He cuffed Zachary on the back of the neck since he was closest and made him clean it off before they could start their fireworks show. Alec was guilty by association, so he helped with the mess. He looked flattered that Dad was treating him like he had my brothers. As if Alec was already a part of my family.
I was thrilled when they took to Alec almost instantly, especially after the big news that we had moved in together. I had expected my family to balk at the idea or for my parents to play the concerned card. Neither happened. They had treated me like an adult and allowed me to make my own decisions. How ironic. The very thing that I was stressing so much about lately. Being an adult. Alec walked to my side and placed his arm around my shoulder as the fireworks show was about to begin. All I could think about was how I wanted to rewind time back to Christmas Eve when none of this mattered. I wanted my happy place back.
Chapter 6
The next morning, Alec opened the car door, handing me a latte and a paper bag with a chocolate chip muffin inside. "You didn't get anything?" I asked, stifling a yawn. I was still dead tired from staying up so late the night before.
He buckled his seatbelt and pulled out of the parking lot. "Nah. I'll get something after I drop you off." He placed his hand on my knee and I laced my fingers through his. I left my muffin and coffee untouched, not wanting to miss a moment of caressing him. There would be plenty of time to eat once I was gone. We were only a few miles from the airport and I'd already decided that Alec should drop me off rather than accompany me inside. There was no reason for him to fight the parking garage when he couldn't even go through security with me.
My plan was to get a little work done while I waited to board the plane. Olivia wouldn't be flying out until later that evening, so I hoped to bang out a couple thousand words to at least feel productive.
As the exit signs for the airport came into view, I gripped Alec's hand tighter. With all my recent misgivings, the trip felt thick with bad mojo. My stomach clenched painfully, and I had an overwhelming feeling that if I let go it would be the last time I ever held him. There was no reason for my apprehension, especially since I never had been a superstitious person. Our relationship was solid—strong even. Alec wasn't even aware of any of my recent doubts.
The departure terminal loomed ahead. "I love you," I said, almost desperately. I turned to look at him, fighting back tears. This was why I never went to summer camp and chose not to attend college out of state. I sucked at goodbyes. My heart ached anytime I'd ever been forced into an extended absence. Thankfully, it hadn't happened much in my life. I guess I was fortunate.
Alec pulled to the curb in front of the baggage drop-off area before turning to me. His hand trailed up my arm slowly, cupping my face. "I love you too, sweet stuff. It's going to be fine." He swiped away a stray tear that was trekking its way down my cheek. "Think about military families. Those goodbyes are months on end. We can talk and text constantly. We'll FaceTime it." I nodded, choking back a sob while trying to maintain a brave face.
He was right. Of course he was. I was acting like a child.
"Besides, I'm already looking forward to all the dirty text messages you're going to send me."
I chuckled through damp eyes. "Won't you be too busy learning how to take care of patients?"
"Exactly. I'll need something to break up the monotony. Those kinds of texts will be a welcome distraction."
"I better go," I said, spotting an approaching airport cop. "Don't forget to feed Severus," I added for the millionth time, pressing a hard kiss to his mouth. It felt desperate, and I briefly wondered if he could read my mind. My lips clung to his, not ready for the contact to end. His tongue caressed mine before he finally did what I had no strength to do—he pulled away.
"Be careful. Keep the pepper spray on you at all times."
I smiled. Just like my numerous reminders about Severus, Alec had gone over his safety advice countless times. He wasn't the only one. Each of my brothers put me through refresher self-defense lessons during the last month. I was quite certain that if, God forbid, a situation like I had experienced at the hotel in Tennessee ever happened again, I would be capable of handling myself. "I will. I'll call you when I land," I said, pressing another kiss to his lips even though the airport cop was giving us the evil eye.
This time it was me who pulled back. I knew if I stayed, even a moment longer, chances were I wouldn't be able to climb from the vehicle.
Alec grabbed my suitcases from the back of the jeep and loaded them on a luggage cart. I cringed at the two large cases. I was going to miss the smaller carry-on luggage I normally traveled with.
With my bag hiked up over my shoulder, I gripped the handle of the cart tightly and pushed it toward the automatic door.
"Nicole," Alec called out behind me.
I turned around to face him with my heart in my throat. "Yeah?"
He was leaning against the side of the jeep with his hands in his pockets. "Knock 'em dead. Remember you're a star. This is your moment," he said, winking at me.
His words warmed me like a shot of bourbon on a cold day, but it was his wink that made my blood boil like lava. He knew I was a sucker for it.
"I love you," I said, smiling as I blew him a kiss. I pushed the cart through the door, wanting that moment to be our goodbye.
The airport was a bustling bevy of activity with people coming and going in every direction. I thought maybe I'd be the only poor sap traveling on New Year's Day, but obviously I was wrong. My good mood faded quickly as I waited in the long line to check my bags. Everyone seemed grumpy with very little patience. Even I couldn't help getting ticked after the couple behind me allowed their kids to run over my heels no fewer than five times with their luggage cart. After the second time they stopped apologizing, like it was no longer a big deal.
I had to maneuver my body to the side of my cart to keep from screaming something that would have attracted more attention than I cared to get. Not that it would have done any good. The two small children didn't seem to hear a word their parents said. Why would they listen to me? I remained on the bad end of their torment as they swung on the rope barrier that corralled the line, pulling a heavy brass pole down on my recently healed ankle. Where was Olivia when I needed her? She would have already told the parents and their kids to take a flying leap into Fuckville.
At least I got another dismissive apology after giving their mom a death glare that should have melted the skin from their rotten faces. I debated dumping my latte on their annoying heads, but I decided that would only be a waste of the peppermint deliciousness.
By the time I made it through check-in and another long line at security, I barely arrived at the gate before the attendant began announcing boarding procedures for my flight. So much for getting any work done. At least my publisher had sprung for a first-class ticket, so I was among the first group of passengers to board the plane. Limping gingerly down the Jetway, I held up the passengers behind me until I reached a waiting flight attendant who helped me to my seat.
"Mimosa?" she offered as I stowed my shoulder bag under my spacious seat.
I smiled gratefully. "Yes, please." I situated myself in the wide plush leather seat, glad to be off my sore ankle. I took off my sandal to assess the damage and saw no swelling, thank goodness. Only a small scratch. My gleefulness continued when the demon family from earlier shuffled on board and headed toward the back of the plane—far, far, far away from me. There was a god.
The flight turned out to be fairly uneventful, which allowed me to pound out an entire chapter, pushing me ahead of my word count schedule. I was all smiles by the time we landed in New York. Even my ankle felt better after a two-hour rest. The captain turned off the fasten seatbelt sign as I gathered my bag from under the seat and the flight attendants ushered the first-class passengers off the plane first. I had to admit, I could already see myself getting spoiled by first class. If this was the type of treatment I would receive for the rest of the trip, I would have
no complaints.
Surprisingly, the terminal at LaGuardia seemed dead in comparison to what I'd left behind in Orlando. Following the signs, I made my way to baggage claim in record time and was one of the first passengers at the luggage carousel. I found a spot against the wall and turned on my cell phone while waiting for my bags to come tumbling out of the chute. It was always torture to be without my phone for an entire flight, but it made focusing on work so much easier. It also meant that I looked like a crack addict needing a fix by the time I turned on the phone again.
I smiled when I clicked on the message icon to find that Alec had sent me a couple texts. Miss your face already. I sighed while reading it until I saw his next message. He had taken a picture of Severus with a little note attached to his neck that read: So do I. Severus didn't look at all pleased, but it still cracked me up.
I miss you both too, I returned as the luggage carousel began to move.
The rest of the passengers from the flight had arrived and surrounded the carousel, eagerly waiting for their luggage. My good luck continued as my bags were two of the first pieces to leave the chute.
LaGuardia was officially my favorite airport. I snatched my suitcases off the spinning carousel and dragged them to the side to scan the area. Olivia had guaranteed that my publisher would have a car waiting for me.
"Ms. Blake?" a voice inquired to my left.
"Yes," I answered, turning toward a guy with boyishly good looks who appeared to be roughly my age. He was wearing a suit that might have been a size too small. It looked a bit rumpled, like something one of my brothers would wear if forced to for the right occasion. You could tell he would be more comfortable in something else—probably jeans and a T-shirt. A lock of hair fell across his forehead, but he brushed it back only to have it fall back a second later.
"I'm Greg. I'll be your assistant/driver/event organizer and everything else in between for the next month and a half."
I raised an eyebrow. An assistant? That was something new. Olivia was the only assistant I needed, and she would be with me for almost two weeks. "A month and half?" I asked, latching on to the second part of his statement. I could see needing someone for the bus tour, but that wasn't for another two weeks and would only last a month. The publisher planned for the tour to end on Valentine's Day in Philadelphia, which was voted one of the most romantic cities in America by a reader survey they had done. That was how they came up with the twenty cities for the tour. Each one had made the list. Time would tell if by the end of the trip I would find myself romantically inspired or ready to hang myself with a licorice whip.
Greg nodded. "I believe it's something your agent insisted on. I've been briefed on your itinerary and it was explained to me that my job is to make things as easy as possible for you. Chocolate, Cheez Doodles, Starbucks—I'm your guy," he said, grinning.
"How did you know I like—wait, you've been talking to Olivia?"
"Guilty," he replied, grabbing the handles of my suitcases and wheeling them out the door.
This trip was definitely looking up. Having my own assistant seemed a little pretentious, but I couldn't deny that a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders. Maybe I'd survive this extravaganza after all. "Hey, I can get one of those," I said, trailing after him.
"Please. You're the talent. How would it look if you were carrying your own luggage?"
"Oh God. If I would've known I'd be walking through this much shit, I would have worn my waders."
"Just a little humor. Not that I'm going to hand over one of the bags. This is job security for me. Gotta make sure I pull my weight," he joked, leading me toward a nondescript black SUV. I grinned, feeling instantly at ease. Meeting new people was never easy for me, but I could already tell Greg and I were going to get along. He reminded me of my brothers.
The temperature in New York in January was noticeably different than what I had left in Florida. There was no snow on the ground, but it was cold nonetheless. Even though I had dressed appropriately, I was already shivering as we made our way to the vehicle. Greg noticed my reaction and started the vehicle to get the heat running before stowing my luggage in back.
"Here you go," he said, opening the door for the second row. Shaking my head, I opened the front passenger door and climbed in, leaving him with a puzzled look. "I'd rather sit up front," I said, closing the door. I kicked an empty Mountain Dew bottle out of the way and tossed the empty fast food bag that was on my seat to the second row.
"Sorry about that," he said sheepishly as he climbed into the driver's seat. "I was running behind and grabbed a quick bite. I thought you'd be sitting back there."
"Don't sweat it. I have three brothers. This is nothing compared to their cars. It takes a shovel and a gas mask to clean out my brother Tony's car."
Greg flashed another grin. "Well, this is actually cleaner than normal. Sometimes I collect so much stuff it looks like I'm living in here."
"Do you live in the city?" I asked, grasping the armrest on the door. Greg's driving was more aggressive than I was used to. He whipped from lane to lane, around several taxis and a city bus. No matter how many times I traveled to New York City I would never get used to the traffic. Every moment felt like an accident waiting to happen. I should have sucked down a drink before we left the airport to dull my senses, or better yet, one of those tranquilizers they give to traveling pets.
"Nah, too rich for my blood. I got a place over in Jersey."
"So you drive in this mess every day?" I closed my eyes, wishing that I would have taken his original suggestion of sitting in the back seat.
"Oh, no way. I take the bus and train into the city." He blasted his horn at a motorcycle that narrowly swerved in front of us, causing my eyes to jump open again. My hands moved instinctively to the dashboard, bracing for a collision. The constant stop-and-go motion of the vehicle combined with Greg's insistence on switching back and forth between lanes was making me nauseous. "You know, it's probably a good idea to get me there in one piece," I muttered, looking up at the ceiling in the vehicle.
He chuckled, patting my hand that gripped the center console for dear life. "Don't be afraid. I've got plenty of experience at this. Plus, this baby is built like a tank." He patted the steering wheel reassuringly.
"That's great, but I have a thing about accidents, and bridges, by the way. So understand—you are killing me right now." Bridges under normal circumstances freaked me out. Combine them with New York traffic and I was in hell. I suddenly felt a twinge of homesickness thinking of Alec. If he were here, we'd have a laugh while he teased me about my long list of phobias.
Chapter 7
Miraculously we made it to the hotel in one piece, which led me to believe there might actually be a god, considering my nonstop prayers during the drive.
Greg took care of my luggage and checked me in since the publisher was footing the bill for the hotel. Travel, lodging, food, and now an assistant, all covered. I would have to be careful not to let this rock star treatment go to my head. That being said, it was hard not to get excited when your every whim was being catered to. It was a surreal experience.
When I reached my room, I was shocked to discover they had put me in a beautiful suite. A basket of delicacies from my editor and a bouquet of flowers from my agent greeted me on the coffee table in a small sitting area. "Don't let it go to your head," I silently chanted, taking in my surroundings.
Greg made sure I had everything I needed before promising to return the next morning to take me to my appearance on Good Morning America. I shut the door and twirled around in my suite, laughing when I spotted a bucket with a bottle of champagne chilling in the corner. This was crazy. Wait until Olivia got a look at all of this.
I kicked off my shoes, sinking into a leather chaise lounge that sat strategically near a large window that framed a picturesque view of Manhattan. It was breathtaking. Pulling out my cell phone, I dialed Alec's number, hoping to catch him between classes.
He picked up befor
e the phone could finish its first ring. "How was your flight, beautiful?" he asked in his normal sexy voice.
I curled my legs underneath me, peering out the window. "It was great," I answered enthusiastically. As I talked with Alec, I watched the endless amount of activity going on in the far city below. From my vantage point, everything was so small it was like watching a scene inside a snow globe.
"Really?" He sounded surprised, knowing the hate/hate relationship I had with flying.
"Actually, yeah. At first I thought it was going to be awful. OIA was a nightmare this morning with endless lines and grumpy people, but then something magical happened. I got to fly first class," I bragged. "I may never be able to fly coach again," I joked. "How are your classes today?"
He sighed. "Torturous. Sometimes these professors act like they don't want any of us to become doctors. Remind me again why I'm doing this."
"Because you want to help people. I wish you were here though. This suite is amazing. I'm sure the hotel made some kind of mistake and put me in the wrong room, but they'd have to drag me away now. Remi sent over a basket of goodies and champagne, and even Jillian sent a big bouquet of flowers. It's almost like I'm somebody."
"Eventually you're going to realize you are somebody, babe. You're getting the treatment you deserve. I wish I could be there to share it with you. I'm stuck all by my lonesome with a cat that is probably plotting my death."
"Severus isn't plotting your death. He's just making sure you don't forget about him. Do you have any plans tonight?"
"I was going to take advantage of having the night off from work and chill at home, but Candace took pity on me and invited me over for dinner with her and Lily."
Candace invited him for dinner. That seemed odd considering she had never invited him over while I was in town. Candace and Alec had an amicable relationship, but usually their interaction centered on Lily. Not inviting him over for dinner.