinks and small dainty snacks on trays.
“I hope you don’t think I’m being inappropriate with my questions,” she said. “Your family situation is really none of my business.”
“Corinne,” he said.
“What?” Who?
“That’s Benson’s mother’s name. Corinne Walker.”
“Oh.”
“Corinne lives in Austin. She paints — mostly landscapes and still lifes. She also teaches piano to adult beginners.”
He smiled, and Victoria’s breath caught in her throat. “She loves Benson very much,” he added.
She smiled back at him. It was almost like he knew the question she most wanted to ask.
“Do you play an instrument?”
“No, I—” She paused when she noticed two women in their thirties wearing sundresses a few feet away. They were staring at Sebastian. She saw a woman in a suit behind them sipping a mimosa — she looked about forty, gorgeous and quite fit — also staring at him. She turned her eyes discretely to her left and scanned the room.
There it was. More women openly staring at him. Or glancing at him repeatedly. There were also two good-looking men in their thirties who looked like they were a couple, and they were also looking at Sebastian appreciatively.
Then she realized some of the women were looking at her. A few of them were staring at her with something akin to hostility.
Victoria grabbed a mimosa from a passing waiter. “Are you all right?” Sebastian said, watching her gulp down the drink.
“I’m fine.” She wasn’t. It was nerve-wracking to be the center of everyone’s attention. Is this how it was going to be every time she was out in public with him? Not that she was expecting this to be a problem. It wasn’t like they were together ...
“So, you don’t play, then?”
“What? Oh, you mean an instrument.” She smiled ruefully. “We could never afford music lessons. But I’ve always wanted to learn the piano.”
“It’s never too late.”
Looking around for another waiter serving drinks, Victoria felt her heart start to beat very fast.
It wasn’t that Sebastian was so... attentive. It was the realization that he’d always been that way with her since she started working for him that surprised her. It dawned on her that even when they argued, or when he was criticizing her clothes and her career, he was always paying attention.
She took another glass from a waiter and nodded her thanks. She took a long drink, careful to avoid his eyes.
“Victoria, you made it!”
Benson came in with a group of kids, his violin case in hand.
“Hey, sport,” Sebastian said, pulling the boy in for a hug.
“Didn’t I say she’d come, Uncle Sebastian?” Benson said.
“You did.”
“Thank you for inviting me,” Victoria said. “You were very good.”
“You like Handel?” Benson asked her. The three of them walked to the exit side by side, the boy between the two adults.
“I do. Although I think I only know Messiah.” She grinned sheepishly.
“That’s okay. I did Bach last time. But I think I like Handel more.” He turned to Sebastian. “Is Victoria having lunch with us?”
“I was just going to ask her,” Sebastian said.
“Oh, it’s okay,” Victoria said. “I should really get going now.”
“We would really like it if you joined us.”
She looked at Benson, who didn’t say a word. He just looked up at her and smiled.
***
Sebastian knew he ought to be ashamed of himself.
He’d never thought the day would come that he would leverage his own kid to get a woman to spend time with him. But then he never thought he needed to.
They were in the car on their way to lunch. Benson was showing Victoria his violin, explaining the different parts of the instrument and what they were for.
Sebastian watched her as she asked his son questions about the violin, and how he played it. He would have been jealous at being all but ignored by the both of them if he weren’t so amused at how close the two had become. Besides, it gave him a chance to watch her smile and laugh without reservations.
She had a beautiful smile. When he wasn’t kissing her, he wanted nothing more than to see her smile.
As she fingered the instrument gingerly, he saw Benson glance sideways at him as if asking a question.
Sebastian winked.
Benson grinned, and handed her the violin. “Here, hold it,” he said. “See how it feels.”
“Oh my. Are you sure?”
“It looks cool, yeah? It’s a Stradivarius.”
“That sounds expensive,” Victoria said, admiring instrument in her hands.
“Uncle Sebastian bought it from an old lady in London. I only use it for dress rehearsals and performances. It’s not a lot better than my other violins, but the sound of this one really fills the room.”
What the boy didn’t mention was that the Baroness Grey de Ruthyn wouldn’t sell the violin to Sebastian until he had beaten her at poker. He won ten thousand pounds in the game, and paid one million pounds for the Stradivarius itself. Benson had enough sense to ask him discretely if it was all right if he let Victoria handle the violin.
“Wow. Is it old?”
“Almost three hundred years old.”
“Right. Uh, maybe you should put this back in the case now.” She carefully handed the instrument back to him.
“Mr. Chase, we’re here,” Connor said.
“Are you flying somewhere?” Victoria asked, looking out the dashboard, puzzled. They were on an airport runway, parked near a private plane.
“We’re having lunch on the plane,” Sebastian said.
She saw that Connor had opened the car door on her side. She stepped out, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
“Why?” she said.
“Uncle Sebastian is taking me to visit my mom in Austin,” Benson said as he followed her out of the car. “You’ll like her, I promise.”
Victoria looked at Sebastian who had gotten out the car as well. “Austin?”
“The flight is less than three hours. I promise to get you home by midnight, all right?”
“I don’t know ...”
“C’mon, Victoria!” Benson shouted down from the top of the stairs of the plane. “Uncle Sebastian says he has a surprise for me. Come on!”
***
There was so much room in the cabin of Sebastian’s private plane, especially since the three of them were the only ones in it. The chairs had rich cream-colored leather upholstery, and there were even fresh flowers in the corner. Everything in the cabin was beautiful and elegant.
Victoria’s knuckles were white as she gripped her arm rests, praying she wouldn’t throw up.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were scared of flying?” Sebastian said gently, mopping her brow with a cool, wet towel. “I wouldn’t have asked you to come.”
They had taken off ten minutes ago. He noticed Victoria hadn’t spoken a word since they left the runway, and saw that her lips were pale and she was hanging on to her seat like her life depended on it.
“I didn’t know,” she said. “I’ve never been on a plane before. I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay, Victoria,” Benson said. He was standing in front of her, holding up a bowl of water Sebastian used to wet the towel. “It’s not your fault.”
“I’m going to tell the captain to turn back.” Sebastian said. He had taken off his suit jacket, and the sleeves of his shirt were rolled up. He pressed the towel once more on her forehead before dropping it in the bowl.
She grabbed his arm. “No, wait,” she said. She took a deep breath. “I’ll be fine. I need to do this.” She smiled faintly and loosened her grip on him. “I don’t want to be afraid for the rest of my life.”
She said she didn’t want to be afraid of flying, but as she looked into his eyes, she knew he realized she meant much more.
“I understand,” he said, taking her hand and pressing it between his palms. “I’ll be here for you no matter what.”
“Me too,” Benson said.