Chapter 17 - Michelle
"Didn't mean to interrupt you two lovebirds, but we do have to get going."
The strange voice woke me up and I saw a man in front of us. Brent stood up and shook the man's hand.
"Good to see you, Captain Maxwell," Brent said.
"Good to see you, too, Brent. And you can just call me Max. Is that lovely lady there Ms. Michelle?"
"Yes," Brent said. "We had a tough time with the storm but she did quite well."
It made me smile to hear Brent tout my toughness. I guess I didn't even worry about the storm all that much, in the end. But it was because I was with him. Of course, part of it was being so distracted with anger and sadness - directed at him. But it was Brent who was ultimately responsible for that.
"Sorry we took so long," Max said. "The storm was still persisting where we were so we had to wait until everything was clear."
"I understand," said Brent. "It came out of nowhere and stuck around."
"That it did," said Max. "Let's take a look at what it did to that that plane of yours."
***
"You're damn lucky - and damn skillful - to be alive," Max said, as he walked around the plane.
"It didn't make sense, though," Brent said. "I've been through worse while flying. Something was off with the equipment."
Max shook his head.
"Who knows," he said. "Maybe the electrical interference from the storm got to it."
"We'll take a look at it after we get home," I said.
Max nodded.
"Finally," I said. "Let's get out of here."
***
Max dropped us off back at the airport, and Brent's driver took us back to the hotel.
I sat in the plush leather seats and rested my head on Brent's shoulder.
"It's good to be back," Brent said, as the car drove quietly down through the city.
"It's good to be back. With you," I said.
Brent smiled.
"There's no doubt about that," Brad replied, rubbing my leg.
I looked out the window and saw all the rich people dressed up and going about their day. Suits that cost more than I would ever have in my bank account. Bags I would never get to hold, except maybe counterfeits. It wasn't a world I fit in. It made me insecure to think Brent would routinely speak with these people.
Brent moved his arm away from me and stretched it. Then he picked up a folder stashed inside a mini-cabinet like footrest in front of us.
He shuffled through some papers and sighed.
"Missed a lot of business meetings," he said to himself.
"Oh," I said. "That's too bad."
"It's work for the upcoming fall season," he said.
"Sorry," I said, looking away from him and out the window of the car.
"Sorry for what?" he said, still reading the papers.
"Sorry I wasted your time," I said flatly.
"Michelle?" he asked.
"Sorry I took up all your time."
I kept looking out the window. I didn't want to look at him after that.
"Michelle, don't be like that," Brent said, with a half a tone of consolation.
"No, I shouldn't waste your time, right? Your such a big business man with meetings all day and all over the place. I guess I really fucked it up, huh? Throwing your schedule off like that."
"Michelle, it's not like that," Brent said, finally putting the folder down.
"It isn't, huh?" I said, feeling insulted. "I guess I really inconvenienced you. This was all an inconvenience. This whole excursion was quite inconveniencing, wasn't it, Mr. Brent, CEO?"
"No, Michelle," Brent said. "I didn't mean it that way. You know I enjoyed all that time with you."
"But you missed your meetings," I said.
"Yes."
"Right, so sorry for screwing things up for you, for the big CEO."
"Forget the meetings," Brent said, holding my hand. "I was just talking to myself. Talking nonsense. It wasn't directed at you."
I pulled my hand away from him and shifted in my seat.
"It's OK," I said, curtly. "I get it. You don't have to tell me."
We sat separately and silently as the car continued to drive, oblivious to rift again taking hold between us.
"Michelle," Brent started, after minutes of silence.
"Don't," I replied, shortly. "Don't bother."
***
Finally we reached the hotel. Brent's driver opened my door and I sharply took a step outside. I just had to get outside and away. I needed space for myself. I felt the anxiety that I thought I had given myself room from back in the forest returning with a vengeance. The doubts I thought I had put away crept back in and were taking hold. I took off walking back to the hotel.
"Michelle, where are you going?" Brent called after me. "Let's talk."
"No," I said, not breaking my stride. "I don't want to waste anymore of your precious time," I said. "Sorry for screwing with your plans. Sorry for not being smart enough to understand all of that beforehand."
I heard Brent call after me again but my mind was just focused on getting inside, getting away, and getting to my own hiding place for myself and myself alone.