Page 91 of Flight of Fancy

“At some point, though…”

“It’s my fault, yes. I should have told you that you were involved with the Elizabeth Sabin of Royal Asia. I kept thinking of all the ways I could tell you. But none of them stuck.”

Arianna tugged on her hair. “This isn’t how I wanted to find out. My whole company knows about us. About me. I was outed to everyone I answer to.”

Elle’s breath was once again caught in her chest as she struggled to speak. “I’m so sorry.”

“What if I can’t be a flight attendant anymore?” Arianna’s voice cracked. “Ever since I was a kid, this is what I wanted. When I graduated school, I went straight into the workforce. I achieved my dream of being a Singapura Girl.” She sniffed. “It’s all I know. I’ve curtailed my whole personal life to be nothing but the best on every flight. What if…” She covered one eye with her hand. “What if that’s gone?”

Naturally, Elle did not have the answer. She wasn’t in charge of Arianna’s fate at Royal Asia. She could pull favors, exert pressure, and downright beg the people she knew who were in charge, but that would only get them so far. Both Arianna and Elle had committed a faux pas in their industry. It’s me. I’m the one who is responsible for this. She should have been honest from the beginning. At least then Arianna would have decided if the risk was worth it.

If it had been a regular passenger, the company might have looked the other way. She might have been sent to another route. She might be put on temporary suspension to learn her lesson. But Arianna had carried on with a director. Not a pilot, not her supervisor, a director.

Elle had a decent amount of money, but not enough to fix this. Nor could she wave a magic wand to give everyone amnesia… including Arianna.

I would. If it gave Arianna her life back, Elle would wave that wand and erase her existence from Arianna’s mind.

“No matter what…” Elle gently took Arianna by the shoulders and hoped that her girlfriend would look up at her. “I’m here. I’m not going anywhere, okay? You’re more than my girlfriend, Arianna. You’re the love of my life. I’ll do anything to protect you. You tell me what you need.”

Slowly, Arianna lifted her arms and encircled Elle’s body. They came together, a timid kiss landing on Arianna’s forehead as they embraced.

“Tell me it’s going to be all right,” Arianna sobbed into her girlfriend’s chest. “Tell me that none of this matters in the end.”

“It’s going to be all right,” Elle said into the top of Arianna’s head. “All that matters is that we move forward. I love you.”

She was ruined by the silence threatening to make this moment drift away from everything Elle knew to be true about her feelings. When Arianna finally replied, it was like a lightning-stricken sky across Elle’s heart.

“I love you too. Don’t leave.”

In all honesty, Elle was too tired to go back to her cozy hotel room in the center of the city. She was more comfortable here, in Arianna’s abode, holding her until the end of time.

Chapter 28

The last thing Arianna expected was a guest, let alone Elle. All because Arianna had turned off her phone for more than a day? The timing between the counsel at the Royal Asia headquarters and Elle’s arrival was hardly more than twenty-four hours. Or at least it wasn’t in Arianna’s braindead head.

Maybe it had been more than a day. Still, to know that she had someone who dropped her whole life, her whole issue, and flew across an ocean to check on her was more romantic than Arianna wanted to admit.

Yet when reality sank in the next morning, when Arianna found the wherewithal to shower and get dressed, she realized how she had been living all weekend.

There was no getting it past Elle, who continued to sleep off her jetlag in Arianna’s small bed. She may have been passed out, but she still occasionally opened her eyes or twitched beneath the covers as Arianna took out her trash, wiped down her counters, and eventually woke up her girlfriend with the sounds of the vacuum over the laminate floor.

If Elle was going to be here, then the place would be clean, damnit.

“I was supposed to go to work a few hours ago.” Arianna finished putting up her hair before she went out with Elle, who insisted on treating her to lunch. “Pretty sure the flight is already gone. I wonder who they got to replace me. I hope they know what they’re doing.”

Elle often let her ramble like that. Good, because I need it. It was the only way Arianna could sort through her thoughts about the matter. Especially when she concentrated on putting on her earrings and decided how she wanted to wear her makeup for a day out without anyone from Royal Asia giving a shit. As usual, she defaulted to what she knew best, including the dark red nails she had been assigned when she started with the company.

She opened up about her true concerns while they had lunch at a local Italian café. While a waiter brought them pasta and cappuccinos, Arianna admitted, “I’ve got some money saved, but it’s not a lot. I can only maybe make it two months before I’m in serious trouble. I wonder if I should look for a new job now… do you think they’d take me back at… no, I suppose not.”

Arianna didn’t let her dwell on it. “I’m going to make a few calls later today.”

“Don’t get yourself in further trouble over my account. You’ve got a much more important job than me.” Elle had told her that she was reprimanded but not in any real trouble. Going on leave was purely Elle’s decision to come look after Arianna, which still embarrassed her. But if there are any perks to having a rich girlfriend, I suppose they come to fruition now.

“Don’t worry about money. I can take care of whatever you need while we figure out what’s going on.”

Arianna’s cheeks were hot with further embarrassment. “I will pay you back anything you give me. I promise.”

“It’s not a loan, Aria.” Elle cut into her noodles like a real American with purpose. Arianna elegantly spooled hers around her spoon. “It’s a gift. Because I love you and want to take care of you.”

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