CHAPTER SIX - VIOLET
“Ready for Bali?” Sebastian asked me as we walked toward the private jet. “Hope you packed your swimsuit, because we're going to have a little downtime once we get there and you're going to want to take a dip in the water down there. It's seriously amazing.”
The idea of wearing my bikini around Sebastian was nerve-wracking, to say the least. Not that I looked bad in a bikini, but does any woman ever truly feel comfortable in one? Sure, it was fine most of the time, but Sebastian dated some of the most beautiful women I'd ever seen. He’d been with women with bodies that rivaled those of supermodels, and I was just little ol' me. I didn't have the lingerie model body or their confidence either, which made it twice as uncomfortable.
“Yes, I brought it,” I said meekly. “Just in case. But I do plan on doing my job and taking this trip very seriously, you know.”
“I'm all about a work-life balance, Violet,” he said with a wink as we boarded the plane. “There has to be some perks to working as much as we do, right?”
I heard him talking to security earlier, making sure the guards knew that Jessica was to not be boarding this flight after all. I guess she was originally supposed to be going with him and he seemed concerned she might try to sneak her way onto the plane anyway. The thought was sad and pathetic, but after what happened at the restaurant the other day, I wouldn't have put it past her. I knew she still called regularly, and it annoyed Sebastian to no end, but there wasn't much he could do about it.
“All clear, sir,” one of the crew members said as we took our seats.
I wondered if that was a code word for no sign of Jessica?
“Glad to hear it,” he said. “Thank you, Danny.”
There were two glasses of champagne waiting for us as we took our seats. He handed me one and then took a long sip of his as he relaxed back into his seat. I'd never flown in a private jet before, so I was still taking everything in and getting used to feeling like I was suddenly one of the rich and famous.
It was a small plane that had enough seats for four people in the cabin, but that was it. In addition, the seats had plenty of room to lay back and could be turned into beds, for the longer flights, of course. There were privacy curtains around each one too, in case we wanted some privacy for our in-flight naps.
A girl could get used to this kind of life, I thought. But it was probably better I don't get used to it. This was my job for now, and Sebastian was spoiling me out of guilt for what happened to my dad. This wasn't something that would likely happen again with any other employer, or likely even regularly while I was working for Sebastian.
I stared out the window, sipping my champagne as we took off. I watched the clouds race beneath us and kept to myself, for the most part. Sebastian looked as if he wanted to sleep; not that I blamed him for it. It was a long flight and I figured I'd eventually try to get a little sleep myself, once the excitement of everything wore off.
“Would you like some music?” he asked.
“Sure.”
He hit a button on the armrest of his seat and the sound of soft jazz filled the cabin. I'd never really listened to jazz before, but my father had, and it reminded me of him. I stared out the window as the tears started to well up in my eyes. I bit my tongue hard, willing those damn tears not to fall.
“I'm sorry,” he said softly, stopping the music. “I forgot that your father shared my love of jazz.”
“No, it's fine,” I said, wiping the tears away before looking at Sebastian with a smile. “Keep it on. It's nice actually.”
“You sure?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Positive.”
He hesitantly pressed the button again, continuing with the music, and I closed my eyes. It reminded me of my father sitting in his study with the same sort of soft music in the background. Mom used to say that the music put him in a good mood, and often I'd find them dancing together to the music in his office. My dad was a romantic at times, and liked to take my mom dancing when he could – and when he couldn't, he turned his office into a private ballroom for the two of them.
So, of course, the music made me think of love and romance. It was a nice addition to the touch of sadness that came along with my memories.
I opened my eyes and found Sebastian staring at me. I so badly wanted to ask him what he was thinking, but I found myself afraid of what me might say. Would he say it was a mistake to bring me along? Would he talk about my dad and make me cry even more? So many people felt pity for me, and I hated it. But the look in Sebastian's eyes wasn't one of pity, it was one of awe, as if for whatever reason, he was admiring me. And as soon as our eyes met, he looked away, an expression of guilt upon his face. It was as if he were scolding himself for the thoughts running through his mind.
That of course, piqued my curiosity and made me want to ask even more than ever.
Before I could stop myself, I did. “What are you thinking about, Sebastian?”