Page 56 of Flight of Fancy

Arianna continued to speak through her smile. “I don’t want to stay in more hotels with you. I want to be home with you. I want the guided tour in a place where we don’t have to worry about people recognizing us like we do here on my turf.”

Elle was silent for a moment, long enough to pick at her food before distracting herself with her water. “All right. You tell me what days you can get off, and I’ll host you in Seattle. I’ll do my best to not have to travel during that time, but I might have some virtual meetings at home.”

Something akin to excitement swelled within Arianna, who had to hold back the urge to clap her hands in delight. Even if we were in private… no.

“I ask for only one thing in return,” Elle then said.

“What?”

She sat up straight, gaze leveled right on Arianna’s face. “Before you leave Seattle, I want to see you with your hair down.”

Arianna pressed her hands against her chest. “I’ll think about it.”

“You’ll think about it? Should be a reasonable request by now. I’ve lost count of the nights we’ve spent together.”

“Twenty-six.”

“Oh, so you haven’t lost count?”

“Or is it nineteen?”

Elle snorted. “You’re silly.”

That was another phrase that knocked Arianna off guard. “Nobody’s told me that before.”

“Well, it’s true. You’re a very silly lady, Aria.”

All that was left to decide were the details of meeting Kaylinn for dinner the following day. As Elle had the meal charged to her room and departed for her Saturday meeting in central Singapore, Arianna stopped in the women’s restroom to freshen up and detoured through the small cocktail bar and street food grill to head out the side entrance where there were fewer people to see her emerging from the Lion Orchard.

“Aria? Or does every beautiful woman in Singapore look the same?”

She doubled-back when she recognized Riley’s voice. Sure enough, the copilot sat at the bar with lunch. I think it’s her… If she hadn’t spoken, Arianna wouldn’t have noticed the woman in a hat, denim shorts, and long-sleeved plaid shirt. Her short dark hair was completely covered by the cap advertising a Washington brewery that Arianna had never heard of before… but wanted to get to know, because it was probably near Seattle.

Riley was so different from the uniform Arianna had seen her in, that it was like looking at a different kind of woman. One that Arianna would have noticed in other circumstances. Like at another kind of bar… One that her sister found safe enough to drink in.

“Ms. Lowe? What are you doing here?”

“Oh, God, do not call me that.” Riley gestured to the stool next to her, but Arianna simply stood behind it instead of hopping on. She was still too shocked to get comfortable. “Riley. Outside of work, especially, I want you to call me Riley.”

“What are you doing here?” Arianna asked again. “No offense, but this is one of the last hotels I expected to see you in.” Not only was this not where Royal Asia put up the American crew, but Riley was… not as hoity-toity as the Lion Orchard purported it to be. “Are you waiting for someone?”

“If I said I was waiting for you, would you be wooed?”

Arianna was speechless.

“Oh, my God, I was joking.” Riley turned in her seat, looking woefully casual in such a nice hotel. Nobody, least of all Arianna, would ever guess she was a copilot for a luxury airliner like Royal Asia. Not that there’s anything wrong with how she’s styled… Her clothes were appropriate and fit her body well. She was groomed, from the tapered hair over her ear to the smoothness of her bare legs. Not even Elle shaves her legs often. That was a woman so comfortable in her skin and style that she didn’t think twice about parading around a tropical country with hairy legs. Then again, she always wore pants…

“Sorry. I wasn’t expecting to see anyone from work here.”

“Is it that weird? I assumed you were here to see one of your coworkers, considering this is where we were put up.”

“You were? We’re so far from the airport.” Changi was far on the eastern side of the city!

“I guess the usual hotel was booked up because of some giant conference going on. Our bosses upstairs were late on this quarter’s reservations. That will teach them to rest on their laurels.” That smirk told a thousand tales. “You know this hotel is way more expensive. Probably the last time I’ll ever be here.”

“I see…” Arianna relaxed her shoulders before rearranging her bag strap. “What a pleasant surprise this is.”

“Have you already had lunch? I’ve got some allowance left over to treat you.”

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